Leaving town happens relatively quickly. One moment we’re surrounded by people and houses, and the next we feel like we’re miles from anywhere. We often stay for three nights in larger towns. We eat good food, enjoy warm showers, chat with other travellers. We buy supplies, check and clean our bikes, and repack panniers. Within half an hour of leaving, we’re back on an unsealed road again, tackling a hill or loose gravel that leaves little time for thinking about the comforts we have just left behind. Instead, our attention is drawn to constantly changing landscapes.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – Cochrane to Rio Tranquilo via Parque Patagonia.” →

Villa O’Higgins is our fifth town in four weeks of travel. It’s also one of our favourites. Top three, at least. Each morning a flock of friendly hens roams the campground. The sun creeps down the surrounding hills and into the wide flat valley. We wander the sleepy streets and climb to one of three wooden lookouts above the town. We buy fresh bread from local homes which we eat with butter, honey, jam and cheese. When we eventually leave, we take all the bread we can carry.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – Villa O’Higgins to Cochrane via Tortel.” →

The sealed road ends abruptly as we leave El Chalten. We follow a crystal clear river up a valley that invites us further with each bend. “If I was a fish, I’d choose to live here”, says Banjo. We make brief stops at the first of many waterfalls. At the start of the walking track, Banjo again: “Hopefully the waterfall is beautiful because the whole park is beautiful, so it really needs to be beautiful”.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – El Chalten to Villa O’Higgins.” →

The roads that link the towns of El Calafate and El Chalten are around 200 km in total. They are infamous for strong winds. Travelling from west to east, these winds bring cyclists unimaginable joy. Leaving El Calafate, this is precisely what we experience for close to 30 km. Riding with the wind is surprisingly quiet. With minimal effort we make maximum progress, stopping only for a police check point where we are given high visibility vests to wear.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – El Calafate to El Chalten” →

We set off on a Saturday afternoon after a massive lunch with Maria and Jaime and some local mates. Most people in South America would be enjoying a siesta at this time, but the skies are clearing and the breeze has eased slightly. It’s been suggested that the weight of our gear will help to keep our bikes from being blown of the road. As we leave Puerto Natales, we make our way past now familiar landmarks – the Simple Patagonia hotel, the airport, and a bus stop at the junction of two roads.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – Torres Del Paine” →

The first stage of our journey involves one of the longest days of our lives. We leave Melbourne at 8pm and arrive in Santiago at 6pm on the same day – having crossed the International Date Line somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – Small Steps” →

Sam’s Gran once owned a small notebook labelled ‘Origins’. The book was filled with carefully handwritten lists of things in Gran’s home that had sentimental value. Each item had a short description and notes about where it came from. Among the items found in this book were a seal carved from Swedish crystal, pearls from Hong Kong, a Japanese bowl, and a small terracotta girl purchased from an elderly couple in France.

Continue reading “South America 2019 – Bike Origins” →

Stage One – Goulburn to Oberon.

Our journey begins at the old South Hill Dairy, just outside Goulburn. Before negotiating the bone-shattering driveway, we take a moment to celebrate our bikes – who are heavily loaded with all our gear, ready for the big adventure. Continue reading “The Big Trip – New South Wales Tablelands (April-June 2014)” →