The Warby Trail Thursday 10th Jan

We started the day with Curt and Dee. Curt suggested that he gave us a lift to the Warby Trail as the roads there were busy and rather hilly in places. So the bikes were folded and into the car they went. Curt realised that we had seen very little of the Dangernong ranges. So he took us to the high point in his car and we could look back to Melbourne and beyond.His local knowledge, we realised later helped us a lot. He dropped us and the bikes off at Clegg which was a high point on the Warby Trail. We were on a gentle freewheel then for many miles, it was like having an electric bike. The trail
Itself was easy going with gentle gradients and stunning views.We had a stop at Saville's unique " carriage cafe" (http://www.carriagecafe.com.au/) and then continued to Launching Place and had lunch at the bakery. We met up with our host at Lauching Place at 1pm.Sonja agreed that we could leave our bags with her and then we could see the rest of the trail travelling light and return to Launching Place in the evening. After a chat and cup of tea with Sonja we unhitched out luggage and set of to go along the trail to Warburton and back. Just up the road Mrs B started a conversation with some other cyclists travelling our way . To my amazement it was non other that Curt and Dee . So we road to Warburton together stopping at Millgrove for a drink . Only disappointment of the day was that the COG cycle cafe had just closed as we got to Warburton at 4 pm .They told us that they open at 8.30AM so we are going to set off tomorrow morning for an early breakfast at the famous Cogg cafe (http://cogbikecafe.com.au/)

25 miles covered today and 90 miles total for trip

To Montrose

We said goodbye to Sophie and William and set off to the Dandenong Ranges. Sophie lead us out of Melbourne and we passed some fantastic artwork so it was time to take some goodbye photos.
Cooler weather with a high of 21 degrees today so just like a nice summer day back home. Lovely cycling weather.
We are staying with our warm shower hosts Curt and Dee who lived in Northampton until the eighties. A fantastic house in the protected forest area although the bush fires are always a constant concern given that there are lots around at the moment. I was unaware of the speed these fires can travel and I am told that even cars are sometimes unable to out run a fire. It will be worth knowing where these things are in Tas so that we do not put ourselves at risk.
Our bedroom has massive windows looking out over the forest hillside. All sorts of bird song and parrots on view and the unmistakable sound of Kookaborough ( spelling?) really loud. I am told I will be less impressed with the birdsong in the early hours tomorrow morning.
Did about 25 miles today which took us most of the day as it is quite hilly and our average speed is about 7 miles per hour. Total so far this holiday 65 miles. We did start late however as we spent time getting a top up card so that we now have our very own Australian sim card so I can now phone locally at really low cost. Got here to Montrose at about 2 pm and spent some time looking around the township and organising tomorrow's accommodation. Got to Curt and Dee's at 3.30 and had an interesting chat.
Warm showers hosting site has meant that we have once again met a lovely interesting couple.
The only bad news is I found out that the Brompton frame has been damaged with a dent and cracking around the small wheels that sit at the bottom of the folded frame . Good news is that this does not effect the cycling integrity of the bike but means that when the bike is folded it tips over when placed on the floor. A bit of a bummer but fingers crossed it should not effect the cycling side of things. Will really need to protect that area on the flight to Tas and back however otherwise we could end up with it spreading to the rear stay.

Capital City Trail

Sophie showed us around Melbourne using a trail that follows the Yarra river in part and goes around the city. Great views of the central business district and of the river. Had coffee at Abortsford Convent where we managed to confuse them no end or did they confuse us I am not sure. I think we were both speaking English but unable to understand each other. Lot of photos taken but silly me managed to delete them off the memory card and then find out that I had not already transferred them to the IPad.So I am cross with myself but at least we will return to Melbourne often on this trip so I can take them again! So imagine big glass building reaching in to the sky with really old looking trams going past.
It did a little spatter of rain this morning and the weather is like a hot summers day in the UK with little bits of White cloud keeping the temperatures reasonable. It seems hot enough for us however in the afternoon.I know that they have had temperatures much much higher than we have witnessed so far and it will really hit us hard when the weather decides to really hit the hot button.
Lots of talk about forest fires and the town in Tas that we will be at in two weeks time had one hundred houses go up in smoke!
We move on tomorrow to Montrose,and there should be a railway track to ride the next day.
I am
Not putting mileage in the title as I do not think that the success of the tour rests on whether we do a lot or little. It is good to have a record however and day one we did 18 miles from the airport and today 20 miles going around the city so a total of 38. We only have about 26 miles to do tomorrow so we are taking it very easy at the start.

Starting the ride 7th Jan with Kangaroo for tea!!!

