Tag Archives: photos

Misc, Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania, Video

Woohoo! Kangaroo!

1 Comment

Today, the second to last day in the outback, I had the luck to finally spot a group of big red kangaroos. Riding solo again I had the time and opportunity to deviate from the road, when I wanted to. 1-DSC_0283I had to walk about 1 km into the bushes to find and follow them. I was walking into the fields away from Stuart Highway, to get a better view of the salt lake this morning, when I recognized a movement ahead of me. I just saw a bouncing long tail disappearing into a valley and followed it. I 2-DSC_0292readied my camera and followed the ‘tail’, when I spotted a big ‘rock’ on the other side of the small valley, in front of me. My zoom lens revealed the ‘rock’ was another kangaroo. Soon there where 4 of them ahead of me. I continued to follow them, funny to see them hopping away whenever I moved, then stopping and curiously watching my next step, when I stopped, too.

3-DSC_02964-DSC_03025-DSC_0306

This continued for quite a while. I made a step, they jumped ahead. I watched them equally amused as they watched me. Eventually the kangaroos disappeared in the horizon, as if they were diving into the white, salty lake.

6-DSC_03157-DSC_03188-DSC_0321

My extra walk and time spent paid off. I had my photos and an awesome experience, no other in the group had, as everyone was just riding into the wind and to next camp.

<placeholder for a video I shot>

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Photos, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Glendambo

Today we arrived in Glendambo, after a cold & stormy bush camp night and a windy ride in the outback. They recently performed a census and published the numbers at the entry to the settlement.
DSC_0045How could they know that the 3 humans are in town today?

And why do all but 2 of the flies bug me???

Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Navigation Challenges

1 Comment

Navigation Challenges in the Outback

The Northern Territory Outback introduces some difficult navigation  and unforeseen challenges for the riders to get from one camp to the next. Although we are excellently briefed every evening before dinner with the next stage details, it may happen that one gets lost or feels she/he has gotten lost in the vast and hostile outback. One day I was already cruising along for hours, not seeing a human soul. I wasn’t sure whether I still was on the right path and almost considered to u-turn and retrace from the last known correct  location, when I eventually spotted a bright shining something on the horizon ahead of me. I accelerated to close up to the still little moving neon spots in the far distance. It took me a while on these long straight roads, which make it hard to estimate a distance. Approaching closer I was so relieved to see that it were 2 cyclists. Shirley and DanGOPR6400-001, who were cycling into the same direction as I am, and could confirm, that we were still riding on the correct track and we continued our little  ‘odyssey’ through the dessert and eventually reached the lunch stop from where it was easy to get to the next campsite and reunited with the rest of the group.

Find below the short instant interview I had with Shirley and Dan about the navigational challenges and what difference a ‘Navigational Expert’ can make …

 

and the briefing information on the white board for the day, which caused us some difficulties to remember and follow  Winking smile:
20141030_060027

Bike the Outback, Info, Misc, misc, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania, Uncategorized

Sharing Roads

5 Comments

Cycling 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.

GOPR6335

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.

Bike the Outback, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania, Video

A Bird Attack

Today I was cruising along after lunch, when I heard a bird above me and a shadow flying by low several times. I turned around and saw the bird above me. It was somehow attracted by my helmet and inspecting the little bug zoo I carry since Darwin. I got my GoPro ready just in time to film the bird’s last attempt to checkout the prey. Thereafter he gave up and rested in a branch. Although I turned around  to give him another chance, he didn’t return again …

bird

a short video sequence

Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Outback Sunrise

4 Comments

The sunrise in the outback is very spectacular. I’ll will a photo or two a day from our current location to this gallery, if I am lucky enough to catch is with my camera …

4-DSC_7484

Bike the Outback, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

First Day in the Outback

1 Comment

Photos from the first day into the Northern Territory Outback from Darwin to Adelaide River.

23-DSC_7244

Misc, Photos, Spice Island Hopping, Trans-Oceania

Smiley has a new Friend

1 Comment

GOPR5573My little smiley, which accompanied me since the arrival on Sumbawa, and was the highlight of the kids and adults on every cycling day, once spotted, has a new friend. I couldn’t get an Australian visa for him, thus he had to stay behind with a foster family in Timor-Leste. All day I had to escape from young boys chasing me uphill to get the ‘ball’. At the second to last Coke Stop before Dili, there was a single boy with his father, and Smiley finally changed ownership. The young boy is now happy owner of the yellow smiling face. He did not realize, that it is a present for him until we got back on our bikes and left. Then his face changed into a big smile, competing with smiley.

DSC_6987GOPR5715

Other than Sponge Bob, who exploded in the thin, hot air of Mt. Bromo, and Angry Bird, who was killed by a goat at lunch, when he accidentally left the van, Smiley survived the long, hard cycling days and even made a border crossing to Timor-Leste.

Let’s see, what Australia has for riding surprises.

Misc, Photos

Sexy Legs?

1 Comment

Earlier in the tour I was cycling up a long climb and suddenly felt the sweat and warm breath of someone drafting me all the way up. On top of the climb the fellow rider  – one of the fastest in the tour, if not the fastest, and whom I usually see only 3 times a day

  1.  at breakfast
  2.  briefly on the road when passing me and speeding away
  3.  at dinner

closed up, stayed next to me and said:

“You have got sexy legs, I wanted to pass you for a long time, but my eyes became so addicted to your legs, that my nerve system failed to instruct my legs to go faster”

DSC_5379

Java Jive, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Bromo Volcanoes

A rest(less) day in Bromo. After a long cycling day with a huge climb up to the crater rim of the main caldera, 12-DSC_3477followed by a dive into the crater and a 7km walk through deep volcanic ashes and sand to our hotel, we got an early morning call at 3am to get up for the spectacular sunrise. A 4×4 took us up to the 2700m high mountain with the view point over the whole Bromo crater region. We were not the only ones. An endless line of Jeeps 53-DSC_3620were already parked along the road and more to arrive after us. It were more than 1000 persons on top, waiting their cameras ready to save this unique moment. And it was worth the early morning getup! I already knew the scenery from pictures, but live and with the changing colors as the sun rises and sends its beams into the cr20-DSC_3468ater it is breathtaking and words can’t really describe it.  But this was only the start. We drove down into the crater with the 3 volcanoes to hike up and around the Bromo Crater Rim. 250 steps later, on a steep stair built into the crater slope, and we could see the source of the smoke, that constantly rises into the acid air. Wow, I have never been so close to the center of the earth … 5 of us (Berne, Mike, Paul, Chris and myself) dared to hike around the crater rim, to circumvent the 57-DSC_3595crater. Gusty winds blew sand over the edges, making the hike on the narrow path on the rim an act of balance, to not tumble into the deep hole with the boiling soup, or roll down the outer slope. It was an unforgettable extra hour to walk around in the cool morning air, with legs still sore from the long cycling/climbing days and body packed into thick coats. I managed to keep my camera operational in the blowing wind, to take the photos, although the fine sand/ashes, which made it into every corner and whole, gave the lens and autofocus motors a hard time.

Find more photos in the gallery below: