An expat journalist takes it upon himself to explore his adopted continent by bicycle. Through dust and wind and storms he trudges, dropping tales of chance meetings along the way. From Sydney, up the Gold Coast to Brisbane, across to Darwin, through the Kimberley to Broome (great beach town), around to Perth, through the Nullarbour Plain to Adelaide and Melbourne. Even a jaunt over to Tasmania, then circling back to Sydney. Sleeping outdoors or in roadside hostels, picking fruit, shearing sheep, conserving water for the desolate 100 mile stretches of 120 degree heat, cycling through the flu and road rash, meeting kind and unkind people along the way.
Quick read of an adventure story-sort.
auth=Smith, Roff
pub=2000
sub=A Bicycle Journey into Australia
This is a good book. I read it also and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author is a good writer as well as an accomplished cyclist. I have read several other cyclist travel logs and this one is the best so far.
I have done some rides that I thought were long (centuries) so I have some understanding of what the author went through. But I avoid cycling above 95 degrees F, so reading about riding in 140 degree temperatures is a bit humbling.