Renew – Out of perspective..Reminded by the rain
I’ve been spending too much time updating my status and checking my emails. Fuji reminded me this morning that I’ve spent more time on the computer than reading the bible. This morning’s rain came in a right time. It allows me to get myself away from the packing up and early morning rush. For once in 2 weeks, I’m going to take it slow. Perhaps the Lord allowed this morning’s rain to show me something else more important. Rain..whenever I think of the rain it always reminds me of God’s providence and covenant to his people. ” For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, that it may seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My word that go forth from my mouth It shall not return to Me void. But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-12 It brings comfort to my soul that what I read and enquire from His word will in one way or another nourish my inner being. Hope this passage reminded you of some precious experience you had with the Lord as it did to me. Shalom and thanks for the follow..
Warmest regards,
Joe~ the journeyman cyclist
Wet weather in Victoria – 2nd time Sleeping in a car shed
The sky was glommy all the way from mount gambier. Even as we cross the border into Victoria, we can’t seem to get past the dark clouds. Before we knew it, it started to drizzle.. I was getting abit concern on whether we could reach Portland(VIC) in time. There were occasional roadtrains but overall, traffic was still ok..not busy. On average, 1 car go pass me every 10 minutes. My biggest concern was that it was getting late and we still had 50kms to cover. Mm..God certainly has His ways to keep me relaxed..was the first time a kangaroo got so close to me =D
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But thk God that we manage to find a place to rest for the night in Mt Richmond. Thanks Noel! The 2nd time we camp in a shed! =) Reminded me of the time I visited John and Burney =D. Ok I better get some rest soon…At least for today, this entry is up to date. Do keep a lookout for couple of more late posts (Kapunda to Adelaide) ..still waiting for the photos from Fuji to be uploaded b4 posting them up. Stay warm ! Warmest regards, Joe~the journeyman cyclist
Cycling aross Oz – Spending time in Adelaide
The city’s just a gem to move around. The town centre is pretty much integrated and it doesn’t take long to go from one place to another. Eg. Chinatown to the main shopping street. Architecture wise, personally I felt it stands out from Perth. Most historical buildings were kept intact and well maintained. Very nice city =) BTE the tour down under was in town as well =)
The only thing that hindered me from visiting the city is the return trip back from it. Going from Blackwood is a breeze..it takes 5mins downhill but the return trip takes a 30 mins uphill climb. Then again, when you’re on a bike tour, you’ll grow to enjoy riding. So its no big issue. Looking back..I wished I could hv explore a little bit more..but I could only hv so much time =)
Cycling across Oz – Spending the night in a Factory in Meadows
After an enjoyable stay with Rob and Helen in Adelaide, we did Rob’s recommended route going through some small towns. Unfortunately, we couldn’t continue riding because of the bad weather.
Although it was downhills and a fair bit of climbs here and there, the weather was getting foggy. Humidity was pretty high, It felt like swimming through the fog. My glasses were all misty. Couldn’t really see what was in front of me and behind me. Being unsure of what’s ahead of us, we decided to call it quits for the day. Out of the blue, a man dressed in overalls approached me and asked me where was I heading to..His name was Gary. Gary took us in his warehouse in Meadows and offered us a place to sleep there. It was such a blessing! Here are some pictures we took in his workshop..Enjoy!
Cycling Across Australia, post dedicated to ~ A football fan and normal person living together with 3 of their lovely dogs in Blackwood~
Since arriving in Adelaide, we had the opportunity to stay in Rob and Helen’s place in Blackwood. Rob was Fuji’s warmshowers.org’s contact and it was very generous of him to share his place with us. But getting to blackwood was no easy task, not knowing the geography of the area didn’t help the situation. We ended up climbing up a very steep and windy route up into the hills. (Its twice as steep on some parts compared to horricks pass) I even fell twice off my bike during the climb.
But it was all worth the effort when we got there =D Why? I’ll put it all in point form..There were simply too many to write about.
- Helen and Rob were wonderful hosts and people
- Helen and Rob were wonderful hosts and people
- Helen and Rob were wonderful hosts and people (times 3!)
- We had the opportunity to sleep in a historical caravan( We slept very well =)
- The views from Blackwood were breathtaking
- It only takes 15mins to get to the city(downhill)
Rob and Helen, it has been a out of the world experience staying with both of you. Through the conversations we had, the places you brought me to (Rob), the meals that you’ve prepared and shared together. The best thing is that it felt like being part your family. Rob, you have given me the opportunity to see a real Aussie handy man at work(He’s always fixing up stuff..always saying”there is always things to do..” =D). Helen, I’ve enjoyed the conversations( your knowledge of liquor, footy and bushfires) we shared and all the best for your PHD! Do send my regards, to Auntie Lyn and Uncle Warren. Both of you have made my trip real special!
