The Cycling Adventurer
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So you know before you visit Australia
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Australia is perceived as a country that still has frontiers... and dangerous animals. To be sure, there are all sorts of dangers lurking around the corner. I joked once with someone planning a visit that Australia's human population increases by two-fold every year, but the wildlife does such a brilliant job of culling it down to around 10%. She almost believed me.
Having travelled to other countries, I do know that Australia does have a good number more animals that can do harm. Many live in the ocean — including crocodiles, bluebottle jellyfish (also called man o' wars and stingers), blue-ringed octopus, stringrays, sharks, stonefish, puffer fish, certain types of seashells, and the highly venemous seasnakes.
Quite a few live on land #&8212 such as all varieties of snakes, several arachnids such as the trapdoor, redback and white-tail spiders, ants that go under names such as jackjumper and inchmen, the infamous cane toad with its milky excretions, and even the emu and kangaroo can inflict nasty, life-threatening wounds with their claws. That's without the scavenging dingoes, the domestic breeds of dogs and cats that have gone wild, the dive-bombing magpies during breeding season, and spur-winged plovers.
In between all that are a few plant species, such as the stinger vine, a tropical climber that does an imitation of poison ivy with double or triple the effect (in fact, inhaling crunched up dried leaves can be a very serious problem), and the odd eucalypt tree that drops a branch without warning on innocent campers below (trees that are euphemistically called "widow-makers").
Added to all that is the climate in some parts that can be fatal — extreme heat in the Outback, extreme cold in the highlands, and unpredictable sea storms that produce monster waves to wipe people off rocky outcrops.
Anyone who reads that probably would be justified in questioning their sanity in visiting Australia, but I have survived over 50 years without many encounters with those dangers. And there are nigh on 20 million other Australians who survive the wildlife everyday. It's their fellow human beings who put them at more risk of harm than anything else, more so in the cities... and that is the same anywhere in the world.
Of course, there are cultural differences between Australia and other countries. The English dialect is somewhat different, even between States. Outside the big cities, especially Sydney, people are somewhat more relaxed about just about everything. Some could argue, and I am one, that Australia is indeed the best country in the world for what it provides and the comparative lack of overcrowding, especially inland of the coastal zones.
You can, indeed, be alone if you so choose, and not be very far away from civilisation, unlike North America and Europe where it seems someone is lurking around every single corner.
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This page includes material that I compiled in 2004 as overseas riders prepared to arrive in Australia for the Great Southern Randonnee in Victoria. I've added to it since, and will continue to do so as other things come to mind. I hope it is useful to you if you are planning a visit to a great country.
Generally, don't fret about not being able to get the things you normally source in other countries. Australia is well endowed with various things such as supermarkets and special-interest shops. In fact, in my experience, the range of many supermarket items is much broader than in, say, North America — Australia still offers choice at competitive pricing.
One thing that can catch you out on the budget airlines (JetStar in particular) is the restrictive weight limits for luggage. Again check on the website or phone the airline to make absolutely sure you know what you are facing.
As with everywhere else, if you are nice to the counter personnel, you are likely to get nice treatment. There are a few exceptions — I had a French woman behave like a Gestapo throwback at Paris Airport on departing France by Cathy Pacific in 2003 to the point where I won't travel CP ever again.
The two friendliest airlines for cyclists, I have found so far, have been Virgin Blue in Australia and WestJet in North America. Both are domestic airlines, and neither have charged me for carrying a bike box; their luggage weight limits are quite generous in regard to bikes. Take note especially of Virgin Blue's advice on boxing bikes... the airline even will provide you with tools to dismantle the bike at the airport!
I can only give a neutral opinion on Qantas, the Australian-based international airline. It appears to be on the same path as the banks in pursuit of obscene profits, and I particularly dislike its "sale" gimmicks to manipulate international seat prices as well as its punitive and restrictive booking conditions. You might not have much option, however, if you want to travel Qantas or American Airlines on the direct Pacific route between North America and Australia — Australian Government policy excludes competitors from the direct route. However, you can get around it with companies such as Air Canada between Sydney and Vancouver, stopping off in Hawaii on the way.
Despite rumours to the contrary, there aren't many animals like bears, cougars and such like lurking in the Australian bush hoping to make a meal of you. But you do need to be cautious in dealing with wildlife.
Many native animals are nocturnal — they come out at dusk and forage for food for the first couple of hours of darkness. If you ride at night, try to have good lighting to avoid the inevitable possum, maybe potoroos, and even the occasional wombat, kangaroo/wallaby or echidna deposited in the middle of the road.
