Steven Raucher's World Tour
2001-12-10 in Sydney, Australia
Arriving in OZ-tralia and getting out of the Big Smoke
It finally happened, I made it to Australia in one piece and so did my bike. It took a total of 5 and a half hours to get the bike out of the airport, but I passed quarantine inspection and was happy enough to be back on the bike within a day of touching down.
Fortunately my friend, Po, whom I met travelling in South East Asia, was settled for a while in Sydney and he and his very kind housemates let me crash in their house for 6 days. To top it off I was greeted by a BBQ the day I arrived and could kick myself for not having taken a photo of me putting a couple of �shrimps on the barbie�. A very Australian welcome indeed.
My week in Sydney was consumed by running errands, meeting family and seeing people I had met on the way over the last year. Sydney itself is very beautiful, the traffic flows freely (the only way to judge a city these days!) and it has a very charming feel even when one is right in the middle of the business district. Having grown up in Cape Town I had often heard the comparison made between Cape Town and Sydney, well, as far as I can see Sydney is more developed, has as many beaches but still lacks the majestic beauty of Table Mountain. I had heard of the Blue Mountains just outside of the city but never actually visited them � they are not visible from within the city.
I was due to meet my good friends Martin and Rebecca in Melbourne on the 18th of December (which was coincidentally my birthday). Initially I was planning to do the Sydney to Melbourne run in one day, but fortunately met a very helpful man (thanks Oscar!) who pointed me in the way of the Snowy Mountains and what a day it turned out to be. The Snowy Mountain Range is the highest mountain range in Australia, it has some ski resort villages (two I think) and loads of camping spots in all the surrounding areas, which are national parks. And this is where I saw my first kangaroo, in fact this is where I spent the days leading up to my birthday, nestled under a tree; next to an alpine stream; surrounded by �roos; and being spoilt by my camping neighbours � a dinner & breakfast feast supplied by Jim & Mary, a couple whom I hope will personify the type of people I will meet in Australia. I guess I am just excited by the prospect of being in a country where people help other people out and don�t burst out laughing at other�s misfortunes or expect money in return for a favour, that sure would be strange�
On my birthday I arrived in Melbourne and made it straight to the pub where I would be meeting my friends, parked the bike fully loaded outside and went and had a birthday Guinness. I was hosted in Melbourne by an overlander called Didier Martin, a Frenchman who has already ridden Melbourne to Paris and is starting his own world tour in October 2002.
Life sure is great.
 taking a peek at the coast of Sydney (no cheesy opera house pictures on this site!) |
 camping in the Snowy Mountains |
 my neighbours, amazing animals |
 getting the message in oz: watch out for roos! |
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