We got to Melbourne spot on time and the bikes were all O.K and within half an hour we were on the road on our way along a fantastic cycleway along the creek into Melbourne.The bird song along the creek was loud and not at all familiar.
The first Aus Dollars spent were in a garage getting a 1.5 litre bottle of water.Later we met a family on the way to their local supermarket and joined them to get some sun tan oil and more water. It is hot but the locals said it is only low 30s and we have not seen anything yet.
We still have to sort out our mobile and blogs have suggested that woolworths do a good deal. So we went to the local shopping mal.We bought a two dollar sim which was not a huge financial risk. My phone connects to Telstra with the existing UK sim however and although the costs are huge, for the amount of Aus to Aus calls I will do we may leave it at that. We will use Skype for home calls.
At 4.30 we were at our warm showers hosts address and met Sophie. Had a good chat and Sophie went to the shops whilst we showered and I got rid of three days stubble. After two days in airports or aircraft followed by a hot days cycling it was really really good to feel fresh again.
We had a BBQ in a cooling pleasant evening and Sophie and William did a great meal with Kangaroo meat!!!!!! What a way to finish our first day!!!! We are staying with Sophie and William tomorrow and Sophie will join us on the 34km trip on a bike path that circles Melbourne. It will be great to have a local showing us the sites. .

At Heathrow 2pm 5th Jan and the journey beyond

Mr B drove us to the airport.we picked up all the bags from his car,there seemed to be a lot of it! Where ever we go over the next weeks then all this goes with us which is a daunting thought. Very easy to drop in Mr Bs small-car though so better than all the hassle with boxed bikes so far but we have a little more to do yet!
We are hours early ( plane goes in seven hours would you believe) so a seat in Cafe Nero and relax and wait with a hot chocolate that must have put my cholesterol count in to overdrive. Healthy eating and travel can be a challenge.No free wifi at airport so not sure when this will publish.

.....the plane went on time and we slept most of the twelve hour flight.Got to China for our transfer at 9 am British time but it was 5.30 PM here in China. In both Heathrow and here in Padong charging points have been put in so that you can recharge your phone. So no need to go hunting for vacant wall sockets a big improvement. Pudong has free wifi it says but although connected to it,nothing happens but hay this is China after all. Melbourne has free airport wifi so you never know! The way this is going we will be back home before this is published.
Pudong has some interesting signs like the "Coffee and Cate" shop which is something that Prince William has most Mornings I am told. Everything is cut price I believe as there are several signs saying "Seal now on"
As we have spent 12 hours travelling towards the equator why is China below freezing??? Surely it should be like Singapore and boiling hot this far South.

Trip to London to get a Chinese visa or not

We are going to spend 48 hours in China (Shanghai) when we return home as we travel via that hub airport. We need a visa and what is more we can only get one three months before our planned China visit. As we are visiting China on our way BACK then we will not be there until March so we have had to wait until just before Christmas to sort this. We have had to take the 100 mile each way rail trip in to London to get the visa sorted. We spent Saturday filling out the three page visa form. We had to book the hotel three months in advance as we needed an address that we are staying in when we get to China.We really wished that we had not decided to stop over.
We got the train down and rushed to the Chinese Visa Application office in Old Jury Street. You do not need a visa if you are staying less than 72 hours and remain within Shanghai we were told. Catherine was upset how had she missed this on the web site and sent us on a fruitless journey. "Oh no it does not tell you that on the web site" the visa application officer told us. Then how do people find out then we asked."Well people fill in an application for a visa and then we tell them they do not need one" was the answer.We would have done a postal application but there was not sufficient time to get the passport to the office and back.
The good news is that it has saved us£35 each for a visa and we do not need to return to London in four days time just to get our passport back-with a visa in it.
So this is the very start of this blog.right at the end there should be an entry in March saying got to China. I just really really hope we do not get there and they say that we should have a Visa.
Our train back was off-peak so we have to wait until 7PM.We are sat in the Wesleyan Guild Hall cafe near Westminster Abbey. We have walked along the Thames embankment for a Mile or two and we are glad of the rest.

Getting stuff together

We have started to put things in the front bedroom ready for the trip. We are attaching backpacks to the Bromptons rear rack which is an idea we got from another cycling blog. It all looks a little weird compared with our usual touring bikes. We should in theory be able to change from cycling to being standard tourists very quickly. The haversack goes on your back, the bike folds into a black bag and the front bag you carry as a satchel.When you fly you check in two bags (bike and backpack) and the front bag is your carry on stuff.
With our tent in the back pack with sleeping gear and cooking apparatus the weight is going to be a real factor here. Both for carrying it on our cycle journey and getting it all within the 20KG hold 10KG carry on limit.