I wouldn't provoke ANY snakes whatsoevere — all Australian species are regarded as deadly venomous.
Incidentally, the feeding of native animals by conservation authorities is frowned upon in Australia, not only because of the bad habits they form in foraging for food in inhabited areas, but because of lumpy jaw, a gum disease that human food generates that can kill an animal quite quickly through starvation.
Unless you come to Australia with a really esoteric brand of bike or equipment, the chances are there is a bike shop with something that you can get by with. Shimano, Campy, SRAM and so on are all well represented. But there is no national chain for retail bikes and parts either in bricks and mortor or on the web like Performance or Nashbar.
I have no connection here, but I have always received good service from St Kilda Cycles. They are retailers of Schmidt SON dynohubs and B&M lights (which means they also have the hard-to-source 3W and 2.4W halogen globes), plus have Shimano Nexus hub-dynamos and lights now. They have more of a touring outlook than most other shops, and that means they probably have a better selection of wider cross-section 700C tyres. They also build Saints touring frames.
Abbotsford Cycles doesn't retail bikes, but rather stocks a lot of gear related to cycling... and they service bikes and have an understanding of needs of touring riders and randonneurs.
Gaz and Primus cannisters are widely available in camping shops in assorted sizes and fittings for burners. You need to check the fitting at the top of your own stove to ensure it is compatible with any of the cannisters.
Petrol or fuel (what is called "gas" in North America) is available in unleaded and premium forms at service stations. Because I use Trangias, I don't know which variety of fuel burns better and/or cleaner. Other fuels (Coleman, etc) are available in camping shops and big-box stores. Most service stations are self-serve these days, and need a fair degree of care with the trigger on the nozzle. As someone who rarely drives a motor vehicle, I am not sure of the prevailing fuel cost -- probably about $AUD1.20.
Alcohol (as in fuel) is available in 95% ethanol form, and is known as methylated spirits. It is stocked in some supermarkets, most hardware shops and most camping shops, but the price per litre varies wildly depending on the retail outlet. The minimum bottle size is 500ml. To discourage consumption by mouth, the ethanol is tainted with a really foul additive. Don't let it get on the utensils you intend to eat with or you will be in for an unpleasant dining surprise. In addition, the additive leaves a nasty black soot on cooking utensils. Some recommend diluting it down with 10% water content, and this helps to some degree reduce the sooting, but you then need extra fuel to evaporate the water first!
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any parts of Australia can be unpredictable with weather, and your clothing needs to reflect that. Even at Alice Springs in what is regarded as Central Australian desert has overnight summer temperatures near freezing. Tasmania and highlands all along the Great Australian Dividing Range in the east, are also unpredictable, so it is worth also getting your warm and cold weather wardrobe worked out, including whether you can carry it on your bike. It's no use freezing in the Grampians when you decided back in Melbourne the extra polarfleece jacket wasn't worth the weight to carry. At the very least, you should add a long-sleeve thermal top to your fair-weather cycling kit (I find polypropylene to be excellent). A windproof vest or jacket also should be on the list.
I would bring tights. Expect temperatures to get down around 2 to 5 deg C at night in inland aras in all seasons except summer (and even then, there are exceptions to that rule). Temperatures may reach 40+ deg C during the day in mid-summer in inland areas.
Ah, Parson's Ricecream is my nectar of the gods during a long ride when I come across a store with it on the shelves. It comes in cans (you need a pocket knife with can opener, and a spoon of course), and has two flavours -- vanilla and banana. Vanilla is my favourite. It has the right glycemic index and will stoke the fires for another 100km or more. In which case, you need to buy a second can for later on.
There is another copycat brand that comes in smaller, rip-top cans, and also in a chocolate flavour, but like most copies, it doesn't come anywhere near the original for quality.
Keep an eye out for it!
Australian roads with two opposing lanes are designed for users to remain LEFT of the centre line. I had a few little problems in France in 2003 remembering that many other countries driver on the right. My problems were mainly with turning into side roads. I am not so sure that Australian drivers are as forgiving as their European counterparts (especially BMW drivers whose nastiness seems to know no international boundaries!).
I also know that Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland drivers are less inclined to be patient, and give the overtaken cyclist little more than half a metre of room. You may need to employ take-the-lane strategies at some stages.
I'm not trying to create a false security, but dogs are something that I rarely have to think about on the bike.