Warmest regards, Joe the Journeyman Cyclist.
This post is dedicated to ~ A football fan and normal person living together with 3 of their lovely dogs in Blackwood~
Cycling Across Oz – Meeting a cycling Legend
Was such a blessing to received an email from John and Berny a day after I reach Clare. They are a couple whom I contacted through an online community of bike tourists. We were offered a place to stay in Kapunda. John and his wife Burny were very hospitable to us. John converted his garage into a bike tourist/camper’s dream with a toilet, shower room and a pantry area. Besides a place to sleep and shower, both of them even cooked us dinner. Lamb chops..Yum! Thank heaps John!
Through our conversation( and the countless medals we noticed John had on display in his garage) We found out that he was Australia’s cyclist of the year 2006 my bad 2003.. Incredible! We wished we could had stayed longer but we’ve to move on to other places. Remember if you drop by in Taiwan or Singapore do drop either of us an email, we’ll be more than happy to bring you around =). To the rest of you guys following me on my trip, thks for the company..I’ll try my best to keep my posts up to date.
With love,
Joe ~ the Journeyman cyclist
Cycling Across Australia – South Australia; Flinder’s Range to Clare Valley
Begin our journey with a beautiful sunrise. It was a strange feeling to cycle through so many towns as it usually takes at least 70kms to reach the next one. Apart from the rolling hills in the Flinder’s, there were seeps grazing and a few cyclists along the way.(They sure know where to go for a ride..so far this is the best leg of my trip) We stopped midway to buy lunch @ stonehut and icecream @ Laura.. Nice town and folks =) Things got abit busier once we enter the shire of Clare. In the Clare region, farmers were busy harvesting their crops. I’ve never seen so many tractors and locusts in my life. These little critters got into my helmet, my shirt and my pants. They were everywhere. Remember to turn on your wipers if any of you plan to visit the place soon. Cycling in the Clare region is no easy task, it was rolling hills and head winds all the way through. By the time we reached Clare Valley(Should be renamed as Clare hills) we were half dead. But it was all worth the effort. Celebrated Fuji’s birthday the next day and stayed in backpackers to give ourselves a treat.
Special thanks to Norm and Lyn Draper for your kind gift( the olive oil soaps) to me =)
Cycling Across Australia – Port Augusta, Horricks Pass and Riding into Beautiful Valley
Port Augusta –Finally the biggest town since Kalgoorlie. Augusta was a large town. We had a 30km straight downhill with tailwind after we got into the A1 highway. Although it saves us heaps of energy from pedalling, the traffic there had not been very kind to us. Going @ 40km/hr and with traffic constantly overtaking me with limited road shoulder..You can imagine roughly how daunting it was. By the time we reached the city Fuji was dead beat. So I cycled around town to look for a decent and cheap accommodation. We ended staying in Backpackers in the town centre. Though the Aircon broke, but I was still very glad and thankful to have a bed to sleep in and roof over my head. I’ve learnt that these things don’t come easy.
Port Augusta to Wilmington (Beautiful Valley)-Rode through the salt lakes, but the lake smell funny ..like sewage. 20 kms of semi-paved road.
Will upload another video here(rabbit)
Found a blind rabbit there. Hard climb through Horricks pass. 15km of continuous climb. 500m above sea-level. During climbs, I am always reminded by Fuji’s mountain climbing philosophy,” Climbing mountains/hills is always fair.. cause there is always downhills after that.”
(video of climb coming soon)
We camped within the compound of a Church in town. Next day we’ve got to discover and witness why this town is affectionately known by its residents as “Beautiful Valley”
Cycling across Australia – The Highway Chapel in Ironknob
2/1/2011 Kimba, Iron Knob to Port Augusta – Met Truckies Ministry, had cookies, milk, fellowship.
