Since about week we are in Thailand now. A very popular and famous destination for travelers and vacationers. Everybody has probably heard about tourist destinations like ‘Phuket’ or ‘Ko Samui’.
Continue reading First Week in Thailand
Malaysia in Retrospect
We only spent a relatively short time in Malaysia, a bit more than a fortnight. Thus, we haven’t seen so much of Malaysia, but we loved it pretty much.
Continue reading Malaysia in Retrospect
Leaving Malaysia via Islands
After a 1.5 day ride from Ipoh–the night we spent camping in a Hindu temple for the first time–we reached the touristic island Penang. Most tourists are attracted by George Town, an Unesco World Heritage Site for its “unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia” (wikipedia).
Continue reading Leaving Malaysia via Islands
Photos Southeast Asia I
A little selection of photos from Southeast Asia … (Malaysia and Singapore).
More photos can be found at quietschgelb.wordpress.com.
Quiet Roads from KL to CH
Actually, we intented to stay just one night at Akmal’s place in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur (KL). However, a friend of Akmal, Mohammad, prevented the plan. After an invitation for breakfast he also hold out the prospect of taking us to Putra Jaya as well as the Petrona Twin Towers with his car. We couldn’t resist the temptation.
Continue reading Quiet Roads from KL to CH
Malaysia’s Crowded West Coast
Already in Singapore we, that is ourselves plus Chris and Iwona (a Polish couple who cycled here from home within the last 9 month), agreed on meeting us directly after the Malaysian border with intent to cycle a bit together.
Continue reading Malaysia’s Crowded West Coast
Singapore
Before we came to Singapore we actually didn’t expect much and therewith didn’t intent to stay very long. But finally we ended up staying for 6 nights.
Continue reading Singapore
The Quest’s Happy End
When I disassembled my bike at the airport of Christchurch I realized that I screwed up my pedal crank again. Stupid! (not for the first time as Hannes will lively remember – a couple of years ago in Columbia). For whatever reason I obviously didn’t tighten the pedal sufficiently. This caused- slowly and unnoticed- a serious damage of the pedal crank’s thread.
Continue reading The Quest’s Happy End
Photos New Zealand (Part III)
The last selection of New Zealand photos …
Continue reading Photos New Zealand (Part III)
What’s next?
After 4 month of cycling in Australia and New Zealand, these countries offer, apart from outstanding scenic features and animal life, no real surprises anymore. Thus, I am now looking forward for a more noticeable change.
Continue reading What’s next?
NZ in Retrospect
There is a commonly used tour guide entitled “Pedallers’ Paradise”, written by a Kiwi that covers almost every stretch of cycle-able kilometers in NZ. Without even knowing the north island, I second the title’s claim – NZ is indeed a paradise for cyclists for various reasons.
Continue reading NZ in Retrospect
Of Kiwis and Cyclists
Since the last post about the people I met on my way through NZ I, of course, haven’t stop talking to people ;).
Continue reading Of Kiwis and Cyclists
Over The Rainbow …
Idle Days
The last five to six days I was pretty lazy in terms of cycling and just covered about 200 km on my way north, still along the west coast. And I enjoyed it 😉 …
Continue reading Idle Days
Photos New Zealand (Part II)
Some more pictures
Continue reading Photos New Zealand (Part II)
Sunny West Coast
The west coast is kind of notorious among cyclist. Almost every cyclist I met was reporting incessant and very heavy rain for many days (and besides complaining about the countless sand flies) when they cycled there.
Continue reading Sunny West Coast
Photos New Zealand
Some new photos from New Zealand …
Continue reading Photos New Zealand
Alternating Tourist Density
Lonely regions with almost no tourists at all and crowded touristic places lie in New Zealand sometimes only a few kilometers apart. Continue reading Alternating Tourist Density
Cyclists And Other Tourists
New Zealand is absolutely safe, it has a lot of beautiful and varied scenic highlights, and it is very easy to travel. Continue reading Cyclists And Other Tourists
The Art of Road Construction
How Kiwi’s construct their roads …
Continue reading The Art of Road Construction
The Otago Central Rail Trail
After retracing my steps that originally took me closer to Mt. Cook and another enjoyable day of cycling (with a nice little pass and free camping spot at a scenic lake) I finally reached the popular ‘Otago Central Rail Trail‘. ‘Rail Trail’ might sound familiar to attentive readers since I already passed few of them in Victoria, Australia (see this post).
Continue reading The Otago Central Rail Trail
Alps!
These are exactly the moments that entirely pay off the struggle with the weather sometimes, the boring days of cycling, or the occasional physical fatigue. In these moments I can’t think of anything better than just cycling all over the place. Continue reading Alps!
Photos Tasmania III
And the last selection of Tassie-photos … (as usual, photo captions follow hopefully soon)
Continue reading Photos Tasmania III
An Ordinary Day of Cycling
After more than 2,5 months traveling whereof most days I spent cycling, a certain daily routine is unavoidable. The spare time I currently have here in Melbourne while waiting for the departure of my flight, I’d like to use to describe an average ordinary cycle day for those who are not familiar with cycling touring.
