Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sunday, April 29th 2007
Byron Bay
Sorry for the long absence but I don't always have fascinating stories to tell. I made the trip back to Byron easily and the weather has been great ever since. Easter is invariably dismal weather for reasons unknown to anyone. I did have a mishap on Monday morning. We had a great training session at Broken Head beach from 6 to 7am which was more a cardio session. I hopped on the bike and rode the two kms back home without wearing my pants (just in shorts) or jacket. In a roundabout I caught an oil patch with my rear tyre and lost control of it. I slid and hit the ground. I wasn't going fast. Lost a bit of skin around the knee area and pulled my calf muscles quite strongly. So I've been recovering from this all week.
However I've kept active and moving and this morning managed a run (normal run distance) at a slow steady pace so I'm amazed by my improvement. Which is good as I registered to do a Mothers' day run in Brisbane in two weeks to collect funds for Breast Cancer research. It's only 8 kms but until today I wasn't really sure how I'd feel. So it's all good. I'll probably skip Boot camp in the morning as I'm not quite up to sprinting yet but I'll train in the gym as I have this week. The bike doesn't look too bad but I'll put an insurance claim in as it's worth it.
On another note I didn't get the really interesting job in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. It was right up my alley and my interests so I was sort of hoping it might come off but they chose another candidate for it. I had also been approched informally to go to France to help them plan the Rugby World Cup for a good part of this year but the Director who was interested has just resigned and his replacement is someone I've dealt with in the past and could not work with. So although he mentioned he'd be interested in having me on board from early June to end of the year, I've retracted my interest in the event. Just not my kind of work environment. So that's life. Things change and so do the opportunities in light of the changes.
In the meantime, all is good and I'm enjoying being here in Byron until I find out what I'm to do next.
Bye for now
Byron Bay
Sorry for the long absence but I don't always have fascinating stories to tell. I made the trip back to Byron easily and the weather has been great ever since. Easter is invariably dismal weather for reasons unknown to anyone. I did have a mishap on Monday morning. We had a great training session at Broken Head beach from 6 to 7am which was more a cardio session. I hopped on the bike and rode the two kms back home without wearing my pants (just in shorts) or jacket. In a roundabout I caught an oil patch with my rear tyre and lost control of it. I slid and hit the ground. I wasn't going fast. Lost a bit of skin around the knee area and pulled my calf muscles quite strongly. So I've been recovering from this all week.
However I've kept active and moving and this morning managed a run (normal run distance) at a slow steady pace so I'm amazed by my improvement. Which is good as I registered to do a Mothers' day run in Brisbane in two weeks to collect funds for Breast Cancer research. It's only 8 kms but until today I wasn't really sure how I'd feel. So it's all good. I'll probably skip Boot camp in the morning as I'm not quite up to sprinting yet but I'll train in the gym as I have this week. The bike doesn't look too bad but I'll put an insurance claim in as it's worth it.
On another note I didn't get the really interesting job in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. It was right up my alley and my interests so I was sort of hoping it might come off but they chose another candidate for it. I had also been approched informally to go to France to help them plan the Rugby World Cup for a good part of this year but the Director who was interested has just resigned and his replacement is someone I've dealt with in the past and could not work with. So although he mentioned he'd be interested in having me on board from early June to end of the year, I've retracted my interest in the event. Just not my kind of work environment. So that's life. Things change and so do the opportunities in light of the changes.
In the meantime, all is good and I'm enjoying being here in Byron until I find out what I'm to do next.
Bye for now
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Thursday April 12th 2007 Byron BayThe map on the side is just to give you and idea of where Bundeena is in relation to Sydney. If you go to the lower right corner of the map right next to the Sydney's motorways square you will see just next to it a small peninsula with Cronulla written next to it. Well south from there accross the water is another peninsula where you can see an orange road. That's where Bundeena sits at the very tip and it's 30km of National Park to get there. Sydney is pretty much the centre of the map. Sydney CBD is below the water way. The waterway is connected to the north shore by the world famous Sydney Harbor Bridge and also the Sydney City Tunnel.
Had a wonderful time in Bundeena and soon Monday morning came and the time to leave. It was still raining that morning but I didn't leave Bundeena before 10:30am and escaped the rain that morning and indeed for the whole trip up. I met with my friend Deb on the north shore at Willoughgy for Coffee at about 11:45am. Left at 1pm to make my way north. It was of course a public holiday in Australia and the last day of the Easter Holidays so many drivers were making their way back into Sydney. But the way up was uncluttered and easy. You'd have to be crazy to leave Sydney for Easter. Everyone does it and so the roads are a mess if you are going that way. It's school holidays in New South Wales and Queensland for two weeks after Easter or until Monday of the week after next. So some people are still holidaying and by all accounts Australians are big travelers.
Stopped in Raymond Terrace for a bite to eat and a break and it was very obvious that most places were closed for the holidays. I made it up to Taree and past there. The clouds were threatening and I wondered for a moment whether the decision to press on was a sound one. But, I got wet pavement as testament of fresh rain but no rain. I decided to stay in Wauchope (pronounced Wor Hope) for the night electing to travel 10 km inland rather than go to Port Maquarie on the coast. I though
t Port would be more crowded for the holidays and it may be harder to find a place to stay. Got off the bike with 430 km behind me for the day.
t Port would be more crowded for the holidays and it may be harder to find a place to stay. Got off the bike with 430 km behind me for the day. Wauchope is a small place and indeed there was only one motel, expensive at that, so I'm not sure it was the right decision but so be it. I was happy to get off the bike and relax. The neighbors however had better plans and screamed and shouted and cried all night so my sleep was interrupted to say the least. Was back on the bike at 8:30am and the rest of the day was rain free(after raining that morning before I left). Stopped in Kempsey for breakfast, made it to Grafton for lunch and into Byron by 3:30pm.