Cycling into Iron knob I expected that traffic would be fairly busy with roadtrains loaded with iron ore. Surprisingly, the town was hardly awake. Besides a couple of tourist who stopped by for rest, there was practically no one in sight. Even the visitor’s centre and the road house were closed. Disappointed, both of us decided to go back to the highway to continue the journey. Who knows I came across a signboard saying “free coffee or tea” outside the local police station. Mmm.. this town’s sheriff must be extra friendly ..That’s where we met the trukies’ minister and his wife; Mr and Mrs Trotter. They’ve revamp the old police station in their base which they travel around the country to share the word of God on wheels. Below are the pictures we’ve took @ their place =)
You can read more about their ministry here We ended up spending half our day there. Had fellowship and tea. It so happenly was Sunday! Praise the Lord! (It actually rained, so pretty much both of us were stuck there and Fuji had an earful sharing from Brother Neil..haha.. it was certainly not coincidence we were there. =)
Cycling across Australia – Year 2011 Across the Central Wheatbelt
31/12/2010 Poochera to Wudianna – Linda the community librarian to let us in the library. Surf the net for free and learnt that in SA most libraries provide free internet access. She was kind enough to allow us into the facilities’s pantry.
The most important thing was the library was safe haven away from the unforgiving heat. Eventually, she had to shut the library but we took the opportunity to grab some photos with her before we let her go =D.
The plan was to camp behind the school, but Fuji decided to ride to the next town. For me, I eventually decided to give myself a treat on the last day of 2010. I ended up staying in Wudianna Motel. Met Ashton and his Dad from Adelaide. I didn’t stayed for the countdown, but I bought a beer and a box of Timtams to celebrate the occasion
1/1/2011 Wudianna to Kimba pass 30km – Met up with Fuji again. Learnt that Fuji spent his last night of 2010 sleeping in a wheat-field. Was impressed. But I’ve guessed we both needed each of our own time to reflect and set resolutions for the brand new year. I was never a person who would seriously pen down my resolutions. This year’s different. There had been changes, major changes, there will be changes and more hills to climb, but like the physical hills and valleys that were before me, they were of distance memories. (Its just a pity that I still have to bear with the sores from climbing them)
I made an effort to think through my life. It is always difficult to pen down what I want to do. But someone once told me, I just have to ask myself what I don’t want to become and start from there. So this 2011, I don’t want to be a pessimistic person, I don’t want to spent my money unwisely, I don’t want to get into a …, I don’t want to hurt my people around me especially family. There are many more “I don’t want to be’s” =)
The 1st evening of 2011 finished off with a splendid sunset @ the campsite 30kms past Kimba. It was beautiful.
Happy to share these with you
Warmest regards,
Joe ~ the Journeyman Cyclist
Cycling across Australia – South Australia Under Extreme conditions
I knew the weather forecast today was going to hit the extremes, but our encounter with the drunken Aboriginal girl in Ceduna left us quite worn out in the following morning. But what’s done is done, we just had to find a way to get to Wirrulla. I prayed and committed my distance to the Lord. Did a straight 95kms to the destination. The sky was clear, sun was scorching hot and there were simply not enough foliages along the way. We started @ 830am and the temperature increased 2 degrees every half an hour to 45 mins. It was 40, by 1030am and peaked @ 47 @ 11am onwards. I figured that resting too long would only put me in danger of heat exhaustion, so I only rested twice, 5 minutes each time and drizzled water on body whenever I had the opportunity. By the time I reached Wirrulla, I was completely worn out. Thank God for seeing me through with 4 Litres of water for a 95km ride under the hot sun. Its comforting to know that weather’s gonna be cool till the end of this week. I had a fantastic 1st ride of 2011 today..but that’s another story.. I’ll leave u with a weather forecast for this week in South Australia.
http://www.meteorology.com.au/home/sa
God bless and have a blessed 2011!
Cycling across Australia – Crossing the Nullarbor (Part 2)
Night Cycling Across the Nullarbor
This is one of those experiences in my life-time I won’t forget. Having spent 2 nights resting in Ecula. Both of us were hoping to cover some extra distance on the following morning. We(Me and Fuji) crossed the border into SA @ 930am with the hope that we’ll clock 192kms to reach Nullarbor Rd hse.
Due to Christmas day, there was hardly any traffic on the road. It was like 1 car every 45mins..that was gd news. However, due to the strong NE winds we ended up riding slower than what we’ve planned.. Before we knew it it was dark.
We had lights, but riding in complete darkness was not very pleasant. We couldn’t gauge the gradient, neither could we draft properly. The rain that came much later didn’t help. Thank God we found a camping site 10kms down the road.
We were both cold and wet by the time we set up everything. Time to cook! Its little things like these in the wilderness that help us to boost morale, especially after tough rides. We had canned tomato soup with pieces of bread(meat substitute) popped inside. Warm food never tasted so good =D
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Both of us agreed that one ride like this was enough. We are never going to get ourselves in this situation again..God-willingly. I guess the morale of the story is that sometimes we have to be flexible and learn to go around plans in life. Personally, I feel this experience had reminded me of the day in and day out comforts we so often taken for granted.
