BVT = Bicycle Velocity Tracker / Butt Verification Tour
My colleagues in the Sydney Lab have established a live tracking system and dashboard displaying my progress towards Sydney. The BVT column indicates 100% completion of my bicycle tour on the 19th.
Note: Even on the 18th they already knew I am going to make it to the finish line! 
- With Laurence, Matt, Will, Chris, Graham and students
Tweet ##transoceania
You often find this kind of road sign in South Australia.
Why do you think a road in some parts of Australia is only passable during the dry season and not recommended to be used, once it has rained?
Sure, the road might be flooded, but most 4×4 can run though it, if not too deep. Usually there are depth marker in flood areas, which indicated the water level. So there must be some other reason.
Well, it was all dry when I cycled passed it, thus I could not check it myself.
However the following road sign, which I saw soon after, may explain why it is dangerous to enter the road in the rainy season!
Can you see from what the motorists are being warned?
So better don’t leave the car, when you get stuck in water on a flooded road 
The 7epics promotion video, featuring Brett has been published on YouTube.
A nice introduction to the 7epics. the idea behind it, his motivation, by fellow Trans-Oceania cyclist Brett Lanham combined with an assembly of video footage and photos from the current Trans-Oceania tour, past Tour d’Afrique and other TdA epic tours.
Tweet ##transoceaniaToday I took a detour from the town Mt. Gambier to the Blue Lake, a crater lake that changes its color every year in summer and winter. A blue I’ve never seen before.
There is a 3.5 km scenic cycling route along the rim of the crater (TdA should add this alternate route to Nelson to their ‘tour bible’)
There are 2 more craters with lakes, but too much to add on to another wind battered cycling day.
Tweet ##transoceaniaIn 25 cycling days we covered the distance of 3169 kilometers to travers the Australian continent from north to South. 
But it is not over yet. Twenty more challenging and exciting days wait for us to ride along the south and east coast of this vast ‘island’ to finally get us to Sydney.
73 cycling days since starting in Medan on Aug. 18th, with 8714km on the odometers for the full tour riders.
Tweet ##transoceaniaCycling on the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory is quite an experience. Not only the heat and wind can make your day and cycling a challenge, but also the so-called Road Trains, some longer as 50 meters and with up to 3 trailers. Definitely not easy to drive and handle. So far most of the drivers were very respectful with us and passed us in a safe distance. Nevertheless, one must be awake all day and listen to the approaching trucks to not be too surprised, of the roaring sound that would take you out of your day dreams.
It is also very important to stay as far left as possible and don’t make unexpected moves, as there is almost no way for the drivers to correct any errors. A too fast change of directions would cause the trailers to swing out wide and bounce for a while, if not completely getting out of control and knocking you and the truck off the road.
Some statistical numbers from the 4 sections we cycled in Indonesia on 7 different islands and Timor-Leste.
| Cycling Days: | 48 days |
| Distance: | 5545 km |
| Climbs: | 67649 m |
| Average per day: | 116 km with 1409 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 17 days |
| Distance: | 2130 km |
| Climbs: | 21357 m |
| Average per day: | 125 km with 1256 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 17 days |
| Distance: | 1845 km |
| Climbs: | 28484 m |
| Average per day: | 109 km with 1676 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 2 days |
| Distance: | 216 km |
| Climbs: | 2278 m |
| Average per day: | 108 km with 1139 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 2 days |
| Distance: | 198 km |
| Climbs: | 1276 m |
| Average per day: | 99 km with 638 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 3 days |
| Distance: | 391 km (longest distance a day: 192 km) |
| Climbs: | 2953 m |
| Average per day: | 130 km with 985 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 3 days |
| Distance: | 393 km |
| Climbs: | 6646 m (longest climb a day: 3283 m) |
| Average per day: | 131 km with 2215 m of vertical climbs |
| Cycling Days: | 4 days |
| Distance: | 410 km |
| Climbs: | 4530 m |
| Average per day: | 103 km with 1133 m of vertical climbs |
Bromo Crater desert
Today we arrived in Kupang on Timor, the 7th island of our cycling and island hopping trip and the last Indonesian, before heading to Australia. After a short flight from Ende on Flores and a 8 km taxi drive from the airport into town, we were warmly welcomed at the Sasando International Hotel with music on the traditional Sasando instrument and a very nice banner, honoring our extremely long trip from Medan to Sydney.
Now I have a problem to explain to my employer and followers, why I need a 4 months leave to cycle the gigantic 11km from Medan, a new suburb of Sidney, into the town. 
Lets phrase it different. Good Job Cristiano! My odometer already shows 5300km at not even halftime of the full tour. You proved to be the master of making a probably short and easy trip a giant monster.
Looking forward to find out how you turned the final 6 km from here to Sydney into another long and man-eating 6000km monster stretch. 
Our 3 drivers, Dhanu, Sulis and Yudha, who supported us excellent around the clock, since the first day in Sumatra in August, have unfortunately already left us in Ende/East Flores, as we continue to Timor by plane and get a new crew for the 4 days on Timor and Timor-Leste.
You guys were great!!!!
We wished you could have stayed longer with us; preferably until Sydney!We will miss you and your hospitality, your infectious smiles, the encouraging words and cheerful wishes sending us into the tough cycling days or at lunch. Without you the tour would have been not the same. Thanks again / Terima Kasih
All the best to you. Have a safe trip home to Yogya.
Tweet ##transoceaniaToday Cristiano released the long feared information about the toughest cycling days of the tour. Partial information had long leaked before, but details were being kept a secret until today.
The next tree days from Labuan Bajo to Ende will cover 388 km and 6580m accumulated elevation gain – with the maximum of 3240m of climbs in 128 km, tomorrow, the first day after the rest in Labuan Bajo. Temperatures in the upper 30th or higher will make these days a real challenge.
Having received this scary data, our ‘French Couple’ immediately decided to use Gerald’s shuttle service, which right at that day arrived to deliver another box of the best French Burgundy Wine for the two. Bikes and duffle bags packed and soon they disappeared into the afternoon sun of Western Flores waving us a friendly ‘Hello’, ‘Good Luck’ and ‘See you in Ende’.
Well, ‘Ende’ is the German word for ‘End’.
Will it be the end of the EFI dreams of the last 2 remaining cyclists – Chris & Brett – who have not yet been sick, injured or too tired to always ride their bikes to the camp ground?
Eric, who is a trained pilot, with a valid license, is Gerald’s personal pilot and they have probably spent more time in the air to get from A to B, than on their bicycle. How else can you explain the difference in tanning? 
