The Visitor. The Hills. The Race.

And so the race continued. A race to beat the rain. A race to return home before December. A race to push my limits.
I slipped and slithered my way down flooded streets south of Sydney in the chilling rain. A brief feeling of warmth flooded my heart to find three drowned cyclists coming my way. We stopped for a chat and I felt relieved to find that I was not the only person taking the rain with such a heavy heart. These boys were just as cold, and just as miserable as I was. What was more, this chance encounter was not our first meeting! We had crossed paths before many months back in the Great Sandy Desert (when things were much warmer)! It was a fantastic feeling to be seeing each other on the other side of this great continent. We had all come a long way, and had very different experiences since, which we were soon taking the time to share. So there we were, an American, an Englishmen, a German and an Aussie (myself), laughing and chatting in the pouring rain - it was a welcome break for all four of us, and we parted with smiles on our faces.
A few more rainy days passed by, and my spirit lifted gradually as I adjusted to the conditions, never riding less than 100km's / day. Campsites were found within the dark depths of the soggy forest floor. Even so I spotted countless echidna's, and few snakes, and some birds in which I had never seen before. This flush of wildlife reminded me of better days, and enthused me to push on to drier lands.
One dark, late afternoon, just North of the township of Batemans Bay (NSW), I was thrilled to see a small silver Toyota Echo driving towards me - lights flashing, horn beeping with a hand waving out of the window. This was the arrival of my good friend James. Here to cheer me up with a cold beer and some much needed catching up. We pulled over onto a dirt road that wound its way into a forest to lay out a few swags, crack a few beers, play some music and stay up chatting late into the night. It was ace.
In the morning we were both a little worse for wear, but James insisted I ride to a camp spot just South of Batemans Bay, perhaps for his amusement! There we were able to swim in the ocean, shower at the lifesaving club, cook some dinner and retire for another day. It had been a short day on the bike - some 30km's - and I was treating it as my last rest day for the trip. There wasn't long to go. I would like to take this opportunity to thank James for taking the time out of his busy life to drive all the way into NSW's to spend a few days with me, before turning around to drive all the way back. I had a fantastic time with him and I thoroughly appreciate his efforts.
Over the next few days I sped in silence to the Victorian border. Taking the coastal roads through Bermagui, Tathra, Merimbula, and Eden were challenging with some incredibly hilly terrain that slowed me down and fatigued my legs. This meant that to achieve my 100km/day target, I had to spend long hours in the saddle each day. These small fishing towns seemed to elude the hustle and bustle of the East Coast, and I enjoyed visiting the jetties or talking to the friendly locals. But before I knew it, I was standing in front of the towering "Welcome To Victoria" sign, with a growing feeling of excitement in my body. This really was the home run, and I was prepared to endure whatever challenges it had in store...

                                                           My good friend James

                                                                     East Coast Scenery

                                                               Campsite visitor

                                                            Struggling up those endless hills