In the Nullarbor, there is no such thing as last minute plans. You either stick to the plan or try your best to find the next best option.
Cycling Across Australia – Critters: Flies, Horse Flies, Mozzies, they come in all sorts of different colours and sizes
Fuji mentioned a couple of times along our journey together that cycling across this country has taught him how to be patience in his life. He learnt that through his daily encounters with the bush creatures that dwell across Australia.
Through the Karlgoorlie leg there are files(medium sized ones, fairly slow). From Norsman to Nullarbor there were Horse Flies ( They can bite through my leg and arm warmers with ease, slow flying, easy to kill, but its the pain that gets on my nerves) Once we crossed into South Australia, Penong onwards, we get a warm reception from the local flies..(Tiny ones that swarm your face) and the local mozzies ( Swarms and swarms of them. It got to a point that there were so many of them I gave up swatting them) and not to mention the ants..
Most of the time, to complete the task at hand, Eg. setting up the tent, packing up or resting up. I would try my best to ignore them. As I reflect upon it (the mozzies are still feeding on me now as I typed) It’s exactly like life. Sometimes, many things happen around us. They distract us from the our priorities at hand. They are like all these different critters. Annoying, worrying, interfering with our daily lives. What is the best way to go about these distractions?
It reminded me of one of the verses I came across in my quiet time; In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 Its like Be still and wait upon the Lord. We are helpless when these critters swam us. Its like some problems in life, you simply cannot have a solution. All we can do is wait.. the sands of time will heal the wounds. I’m in safe hands, I just need to remind myself every now and then.. but It’s a long road to recovery..pray that the Lord we continue to teach me through this trip.
Joe Hien Sia ~ the Journeyman Cyclist
To Renew, Reconnect and Rediscover life !
Christmas Eve in Ecula
Pre Christmas Eve Dinner @ Eucula
It has been a real blessing staying in Eucula. Not long after we arrived @ the roadhouse, Tailya, the roadhouse attendant there gave us and extra serve of fries for the set meal we shared. (A hot dog, fries and a 600ml fries for $6)
Not long after an elderly couple offered us some curry powder and corns.( I still hv the curry powder!) I did some shopping on my own in the road house, it’s the 1st time I cooked in a camp kitchen, so must make it special. Wanted to cook for everyone( Fuji, Eric, Nad and myself) as both Nad and Eric has helped us a lot on the previous night. I bought veges and Fuji got the meat. In the end we managed to cook 3 dishes; Black pepper beef/lamb, Lentil curry and satay sauce veges served with rice. Nad and Eric made coffee after that…So shiok!
The next day, on Christmas eve, all of us went to the beach and had a photo taking fiesta. Thanks Fuji for teaching me some photo shooting techniques =D We had to walk 4kms to reach the beach, with sand flies to accompany us all the way through. =/
The beach was untouched, I’ve never heard the sound of waves breaking so gently. It was so soothing.. One will have to be there to fully experience the serenity it brings.
On our way back we had some fun jumping off the sand dunes.. Pls watch the videos..
Christmas eve dinner was extra special.. I have been saving up for that.. Finally.. the lot burger with an sxtra egg
inside! Fantastic! Beer was on the house, courtesy of Taliyah. ( Taliya, if you ever drop by Singapore, I’m always happy to bring you around!) Here are the photos of Christmas eve dinner..
Cycling Across Australia; Nullarbor – Part 1
We left Norseman revitalized, a week of riding had seasoned me enough to ignore the distance signage to Adelaide. Surprisingly, the road conditions here are way better than Perth-Kalgoolie. 1st of all, there is a road shoulder. Secondly, the roads are smoother and well paved. Third, there were lesser road trains. We camp in between Balladonia (80kms before) and Norseman that night.
The following morning, we ran into fellow riders, Dave and Collin( New Zealanders) whom I have met while riding down from Kalgoorlie. They were doing a similar route as us, just 1000km shorter as they will be going inland after Nullarbur. But I applaud their effort as Dave and Collin are both 56 and 62 already! They are also doing this trip for fund-raising( Diabeties foundation in New Zealand) If you are interested, you can go visit their website @….(mm.. I forgotten their website) It has been fun riding with them..bypassing them and they by-passing us. It was a mini-tag race..haha.. I got a feeling they are ahead of us now
Here are some of the bits and pieces of my experience along the Nullarbor in short
- Remember Jin? The Japanese Cyclist? His map was God-sent. Our planning has been smooth so far because of his pre marked map. We have managed to plan the distance between each roadhouse
- Bought the most expensive and biggest bottle of water in my life. $16AUS for 10L @ Balladonia
- Rode nearly til dusk, strong head wind
- Rode through longest straight road
- Washed my face in a Water reservoir in the middle of no where
- Slept a couple of nights in my cycling attire without washing up
- Cycled until I went dizzy (150kms to Caiguna)
- Fuji worn off his back tyres completely and burst the inner tube!