I honestly can't recall any situation on the open road (as opposed to shared paths and urban roads) where I have been concerned by dogs. Sure, they bark and carry on frustrated as hell behind property fences On aweekend's ride into the country just prior to writing this, there were plenty of utes go past with working farm dogs in the back and none barked at me. The aggressive ones usually are brought up in the urban environment.
Obviously, there have been a few dogs run out at me, usually smaller ones, and I remember one in particular that was almost skittled by a car coming in the opposite direction. It's owner was having a apoplectic fit on the other side of the fence, but that had nothing to do with me.
A very loud GO HOME!, GO AWAY! or GET OFF THERE! usually works.
As to repellant spray, I've never had cause to search out anything like it. I think capsicum spray and its kind are prohibited for sale here. If you are really concerned, a small squeeze bottle with ammonia in it apparently is useful if your aim is accurate — but then you have to keep control to avoid that oncoming car, too.
The electrical outlets in Australia very different, and you will need to bring or buy an adapter for battery chargers, razors and hair driers. Australia operates off a 240-volt AC system instead of the 110 volts used in other parts of the world. Adapters are reasonably cheap, and most camping and outdoor stores have them.
The usual range of lithium, NiMH, NiCad and alkaline batteries are available (not AAA Li), but the more sophisticated the battery, the more likely you will need to shop at the specialist electronics shops.
Up to now, I have mixed my own energy powders using maltodextrin (sourced from home brew shops) as a base, so I am not overly au-fait with Gu, Endurox, Heed and their brethren. I do know bike shops usually have something available, with Gu seeming to be the predominant brand.
Gatorade powder is available in some supermarkets. As to your particular brand or favourite taste, there is good chance you will be out of luck. Better bring your own if your airline weight limit can stand it.
Over-the-counter Gatorade, Powerade, Lucozade and so on are available at most urban and country stores (of course, Coke is a given; Pepsi less so). Flavoured milks also are widely available in 250ml, 500ml and one-litre sizes.
Come on over, and spend your money! There used to be a time when the Australian dollar was worth one US dollar. Then global economics stepped in. We used to be down to two Australian dollars for one US dollar. We are a bit healthier now, but the Australian dollar continues to hover around the 75 Us-cents mark — which means everything is a bargain for visitors to Australia. I use the Yahoo converter.
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are common everywhere, and in fact they have replaced many bank branches in smaller towns around the country as banks have cut back on face-to-face services to increase their already obscenely large profits.
Of course, withdrawing money from an ATM (or cash machine) has added costs. One way around this is to take advantage of the cash-out (EFTPOS — electronic funds transfer.point of sale) option at supermarkets, which have become quasi-banks. The amount withdrawn is part of the sales transaction, and as such normally doesn't attract foreign ATM fees.
Some people still use travellers cheques, but I think they are a pain. I don't think that in this day and age of electronic banking that they are any more secure than a safely concealed card that is either a debit or credit card.
You will have to watch out for one thing — the network that your card or cards uses. Visa is very accessible (and it's available in debit as well as credit form). The Cirrus network also is common. Note also that American Express is not as widely accepted as the others. I would pay to check with your banking institution before leaving as to what banks will accept the network on your card.
Australia has what might be described as a multicultural mix of food varieties. This includes the McD, KFC and Hungry Jacks/Burger kind of stuff, through to pizzas and interesting Eastern cuisine.
Takeaway, fast food and restauarant meals are all quite expensive, and the bills start to mount up if you are on an extended visit. Cooking your own is by far the cheapest and probably most fullfilling and nutritious route.
Generally, supermarkets allow you to buy what you need in fresh vegetables and fruits, rather than having to lug bulk stuff back to camp. Organic and health shops that stock food such as TVP (textured vegetable protein) also are pretty common in many centres.
Supermarkets in the bigger population centres trade 24 hours a day, and there are a few megastores thrown in to the mix.
If you want dehydrated camp foods, the outdoor and adventure shops have plenty available, although it is expensive..
Internet cafes are springing up all over the place all the time. Rates vary wildly. Libraries are always a good bet, but be prepared to wait during school holidays in country regions.
PocketMail does provide a service in Australia with connection back to North America. I think the base plan here starts at $AUD19.50 a month. The advantage is that it uses any landline telephone — public phones are still fairly common.
One of the real difficulties in country Australia is the almost total lack of infrastructure to provide broadband if an outlet is outside a five kilometre radius from an exchange. That excludes a lot of areas from having access to an important communications tool.
