Monday 18 November 2013

Getting away


It was quite some effort to leave Daylesford last Friday. Months of work, teary farewells with friends and family and a general emptying of settled life. All this culminated at the Albert Street community garden before we pushed off towards banjo country, accompanied by our friend Clay.


At Guildford we spotted water ribbons (Triglochin spp.), a traditional bushfood, and dug up a small plant to discover that the rhyzome was comparatively small. While our digging tool was out we dug a hole for our first compostable nappy.


The hills of home flattened out and it was a cruisy ride into Castlemaine where Juliette and Tosh kindly offered their home and Lee and Dave generously cooked for us. But despite all the warmth and familiarity of Castemaine we were keen to push on.


There is free food everywhere (milkmaid tubers, roadside trees coming into fruit, dozens of edible weeds) but we have brought supplies still fresh from home to keep us going (thanks for the lovely cookies Chris),


so we just pass by many noteworthy things. A magnificant crop of roadside Salsify (Tragopogon spp.) en route from Redesdale to Heathcote.


We are just finding our pedals in our very new way of transitory living, which is tiring and mid-day seistas are mandatory,


for all.


Yesterday we travelled for 75 kms to Nagambie, happy for the most part. We found that our 70-80 kg bikes are rideable without electric assistance, even up the hills. We're in training for the high country.


Yet this is a year-long, low-carbon art performance, not the Olympics. We're only wanting to travel around 30 kms a day but we're finding out that sometimes a good camp spot is worth the effort. Zero leads our road train, forever on the look out for free food and free accomadation,


which isn't as difficult to find as you might expect.


We're spending about $20 a day and the nightlife is awesome.


13 comments:

  1. yeah family!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. Thanks Gerry! We hope to see you when we head up your way. xx

      Delete
  3. Well done! I have come via the lovely Kate to wish you all the best. Where in the High country are you headed?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Alli! We are headed to Moss Vale via the Snowies. Ay carumba - all those hills! xx

      Delete
  4. oh wow! too much goodness in one helping

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ronnie for all your kind comments and support. xx

      Delete
  5. yay tosh and juliette!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You guys are amazing! Let me know if you need any advice on cycle touring...we should make a time for a phone call/email exchange in a few weeks. Also, I have heaps and heaps of media contacts for you when your book is ready (or before, if you want). Happy to share it all. Good on you guys, and keep to the left!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Greg, we would love to phone you guys some time. And we would love a peek at your little black media contact book some time too. Maybe when we have finished the trip and drafted up our MS. Meg is reading your book and is half way through and LOVING it. She is constantly giggling to herself as she reads it. She feels a very strong connection with Sophie. Well done on finishing your book tour. We look fwd to following your next adventure too. Love from all of us. xx

      Delete
  7. This is my first time to your blog and I loved the read! I'm wondering if you practice elimination communication with your wee one. I find it cuts down tremendously on my nappy usage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi FJ and welcome to our little ol' blog. We have practiced EC since Woody was a few months old. His poos are pretty regular and on time if we stick to his nap and meal times, but being on the road, this isn't always as possible as we'd like. Love from us here to you there. xx

      Delete