- Met up with another Taiwanese in Mundura, sponsored us some food along the way
- Had a get together with 6 cyclist and one motor-cyclist ( Munderbering)
- Celebrated Dave’s birthday in Munderbering roadhouse with all the 6 cyclists
- Celebrated Christmas eve with Nat and Eric (Fellow cyclists from Switzerland)
- Did some night cycling on Christmas Day
- Rode with headwind continuously for 7 days. Maximum @ 67kms/hr
…… I’ll update part 2 when I reach (Part 2 – Ecula to Peenong)
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Cycling Across Australia – its not about the bike
Remember Lance Armstrong’s famous book? “Its not about the bike: My Journey back to life” Woke up 530 am this morning, packed everything else, only to have my bike not working. There was something wrong with the cassette. (Sorry Jason, was not very familiar with the actual names of the parts) The 1st thing I did was to follow through my standard routine check, serviced my drive train(Crankset, cassette and chain), 
only to find the problem still persisted. Special thanks to Nick(Garland’s cycloworks and brother Jason for your prompt response to my concerns) For those not familiar with bicycle parts( see picture below)
When I finally rectified the issue, it was 9-ish already. So thankful for Joan(Railway tavern) for helping me out with the luggage. Hope that all will go well for your refurbishing of the place!
When I reached Yellowdine(30kms past Southern Cross) I’ve got myself in trouble again when I accidentally release the air valve of my front wheel while checking my tire pressure. Spent another 1/2 hour pumping up my tire.
I guess the morale of the story here is not to panic when things goes wrong. Without much bike shops around, it always helps to stay cool in the head when things goes wrong. Personally, the biggest lesson learnt here is to learn to commit e day to the Lord 1st before everything else.
Everyday, people are so often caught up in preparing themselves to a new day, doing all the “necessary” chores. When things go wrong, we so often are caught surprise, asking ourselves what have we not done. I realised what I had not done was to commit my day to Him. It helps an awful lot. Especially you are reminded that God is sovereign above everything else. It is not how much time you have slept on the previous night, it is not about how neatly and well packed your luggage is, it is not about your physical and mental conditions before the ride, it is certainly not about the bike. It is Him who allows all things to happen in a way He desires/allow to be.
Beginning a day without seeking His council means without the assurance and reminder that “He holds the earth as His footstool” everything begins and ends with him. It helps me to keep my composure when things goes wrong. Everything happens for a reason…it is the same thing for broken relationships. (Not getting into that today) It is definitely not just about the bike…
Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s sharing.
Best regards,
Joe~the Journeyman Cyclist
Cycling across Australia – Night under the stars
Hi all,
After 1 night camping in the bush, I must admit it was one of the most beautiful experience I had in Australia. Lying in my tent on my sleeping bag, looking up in the stars in the sky, counting them as I fall alseep. It was actually one of those nights I’ve managed to acheive R.E.M sleep.
Although I do admit, setting up my sleeping area required some patience especially with flies swarming my face. Some of them actually bite!=( Country folk flies seemed to be more active and aggressive compared to their Perth city cousins. I was only able to get away from them when I got into my tent.
Here are some photos I took while bush camping. Enjoy!(Some things just cannot be captured, you need to be here yourself to see it..=)
Please keep the donations coming in @ http://www.everydayhero.com.au/journeyman_cyclist
Warmest regards,
Joe~ the Journeyman Cyclist
Cycling across Australia – A Familiar Face Once Again
Karlgoorlie – Norseman
I woke up @ 5am, I thought I was early until I discovered that most folks are up already. Making breakfast and getting ready for the day’s work. Left town 6am in the morning, with my bike fixed, wounds 50% healed, I’m all set to go. It was a long ride from Gold town to Norseman, 160kms. 160km of mines and nothing else to see, but one of the highlights of the day was that I rann into Graham and his wife. (Graham, I’ll keep both of you in my prayers.. may you continue to trust the Lord at all times, lead not unto your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 So no matter where He leads you, continue to trust and serve Him!)
Reached Norsman @ 530pm. Lake Cowan was a breathtaking..kind of reminded me of God parting the red sea..the trains loaded with coal just goes on and on..
NORSEMAN! Hurray! It was a strange but heartwarming feeling( Hard to put down in words) when I finally get to see Fuji. Coming across someone I finally knew since I’ve left Perth.
