Trips | Aussie on a Brompton

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North Coast break

Rides, Trips 10/04/2014 Comments: 4

A window opened for a mid-week break recently & so the Tardis was packed for a “beach trip” to somewhere north of Sydney. Ralph & Peregrine came along too, for some days of caravan park stops & local rides & beach visits. With Bromptons loaded into our VW T5 Campervan we didn’t last long before needing to stop for lunch.

Hawks Nest turned out to be the first nights caravan park, just beside the ocean beach.

Next day saw us out on the Bromptons for some cruising around the coastal area (no pics I’m sorry, but there just might be a video soon?). The afternoon activity just had to be the beach & Mrs Aussie managed to fit in an ocean dip & a beach walk – as well as chatting to a local resident.

Another night & it was decision time: stay put for some more nights or move on? One of our caravan park criteria had been overlooked here; decent 3G & so it was an easy choice – Forster here we come! We like the elevated section of the park, with views over the town, park, river & inner beach.

The sunset kept us occupied with our wine, while waiting for the restaurant meals.

This park neighbour had done a commendable job on a VW T2 restoration/conversion.

Our ride for the day on Ralph & Peregrine took us around & out of town.

We couldn’t complain about the weather as we’d just missed a wind storm the day before arriving at Hawks Nest but for us it had been sunshine all the way – until late on our final afternoon & some rain came down. We relaxed under the awning of the Tardis & were joined by this damp Noisy Miner.

Pulling out from the caravan park, we stopped for a coffee at the local surf club & nestled our little/big Tardis amongst some fellow travellers.

Our journey home included a detour inland via Dungog – & we came across a vintage tractor exhibition getting started for the weekend! Over 50 tractors went past my hastily pointed iPhone lens, although my processing of the videos is rather tractor-paced? – but I did manage to get a pic of one of the traction engines chuffing along.

Until the next trip… (over Easter?)

Meander videos

My Brompton, Rides, Trips 13/03/2014 Comments: 2

Just when I thought I was on top of the GoPro-to-YouTube thing, now that I’ve got a better idea on whipping up a video via iMovie on the iPad, & while I was still wondering how I’d cope with quite some number of ride video clips – came the offer from Mrs Aussie to turn Producer & process the video from our weekend away on the “Leisure Coast Brompton Meander” (as blogged previously).

Wow! With barely a moments hesitation I agreed. Who am I to pass up an offer from an accomplished movie-maker? (Perhaps my bias here but I have seen Mrs Aussie knock out some lovely videos during her Graphic Design course studies?)

Before you launch into watching the videos I should caution that our “Team Aussie” undertaking is still a learning experience, but that I (hopefully) expect to do better next time (ie my portion of the project will undoubtedly set you wondering, how one person can get so much wobbly video, have so much slippage of the GoPro mounts, forget so often to start/stop videoing & lose so many opportunities for decent filming – along with miscalculating how long a couple of GoPro batteries will last).

Without further ado/excuses, here’s our 2 videos from the “Brompton Meander from Kiama to Thirroul”
Brompton Meander Day 1
Brompton Meander Day 2

Some hills

My Brompton, Rides, Trips 27/02/2014 Comments: 2

It was a lovely few days away, for our trip to the “Leisure Coast Brompton Meander” put on by Cheeky Transport (one of Sydney’s Brompton dealers). Our invite was for cycling the coast between Kiama & Thirroul (the direction to be decided prior, to ensure a tailwind?) over two days.

Not a demanding ride, sure to be pleasurable with an unknown number of fellow Bromptoneers, & so we headed for Shellharbour, the scheduled overnight stop. Our plan was to arrive early in the Tardis (our VW T5 Campervan), settle into a caravan/tourist park & catch a train Saturday morning to whichever start-point was decided. The Tardis would remain on-site as our base for the mid-ride evening stop & for our return on Sunday evening from the ride completion point (via train).

Southerly winds were expected & so Saturday morning saw us ride Ralph & Peregrine to Dunmore station & catch a train to Kiama. Adam & Nick from Cheeky shepherded us to the official start-point, where pleasantries were exchanged between the 10 participants (9 Brompton riders & 1 Bike Friday pilot) & pics were obtained. Here I’ve managed to snap Peter (BF), Dennis, Mrs Aussie, Nari, Nick, Patrick, Clive, Clare & Adam.