I stayed with the owner of the unit in their house above for the night. Moved back in yesterday between boot camp, gym, going to Lismore for a service on the bike, food shopping, emailing, banking, post office, combat class and catching up with a friend for a drink last night. Phew...
Bye for now
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Sunday, April 8th 2007 Bundeena
Happy Easter...
I left Byron Bay on the mighty Suzuki XF650 on Wedsnesday shortly after twelve. The first 2 hours were a bit annoying as it rained every 20-50km and I had to constantly stop and put the wet weather gear on, then stop a bit later and take it off. It was steamy in the sun when it wasn't raining so it really wasn't comfortable to keep the wet weather gear on.
But by the time I reached Grafton, despite a few clouds in the sky, the rest of my journey was completely rain free. Stopped around 3:30pm in Coff's Harbour for fuel, and a bite to eat. Was back on the road at 4pm. I stopped at 5:30pm in Kempsey just to put my light fleece on and the inner lining in my jacket to keep the wind out. The sun was coming down and it was getting cooler. I was on the road until I stopped just after 7pm in Taree. Found a cheap motel and settled for the night after covering 460km plus that afternoon. I expected the hardest part was over which were the roads before Kempsey where speed limits were often 80kph and road single lanes in some areas. After Kempsey some speed limits crept up to 110kph making the distance far easier to cover.
Left Taree Thursday morning at 7:30am on a glorious sunny and cool morning towards Newcastle. The roads were completely bare which was great. No traffic at all. I stopped for breakfast in Raymond's Terrace (name of a town) at 9:15am and got back on the road at 10am. Got into Sydney at 11:45am and crossed the city via Homebush Bay in the west which is where Olympic Park is to completely avoid central Sydney. Rode in the Royal National Park and into Bundeena early afternoon arriving at about 1:30pm or so.
I was very lucky with the weather because Friday and Saturday saw rain bucket down at regular intervals. Today is still cloudy by moments but mostly sunny and beautiful. I'm sure the weather will be fine for my ride back up starting tomorrow.
Has been great catching up with Brett. We did a two hour walk in the National Parks along the beautiful cliffs of Bundeena on Friday. Yesterday, I took the ferry accross to Cronulla to have lunch with Simon and Jo and a beautiful restaurant on the water. Then caught up with my other friend Joanne in the afternoon in Cronulla before taking the ferry back to Bundeena and having diner and watching a DVD with Brett, Phil (friend and neighbor) and Chris (Phil's son).
Today Brett and I started the day in the National Park doing some boxing training together. We are planning to go paddling on the water this afternoon for a couple of hours. I've caught up with other friends on the phone and will catch up with Deb tomorrow on my way up to leave.
It's beeen lovely to come down to Sydney for Easter. I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend.
Happy Easter...
I left Byron Bay on the mighty Suzuki XF650 on Wedsnesday shortly after twelve. The first 2 hours were a bit annoying as it rained every 20-50km and I had to constantly stop and put the wet weather gear on, then stop a bit later and take it off. It was steamy in the sun when it wasn't raining so it really wasn't comfortable to keep the wet weather gear on.
But by the time I reached Grafton, despite a few clouds in the sky, the rest of my journey was completely rain free. Stopped around 3:30pm in Coff's Harbour for fuel, and a bite to eat. Was back on the road at 4pm. I stopped at 5:30pm in Kempsey just to put my light fleece on and the inner lining in my jacket to keep the wind out. The sun was coming down and it was getting cooler. I was on the road until I stopped just after 7pm in Taree. Found a cheap motel and settled for the night after covering 460km plus that afternoon. I expected the hardest part was over which were the roads before Kempsey where speed limits were often 80kph and road single lanes in some areas. After Kempsey some speed limits crept up to 110kph making the distance far easier to cover.
Left Taree Thursday morning at 7:30am on a glorious sunny and cool morning towards Newcastle. The roads were completely bare which was great. No traffic at all. I stopped for breakfast in Raymond's Terrace (name of a town) at 9:15am and got back on the road at 10am. Got into Sydney at 11:45am and crossed the city via Homebush Bay in the west which is where Olympic Park is to completely avoid central Sydney. Rode in the Royal National Park and into Bundeena early afternoon arriving at about 1:30pm or so.
I was very lucky with the weather because Friday and Saturday saw rain bucket down at regular intervals. Today is still cloudy by moments but mostly sunny and beautiful. I'm sure the weather will be fine for my ride back up starting tomorrow.
Has been great catching up with Brett. We did a two hour walk in the National Parks along the beautiful cliffs of Bundeena on Friday. Yesterday, I took the ferry accross to Cronulla to have lunch with Simon and Jo and a beautiful restaurant on the water. Then caught up with my other friend Joanne in the afternoon in Cronulla before taking the ferry back to Bundeena and having diner and watching a DVD with Brett, Phil (friend and neighbor) and Chris (Phil's son).
Today Brett and I started the day in the National Park doing some boxing training together. We are planning to go paddling on the water this afternoon for a couple of hours. I've caught up with other friends on the phone and will catch up with Deb tomorrow on my way up to leave.
It's beeen lovely to come down to Sydney for Easter. I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend.