Stayed and rested in Norseman’s railway motel for 2 nights getting ready for the big ride across the Nullabur. We celebrated our reunion with a roasted chicken and ice-cream. .and boy, we enjoyed our stay there. Thank you Land lady of Railway hotel (Sorry that I forgotten your name!) We really enjoyed your hospitality there! If any of you reading this ever pass Norseman, do drop by that place.
I’ll leave you with some of pictures we took in railway hotel, the tavern’s owner/land-lady and her dog Audrey.
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Riding across Australia – Sabbath
Since this is a Sunday, a Sabbath, I will include a something I’ve picked up from the bible (Word of God) today. Ever since I left for this trip, the spiritual theme in my head has always been “Going back to basics” That is to revisit the verses and lessons I learnt throughout these 7 years of my Christian life. These past few days has just been random stuff, and spiritual bites of the food of life but did not manage go into the theme. I been wondering where I should begin. I started with Genesis, Isaiah Genesis again, I even picked up a track by RBC in Northam..Today, I finally decided to begin this with the story of Moses, one which even if you are not a Christian you might be familiar with.
Moses was born in uncertain times where he had to be given away, casted off the river by his own mother (reluctantly) due to the Egyptian king’s cruel rule to suppress the population of the Israelites. He was later miraculously picked up by the King’s daughter, raised away from the poverty of his country-men, only to fled the nation because of some fool-hardy act of murder he committed. (Exodus 1-2)
In the midst of all these drama, the Israelites called out to God and pleaded with Him to bring them out of their oppression. God heard them and remembered His promise to Abraham. “So God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham..and God looked upon the children of Israel and God acknowledge them”
I thought I would write something about Moses today. Strangely, the lesson I’ve picked up from here is that God always remember the pact (covenant) He made with us. Once you are a family member in His kingdom, you are forever inside. He will be with you from the beginning and all the way till the end. Nothing will change that.(.. I am with you always, even to the end of the age Matt:28:20b) However this is not a lesson about the unchanging Yaweh(God) but is about Him knowing/ acknowledging about our strives/problems in life. It makes it twice as assuring when He is unchanging.
Sometimes when we go through tough times in our lives, we tend to shun away from people. Having this notion that our friends and family members would not understand us. Even if they tried, it would be only skin deep. You cannot blame them. Intellectually, people can understand, if you tell them. But to understand it emotional and spiritually, that’s another level. At most, drawing from their own personal experiences helps, but to truly know, it takes someone with the exact personality, character, spirituality and perhaps gender, age etc etc..(basically the carbon copy of you) The only person I know that is able to do that is Him.
Jeremiah 1:5 before I form you in your mother’s womb I knew you. Before you were born I sanctified you..” (I nearly cried when I typed this down)
God knows us inside out, He promised that He knows our worries and He will deliver us out of these issues. In the context of my personal experience, I did not blame God for what I went through these few months, but looking back, I did not see that He’ll help me in any way to overcome my problems. Nor did I think He should be interested in them. I blamed myself for the situation I was in. After that, I started to point my finger at others.
I guess the lesson here is
- Know that God always knows everything we go through
- Understand that He is our best source of council because He knows us inside out
- Believe that He is able to do wonders that brings us out of any hole we might hv fallen into
- Action – tell Him about it and ask for help(as the Israelites did)
As for my trip I do not worry about how far I can cycle after each day. I’ll leave it to God after I commit my distances to Him. I told myself I need to cover at least 100km a day. I’m at Yellowdine now, missed my morning ride( will share more on my next post) only 30+ kms pass Southern Cross. I still have 185km to cycle till I reach the next town Coolgardie. I will pray now and leave it to Him. Pray for me on road safety, fatigue and a suitable campsite to stay for the night.(I need to camp in between ) and that I will find reception to send this. Love you all and Shalom!
Joe~the Journeyman cyclist
Blog written @ 130pm @ Yellowdine rd hse
Cycling across Australia – Toughening up in Gold town(Coolgardie/Karlgoolie)
The 1st thing that stands out in Kalgoorlie was its residents. As I entered the neighbourhood, I was greeted by a signboard that gives me a slight indication of life in Gold town.( Can’t remember what that was exactly..but something like ..”town for the hard-working folks” The folks here were tough/rugged. There were 2 groups of people, the oversized beer-drinking ones and the muscular/tough looking ones.
