27. August 2021
Multiday hiking and the Sharks is an equivocal affair. We hike quite a bit, but mostly daytrips. When we embark on multiday hikes, we usually get into violent thunderstorms, our tent gets blown off a ledge in the wind, we forget a sleeping bag, or someone gets bitten by a snake. And anyhow, why would you hike, if you have a bicycle. But this year the Larapinta trail in central Australia was the thing to do. 200something kilometre of rugged bliss along the West McDonald ranges. We even got it...
27. January 2021
When you live in the Wimmera localish biketouring, is a bit challenging. But one of the trips that was always on the list is the Goldfields track, that straddles the Great Dividing Range from Ballarat to Bendigo for 200 and a bit Kilometres. It has been there for ever, we just never did it. Not really sure why, because it is a real delight. Things to consider: · We carefully checked the weather forecast (the chance of 45°C days with howling 80kmh northerly winds is real in Summer here) and...
19. March 2020
Over the last couple of weeks, we have gone through all the Corona motions. First, we thought China is far, far away and we ignored the threat thinking all will be good. But country after country has closed its borders, flights have been cancelled and it’s all become nightmarish day after day. In Oman coronavirus is not much of a topic at all – though tourists are no longer able to enter the country and only food stores are allowed to open – it’s just a bit quieter and there is plenty...
12. March 2020
It is official, I left my mortal shell and my astral body travelled the last week through the lands of my wildest dreams. I really cannot remember when I have the last time felt so utterly content with my life. Riding for a week the big loop from Muscat to Nizwa was perfect. This endless sky, barren mountains, perfect camp spots and great food was just wonderful, but it was also just a teaser of what was to come. We needed a shower, wash our clothes and sleep in a soft bed, so we stayed two...
07. March 2020
I have to admit that when we touched down in Muscat, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Oman is Steffen’s “dream travel country” and contains the “some of the best riding ever”. I’d been lazy and enjoyed the last weeks in Thailand whilst Steffen planned the “perfect route” for us. Our first impressions of Oman have all been positive: friendly people, super clean and no humidity. Muscat was fun, we went to the old town and visited a Souq, ate some delicious Turkish food...
21. February 2020
A quick blog post in praise of Max. How lucky we are to have such an adventurous son, who comes with us exploring places. You are such a nice companion, with a great sense of humour, able of thoughtful discussions and you are truly a tough cockie, whether steep mountains, long hot days, thick traffic or dusty roads, you take it all without complaining (You really live the sentence “learning to suffer, without to whinge”) And how great it was that the beloved Rorshies came to celebrate your...
19. February 2020
I have visited Bangkok quite a few times over the last 30 years and I have always loved it. In fact, it is one of the few cities I really like. I also like Melbourne and Mainz, but it is questionable if the latter one is actually a city. As a young person I enjoyed the sleaziness of Khao San road, back than a hub for backpackers and the complete craziness of China town. This has long gone and Khao San road is nowadays nothing more than travesty of the “olden” days and China town feels...
11. February 2020
We continued along the coast and to our surprise much of the 200km was on a bike path. We never envisaged that this part of Thailand would be so beautiful, with little villages, so much greenery, small roads and a generally relaxed atmosphere. There was also much to see and explore, like the Prasae Rayong mangrove forest, with a delightful 2km boardwalk. The mangrove forest was part of a successful rehabilitation project undertaken by the local fishing community, supported by the Thai...
06. February 2020
For the faithful blog-reader who expect some excitements, dead bodies or snake bikes…. sorry we have nothing to report. Things are simply sweet and smooth since we have crossed the border to Thailand. The kind of dramas we can offer is: two burst innertubes and Ellie’s near mental breakdown when she realised that you are not allowed to buy alcohol before 5pm in the convenience stores. The crossing into Thailand was easy as, beside of the fact that I had lost my voice somehow and was...