Adam handed out maps & “emergency food packs” (thanks Jennifer) & then we were off. Having cycled parts of the Sunday portion, Adam’s course description of “cyclepaths, tracks, quiet roads & some hills” seemed innocuous. With hindsight, I now know that the “some hills” could have been expressed differently. With my heart condition (reduced capacity & limited blood oxygen supply) making me “slow up hills” & really needing Ralph’s Alfine 11-speed super-low first gear to get me there, I even succumbed to walking on a couple of the climbs out of Kiama. (Pic showing the group patiently waiting again!?)

“Keeping the ocean on our right” we proceeded to Shellharbour for our lunch-stop. Along the way we enjoyed the cycling (mostly), views (always) & any “pic stops” (every time). The ride distance had been only half of what Sunday would bring but with those “some hills” included, it was time for Mrs Aussie & I to relax with a well-earned pizza & excellent red wine.

A few hardy riders undertook the Saturday afternoon ride to Bass Point Reserve, along some “unsealed road” that seemed more like “under construction”? Others (such as us) were happy to relax & recover.

Sunday was to be twice the distance from Saturday but expected to be more coastal cyclepath & less of those “some hills”? There were regular stops, such as this pause for a pic where Lake Illawarra meets the sea.

Our next stop was to be lunch at a cafe near Port Kembla but the size of the crowd pushed us to lightening our “emergency supplies” load instead, while relaxing about the Pyramids (ie WWII-era anti-tank devices?)

Yes, we still had a lunch stop! A boutique brewery in Wollongong served some great food, such as these sandwiches.

Resuming our ride after lunch was a bit tough but Adam arranged to steady our pace & picked up a passenger & included some off-road sections (ta Adam for the trail pic).

We continued along seemingly endless coastal cyclepath (forgoing many very enticing coffee stops?) until reaching the Thirroul surf-club, whereupon some hit the beach while others devoured ice creams.

Finally, the last leg awaited: a train to Sydney or, for us, a train back to Dunmore. All we had to do now was to tackle the last hill & ride down into Shellharbour Village & into our Tourist Park. Here is depicted a scene of bliss – a base camp cuppa after 76km of riding over 2 days!?

Are there any lessons from our jaunt? Definitely!
Adam’s local knowledge of the area is immense!
Mrs Aussie on Peregrine with standard 6-speed gearing is unstoppable!
GoPro batteries need to be conserved & charged overnight!
“Dunmore (SP1)” as a station description means you must get into the last carriage!
Don’t pass up the chance to do it all again!

Park touring

Rides, Trips 26/02/2014 Comments: 4

Blogging is a funny activity. Different or unusual sights will usually generate some immediate thought on what I may post but I need to keep reminding myself that regular happenings can still be worth considering. Take the latest outing: a few days away in the Tardis for an extended bike ride & I decided to Tweet a pic of the Tardis with Bromptons at the ready.

Lo & behold, some considerate readers responded with comments on the Tourist Park setup. Hmmm… another “taken for granted” event that deserves more? Hence my little video attempt on touring the park on a Brompton. (Apologies for wobbles, etc – this GoPro lark is another one of those, “How hard can it be?” ponderings that will/may take some time to overcome.)

YouTube video link to my Tourist Park tour

Cool trip

Trips 21/01/2014 Comments: 3

Wanting to start 2014 with a little mid-week break away from the heat of Sydney, we thought that taking the Tardis (our VW T5 Campervan) to the coast for a few days was going to push us into the school holiday crowds that we would normally avoid. So instead, we headed for the Blue Mountains to take advantage of that possible 5-10° cooler environment? Also, a chance to check out how the recovery from the recent bush fires was going? The likelihood of getting a site at BM campgrounds was slim so we headed further west to Lithgow for a couple of days (much quieter & cooler). Off for a ride the next day, we took in Blast Furnace Park, a memorial to the Steel-making days in Lithgow.

Stopping for lunch in town & parked at a cafe & did our mini-security act of folding the handle bars. A “resident laptop user” in the cafe noted our bikes as folders but thought they were recumbents; reminding me of a lady on a train that thought my folded Brompton was a folding wheelchair?

Our stay in Lithgow took in more of the Coal & Steel historic sights & then it was time to move on – even for no other reason than escaping the overnight single-figure-degree temperatures? (A lot cooler than we were expecting.) Heading for Mudgee we detoured via the Kandos/Rylstone road & came across a great little cafe occupying the old railway station at Kandos.