I guessed I kinda toughened up a little bit myself. Battered and beaten from my accumulative falls( I fell 5 times), I found refuge in the town’s backpackers. It was my 1st experience staying in a back-packer’s accommodation . Thanks Darren for the best tasting beer I ever had in my life. (Now I can testify that alcohol is certainly nature’s pain killer. I ONLY had a small bottle=) Spent the next day visiting the local bike shop and exploring the town.
The Gold town Kalgoorlie was self-sufficient, but it seemed to have lost its former splendour. The colonial architecture was still standing along the town’s up-market street(bolder street and hey street) But it was the faded paint-jobs that gave their age away. This town has certainly seen better days.
Under the scorching sun, I looked through the streets for a café to sit in. Many times I was tempted to visit one of the local bars. The red neon lights, the swing-doors and… kind of resembles the wild-west.. having a pine of beer by the bar counter would have been a great experience. In the end I settled in 101 coffeebristro. Thanks girls(Sorry that I couldn’t remember your names) for your wonderful reception. Coffee was great!
Just want to thank,
Brother Hyunjoong for his Meds(Your sharing about walking around South Korea inspired me, hope all is well for you in Gold town, sorry I’ve forgotten to take your medication you’ve given me( left it in the room) But I was, am still very touched by your sharing.( we are the same!) I will always remember you! All the best! If you ever drop by in Singapore. I’ll bring you around!
Stacy roommate– For your encouraging words
Jessica, German roommate – helped me bandaged my wounds. Enjoy your stay there!
Joseph for his sharing on his experience of bike touring across Europe
Derren, once again for the best tasting beer and bun I had in my life
The rest of the residents
The experience in Kalgoorlie has showed me the other side of WA I’ve never experienced but rode to witness. Thank you and goodbye Kalgoorlie!
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Cycling across Australia – A Japanese cyclist, 3 beautiful women, A God-sent couple & a Cosy Railway tavern
Was thinking of a suitable title for this day’s entry. “A man, a dog and a dead kangeroo” came to my mind. Ok maybe I’ll title this entry in a similar fashion. =) Left Marredin @ 730am today. Late again! However, I did slept better than the 1st 2 days. So it was definately worth it. Didn’t explore much in Merredin. Nothing much there too. Except for a colonial era post office and a historical water tank.
After 48kms of cycling, I arrived in Carrabin rd house (the mid point of Perth & Karlgoorlie) This is where I met fellow Japanese cyclist Jim. Jim came from Sydney! This is his final leg of the trip! We had a great time of sharing about our cycling experiences, and boy did he gave me lots of pointers. He even gave me his set of list of camping grounds. Thanks Jim and have a safe ride to Perth! Almost there!
20kms leaving the rd house, I had to stop by a petrol station to clean some dirt off my bike handle. Thats when I met these 3 beatiful gals. They were curious about me riding and why was I doing this etc. Shared briefly with them and decided that we should take a photo for memory sake. Here you are..Thanks ladies for your well wishes and kind encouragements!
Nothing much in between then on to Southern-cross. When I finally reach the town. It was 445pm I’ve already covered 109km, the earliest time I’ve ever reach a town in my afternoon-evening ride. I was resting up in BP when I met this Christian couple, Graham and his wife(Sorry was it Kristien, Catherine or.. my bad should have remembered ) We had a short but great time of fellowship together; sharing about my trip and so happenly Graham is working in the mental health area as well. Praise the Lord for him! It was also the 1st time, I’ve receive prayer from passer-bys on-the-rd.It was encouraging and thk God. Thank you both of you for your encouragements and prayer! I’m sure one day u can run/cycle across the nullarbu! Here’s a photo of both of them.
Found myself a budget tavarn @ $30. $3 more than a caravan park, but considering I dont have to camp, $3 is worth it! Ted(If I remembered it correctly) and wife run this place. Found out that Ted used to do road biking too, but ever since they moved here, he pretty much not get the chance to ride. I can understand why, the road trains here don’t make it any easier.
It was steak night tonight, Ted invited me to come down for it. It wasn’t cheap but it comes with free flow salad bar. Mmm..couldn’t resist the free flow part. Much needed carbs and fibre(not been eating much veges for the past few days) Had a cold beer(low carb) to go along with it. Heaven! Wished i could have taken a photo with Ted and his wife but fell asleep early after that hearty meal. =) Thats all from me today. Thanks for your following! Remember to keep the donations coming in! Hmm.. I saw hits on this website, but no comments so far. Feel free to drop in and say hi whenever.
Take care and have a blessed Sunday!
Joe ~ the Journeyman Cyclist
Cycling Across Australia – Arrive Merredin on my Merida 903 road race
Hi all, I’m here in Merredin
Route (My current position)
This is my 3rd day on the road. Some things I’ve picked up on cycling in the outback.