Continue reading An Ordinary Day of Cycling
Australia in Retrospect
I spent only 2,5 months in Australia. It is by no means sufficient time to get known all the many different faces of this huge country.
Continue reading Australia in Retrospect
Good-bye Tassie
To make a post not too confusing (and boring) I mostly try to identify a common topic, a red string, or a salient event of the days I am writing about. But this post is one of the posts where I am just not able to find such a thing – except the fact that I was back at the wild west of Tassie, with all its pros and cons.
Continue reading Good-bye Tassie
Photos Tasmania II
More photos from Tassie. Photo captions not completed, yet, but hopefully soon …
Continue reading Photos Tasmania II
Photos Tasmania I
Photos from wonderful Tassie, Australia. Photo captions will be completed as soon as possible …
Continue reading Photos Tasmania I
Into the Pine Valley
A highlight and main reason for many people to visit Tasmania is the famous ‘Overland Track’. Continue reading Into the Pine Valley
Point to Pinnacle
Did it ever occurred to you to WALK a half-marathon that covers 1270 meter in height and at the same time trying to keep up a fairly fast pace in order to compete with others?
Continue reading Point to Pinnacle
Coastal Hikes
Differently to what I expected the cycling itself down the east coast wasn’t really exiting neither absolutely boring. At least I met another long-term touring cyclist coming up the coast.
Continue reading Coastal Hikes
Go East
Admittedly, the transition from the Cradle Mt. National Park to the east coast, via Delonaire, Launceston and Scottsdale, was not really exiting. Neither was it absolutely boring. Continue reading Go East
Snowy Mountains in Tassie
During the afternoon and night I spent in the small village of Waratah (the nice petrol station operator let me pitch my soaking-wet tent behind the building, public toilets as well as the post office providing a warm internet-room were nearby, too) I had plenty of time to think about the options I had considering the still diminishing weather forecast for the next 3 days; Continue reading Snowy Mountains in Tassie
Tassie’s Rough North-West
“There are severe weather warnings due to very strong winds in the south, west and center of Tasmania. Please stay inside of buildings if you can …”. Continue reading Tassie’s Rough North-West
Photos – Australia IV
Some of the partly recovered photos I thought to be lost …
Continue reading Photos – Australia IV
The Great Ocean Road
The first one and a half days on the Great Ocean Road – after getting over the first 70 km of farm land – made me feel quite enthusiastic and happy. Continue reading The Great Ocean Road
The Grampians
The Grampians National Park is a mountain range uniquely standing out from the plane since it was formed by an earthquake. Continue reading The Grampians
Photos – Australia III
And more photos … 😉 Continue reading Photos – Australia III
Rail Trails
Here and there you find at least in Victoria and New South Wales so called Rail Trails, former railway lines. Continue reading Rail Trails
Photos – Australia II
Another selection of some pictures … Continue reading Photos – Australia II
Mountains – Coast – Mountains
After I left Kay, four cycle days lie ahead that lead to a short rendezvous with the coast (Lakes Entrance) and quickly brought me back into the mountains again. Continue reading Mountains – Coast – Mountains
Living in the Countryside
After six days in a row of cycling trough the mountains my legs demanded a rest. Continue reading Living in the Countryside
Into The Snowy River’s Valley
After refilling my bags with food for about three days I left Jindabyne at noon; heading south. The following section took me about 1,5 days and you can picture it like this: Continue reading Into The Snowy River’s Valley
Lonely Roads Across The Snowy Mountains
Stop. Road closed. This barrier gave me a little thrill although it didn’t come unexpectedly since the maps commonly mark that road as closed during winter. But at the entry, just 20 km before, a sign was warning that the road is blocked by snow.
Continue reading Lonely Roads Across The Snowy Mountains
Photos – Australia I
A selection of some photos … Continue reading Photos – Australia I
Canberra
When I at last entered the city of Canberra, situated in its own very small state Australian Capital Territory, it really didn’t appear like a city to me. Continue reading Canberra
Australia’s Cold Spring
The last days consisted mainly of persevering cycling. Hence, there is actually not much super-exciting to tell. Thus, I want to address with this post three main topics that are well suited to summarize these days. As the post title suggest, I begin with the temperature first. Continue reading Australia’s Cold Spring
Living Conditions
My parents recently ask for the living conditions (or better cycling conditions 😉 ) in Australia. Although its hard to judge after just a couple of days being here and even less days of cycling I just seize the opportunity having internet now to tell the few things I have noticed so far. Continue reading Living Conditions
Good To Know II: Angry Birds
The two nights I spent in Sydney I stayed at the apartment of Nancy and Dave in the north of Sydney.
Continue reading Good To Know II: Angry Birds
Good To Know I: The Patrol Station
My first day in Sydney.
Continue reading Good To Know I: The Patrol Station