Settling in at Mudgee, we reflected on the current temperatures: Sydney 30+°, Lithgow 12°, Mudgee 24° – a good decision!

Strolling the short distance into town for dinner, the old saying came to mind, “Red sky at night, a farmer’s delight”?

Awoke the next morning to see some funny little bubbles all over the van & awning? I suppose farmers may have been delighted to see some rain but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Oh well, good excuse to settle down with some wine-tasting & lunch at a winery?

Idealic week

Misc, Trips 06/12/2013 Leave a comment

While spending just over a week at South West Rocks we devoured all the local “what’s on” material & I noticed a brochure referring to SWR as “an idealic location…”. At the time I imagined the real estate jargon was mangling various words into a new one & it seemed quite appropriate. Later I discovered the urban dictionary definitions of “to be thinking of many good & bad ideas” or “close to or somewhat alike”. Now I am confused as to whether I’d seen a boo-boo or a secret message?

We’ve visited SWR a number of times & quite like the small town feel but with all the facilities that are essential in a beachside location. This time we were bringing along Mrs Aussie’s mum in the Tardis, our VW T5 Campervan, for some sunny beach days & swimming. We’d booked a beach house & were also looking forward to some local cycling & expected to support many of the surrounding eating houses.

Leaving Sydney on time suddenly became difficult when the heavens opened & drowned my lawn bowling club greens on the day of my Novice Singles championship final.

With the match postponed to the next day, we resolved that I would remain at home for the game & catch an XPT country train the next day, & be picked up from a station along the journey to SWR. A proper “urban idealic” situation? Aside from being delayed over an hour with a mechanical issue, all went well for my (overdue) first XPT trip. Not a true long distance train, it still had all the features: sleeper berths, first class & economy seating choices, buffet car, etc.

Unfortunately my ignorance of the “buffet car” vs “restaurant car” differences came as a surprise & disappointment when looking to sit down with a meal – hence the return to my seat with a snack!?

Arriving at our rental beach house, we weren’t sure who was more surprised: us or our lawn mower/gardener?

We confined our cycling to shorter trips, eg taking in the local sights via Mungo & Daisy.

I ventured to the Country Club a number of times on Mungo to undertake more research into bias & weight control of lawn bowls. “Very fast greens” was my reaction during games & practice sessions! Many thanks guys, for the borrowed equipment & game-time – & I loved the mini-fridges on each of the rinks!

Beach visits were the intention of the holiday trip & we certainly managed some days of sun, sand & water (balanced with a couple of days of rain?). Here’s a “beach walk following rain” pic, also showing in the distance, the historic ruins of the Trial Bay Gaol.

A visit to Crescent Head showed we weren’t the only ones with a VW T5. Probably saw about 10 (& the odd original Kombi) & amongst their numbers were these T4 & T5 models with home-made camper setups.

Some interesting sights during the week with “the Mum” – & sounds! The breakfast toast & coffee-making were a sight to behold although quite understandable with new or different equipment to work with? (Ah, the challenge of travel…?) A “testing” of the smoke alarm was rather/very ear-splitting & so memorable was her response to what happens at home? – “I just run outside with it [the alarm]…”.

“Next time” I’ll be prepared with all my bowls equipment (& expect Robinson’s (M6R) luggage carrying capability to be employed), hope to do more cycling, should do those bush walks, must get to some more of the restaurant & cafés – & drink more coffee?

BTW, my lawn bowls final was also “idealic”: good weather, close result, but just the runner-up prize money!

Minimalist multi-roles

Bits, Trips, Tweaks 19/11/2013 Leave a comment

Well, here we go again; another trip coming up in the Tardis , our VW T5 Campervan. This time however, the Tardis will be more of a T5 Transporter than Campervan, as we’ll have an extra passenger in Mrs Aussie’s Mum.

The trip with “the Mum” has highlighted what we seem to take for granted; that the step into the Tardis is a fairly tall one. Perhaps it was time to get ourselves a little portable step? Looking around I couldn’t see anything that fills our usual criteria of items readily integrating into the van & ideally having dual roles? (Our Tardis is deceptively spacious but can’t match its namesake!)