1st – Respect all truckies( road trains) at all times, always give thks to God for journey mercies. That includes praying before leaving. Truck drivers always(so far based on my 3 days of riding) do their best to SIAM(avoid/ give cyclist some space/Steer clear In Advance Mindfully) cyclists.
2 – Always check rear mirror for trucks coming from behind, @ the same time observe the on-coming traffic. If there is space allows, vehicles usually SIAM you. If not stop at the kerb.
3 – In an event when you cannot stop, or you didn’t realise a truck is coming behind you. Always make your centre of gravity low(be it by your side or from the on-coming traffic. Keep pedalling! do not slow down. It would keep you stable.
4- Wave and thank truckies. There is a chance they will coms the next truck and alert them of me(the cyclist) cycling on the rd. (Buy a radio and coms them on freq 40)
1st thing to share, I didn’t fall today. Thank God for His journey mercies. And I salute all the truck drivers!
As of my 3rd day of cycling, passed by a couple of Historical sites. The rabbit proof fence(click LINK) if you haven’t watched the movie already) Was wondering how those children did it walking across the country. Man! That’s crazy!
One of the oldest(not sure in terms of ranking, but it is OLD) fire-stations in WA in Tamin.
“Man his dog and dead kangeroo” sign-age. Didn’t really quite understand why it is a historical site.(The signage was more interesting) It was just a quote from some guy in parliament eons ago complaining about building a townhall/museum in the area(kellerberin). read more about it here
Didn’t meet or talk to much people today. Tamin’s service station staff were just there for business.. but a few weird stares from them. Maybe its me in my lycra shots. Probably some of the townsfolk in Kellerberrin who were interested in me cycling.(If you don’t know how they look like, perhaps you don’t do road biking, here’s what lycra shorts look like ..LINK and here’s how I look like in them.
Ok I think that’s all from me today. Special thanks to Adrian, Jason for helping me out on this trip. A few others who kept me company along the way. So its not just me and the trucks. Here are some pictures I’ve took along the way. Enjoy! See my FlickR for more pictures I posted earlier today. Here
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Cycling across Australia-Northam to Cunderin
Arrived in Cunderin caravan park @ around 630pm today. Camp site was not as nice as Northam’s. No grassy spots, only gravel. Pray that I will be able to sleep tonight. Nothing much from Northam to here since I also didn’t travel far. Only interesting place I came across was Meckering. The historical earthquake site and camera house. Aright folks, I’ll go and rest now. I’ll leave you with some photos to look at. Gd night!
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Please keep the donations coming in @ http://www.everydayhero.com.au/journeyman_cyclist
Best regards,
Joe~the Journeyman Cyclist
(CAA)Cycling across Australia- The evening & morning in Northam Caravan Park
Arrived in Northam yesterday, 08/12/10 1700hrs. I hope I’ve conquered the toughest climbs of my 1st leg to Kaalgoolie. There were twice, I had to get off and push my bike. Fell once along the way, when I stopped at the side to let a freight train pass. Gravel + heavy bike trailer = fall. Learnt from that experience to better control my bike whenever I need to stop at the side. That’s when an old lady stopped by to see if I need a hand. Found out that she too is under depression medication. She gave me a kiss to bid me farewell. When I finally arrive in Northam, I already travelled 110km. Visitors’ centre was closed..so was most of the town.
Headed down to Northam Caravan Park to rest for the night. Accomodation was $25. I picked a spot next to the kitchen. Dan and Kamala, fellow campers in the park offered me a hot meal together with them. Felt so blessed! It was a great morale booster! Was planning to eat can tuna for dinner. Never expected such a warm reception. Turned out that Kamala is a Singaporean, it’s a small world indeed! Thanks Kamala and Dan for the dinner, breakfast and much needed travel advices you’ve shared with me. (Channel 40 to coms the truckies=)Am very thankful to have met you folks. You’ve made my 1st night traveling extra special!
Unfortunately today, there were some issues with the rental property back home. Had to make a few calls to settle a few stuff. (Hope all will go well for you 2, Janna and George! No worries I will always try my best to stay contactable and remember both of you in my prayers) Got around town to get a Telstra mobile and mobile broadband. So will be able to update my stuff much more efficiently. Thks Adrian for helping me with the past few entries. Jason for Probably can only make to Meckering today, 58km east of Northam .
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See you again in Meckering,
Joe~the Journeyman Cyclist
Follow this link to see a Google Map of this leg of the journey
journeymancyclist
Adrian
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