Another thing I’ve been meaning to do, is setup a support frame or such for when carrying a Brompton in the passenger area. Robinson fits neatly under the bed in the rear but Ralph usually just lays on the floor in the rear passenger area with some packing under the Alfine rear hub to avoid the pointy acorn axle nut digging into the floor. (Robinson is a rack model Brompton & when laid on the side, the rack/Ezi wheels & the MKS removable pedal adapter (with pedal removed) become three points of contact with the floor & makes for a stable package. Ralph has no rack & the wider rear frame with Alfine hub becomes one contact point, along with the MKS pedal adapter & Ezi wheel.)

After pondering the separate issues of T5 step & Ralph’s support system, I realised I could combine everything. I found that my wooden work stand was a good size for a step (albeit not really stable enough) & that the handle bar support legs where ideally placed for supporting a Brompton frame. Turning to my stock of timber off-cuts I then constructed some “support boxes” that would become leg supports for the step, supports for keeping Ralph’s acorn axle nut off the floor & also a seat protection pad for when using the work stand in its original role.

Enough of trying to explain all this in words, let’s see some piccies of the work stand in a multi-use way – step, mobile stand & support cradle (& when not in use can be stacked on the side door sill beside the sliding door).

Hopefully that’s all made sense, although perhaps I should clarify:
The work stand fits any of my bikes & usually sits in the garage but I’ve often missed it while on a trip. Now, with the recent Aldi purchase of a work stand, my mobile work stand may stay in the Tardis?
I don’t expect to carry both “the Mum” & Ralph on the next trip (Ralph will stay home & other bikes will be on our rear bike carrier).

Back on track

Rides, Trips 25/10/2013 Comments: 2

One month?! We’ve been back from the UK for a month & hadn’t take the Tardis (our VW T5 Campervan) for a trip out of Sydney! With a wedding anniversary coming up, what better way to celebrate than to load the Bromptons, Ralph & Robinson, into the Tardis & head back to Toowoon Bay (the site for our first “shake-down” trip in the Tardis) for a couple of days? The Sydney bush fires were making things rather smoky & somewhat dodgy for what roads may be open but arriving on the coast to a cool sea breeze was a good start.

Cruising along the lakefront cycle paths from The Entrance to Chittaway Bay has gotten even better since we were here last, with a lot more concrete pathway & less need to resort to local roads to link the sections of path. The various bridges over creeks & watercourses have come in for some attention although the wooden planks on 2 larger bridges may be still akin to cobblestones? Here’s Ralph resting on one of the good bridges.

A beach walk is mandatory for a trip to the coast – as is a coffee stop at a Surf Lifesaving Club.

Lots of eating places around (aside from the gourmet cook that operates out of the Tardis?) but returning to the local Pizza Kitchen was a must. This time our Mains were pasta – but we shared a pizza dessert.

Dubai break

Misc, Trips 30/09/2013 Leave a comment

A first time for us was our Dubai stopover. Coming from a tie-up between Emirates & Qantas we were doubtful that a couple of days between flights could be as satisfying as those spent in Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. Once we’d explored via a “hop on/hop off” bus tour & a Dhow cruise, the city showed lots of contrasts between the modern shopping malls & skyscrapers & to the old historic & resident shopping parts. Plenty to do next time?

And so to the last leg of the trip, from Dubai to Sydney via a 13hour Airbus A380 flight – golly, such a long drag? Flying into the night & arriving at 5am means the airline expects passengers to sleep a lot. I suppose First & Business classes don’t have any trouble “enduring” the flight but I seem to only nap for short periods. Coupled with the airline darkening the cabin & limiting services, maybe Economy classes should get a discount?

For all the flights I think my ranking (based on aircraft comfort, service & quality of fittings) would be:
Emirates Boeing 777 (short haul, Glasgow to Dubai)
Qantas Boeing 747 (short haul, Sydney to Singapore)
BA Boeing 737 (long haul, Singapore to London)
Qantas Airbus A380 (long haul, Dubai to Sydney)

Scottish outings

Misc, Rides, Trips 28/09/2013 Comments: 2

Our Edinburgh stay provided plenty of shopping time (coinciding with some pesky showers?) but we still got in some sight-seeing, rides & drives to local towns & villages. St Monans on the coast gave a good example of what happens at low tide but was still fascinating to see its multiple layers of sea defenses; the historic harbour walls supplemented with extras over time?