In addition, problems with pornography access has resulted in many libraries putting up substantial electronic firewalls so that you can't even access email accounts such as Hotmail, or your bank accounts, much less download pictures from cameras, edit them, and upload them to personal websites. Word processor access also may be very limited. Some libraries do have these facilities available, but you may have to wait in line. The problem also is not limited just to Australia.
There is a full range of maps available for every part of Australia, ranging from tourist versions through to topos, plus specialist cycling maps of various regions and trails.
Tourist information centres are, as always, useful resources for local knowledge. Just about every significant town has an info centre, usually open seven days a week and staffed by volunteer personnel.
I don't know what the arrangements are for international carriers because I have been a very light mobile/cell phone user, and don't possess one right now. SIM cards may be a solution, but the techno-geeks will have to solve that one.
A caution: Despite the spin from Telstra on how good telecommunications are in Australia, Mobile phone range often stinks in country areas. Steep, hilly terrain can make reception extremely variable. The maps show good reception along the main arterial roads, but drops off rapidly short distances either side. Public telephones are a good bet, and you can buy an account with SuperBuzz for around $20 that has a 1300 number and a password to give you 24 hours of international talk-time to places such as North America from public or private landline telephones. The account can be recharged using a credit/debit card from any phone.
Many of Australia's roads are chip-seal — that is, a hot tar layer is laid down on the base, and gravel chips laid over the top. The chips can vary in size from 7mm (the cyclist-preferred size) to 25mm. The roadbuilders have dispensed with rollers to embed the gravel in the tar, leaving it to cars, trucks and buses to do the work. This means the surface is comparatively rough except where the vehicle tyres run. Which in turn means that you should:
Make sure that every screw, bolt and nut on your bike is secured, with Nylock nuts, blue Loc-tite (242, 243), or at least with spring washers.
Fit tyres that are somewhat above 20C in width to improve comfort and longevity.
Australians are a little less intense as far as airline security goes, but we still have had one high-profile attempt at a domestic hijacking over Bass Strait with injuries resulting to a steward, and one return-to-base situation on an international flight in 2004. It does pay to be vigilant with your paperwork and what you pack.
On the inbound flight you will need to fill out a form with your personal and trip details. YOU WILL NEED A PASSPORT to enter the country.
You should go to here to the Australian Government Immigration site that deals with Electronic Travel Authorities issued to tourists and other short-term visitors. You will need one, whether it is prearranged before you leave, or through paperwork you must complete on the inbound flight and which is processed at Customs and Immigration at the airport.
When you get to Customs and Immigration, you may have to show that you have an outbound airline ticket (to anywhere, basically) booked prior to the time limit you are allowed to stay in Australia. If you are under the age of 30, you are permitted to work under the terms of the notional visa, but if you are over 30, then forget any work or study. It's age discrimination at its worst.
With the international travel scene in a state of constant flux at present, it pays to keep up to date. The Australian Department of Immigration and Foreign Affairs website has travel advisories so you can keep abreast of what is happening overseas. This is a good place to start if you want more information as a tourist in Australia.
When you arrive, also make sure your bike is clean and doesn't have mud on it. If Customs officers decide it has to be cleaned, you will be charged for it, and delayed. This relates very much to Australia's freedom from nasty pests and diseases (which incidentally include rabies and foot and mouth). Customs are dynamite on anything that may assist in importing the nasties. The problem lies mainly with stuff that is likely to have attracted insects, viruses and bacteria, and therefore represents a risk to the agricultural sector.
Commercial, processed foodstuffs should be OK if they remain sealed in the original containers. There is provision to declare any foodstuffs you are bringing into Australia, and customs will check it out. I declared stuff like pepper, curry and garlic, which were in commercial cannisters, albeit opened for use. I had no problems and kept all of it. Likewise with two wooden spoons. The best policy is to ditch all your fruit and meat products on arriving, even the dried stuff, in the bins provided at the arrival lounge.
It is most likely that your carrier will expect the bike to be boxed inbound and outbound. In addition, it pays to give your bike a meticulous clean, more so if you have been on a farm with it in the weeks prior to departing for Australia, but more because it is cleaner for you to dismantle and pack/unpack.
Don't pack into your carry-aboard gear anything that may be interpreted as a tool (allen keys, multi-tools, etc) along with the usual list of no-no's, or items such as tent poles. Who knows just what you can carry on board these days; if in doubt, call the airline before going to the airport.
Gas (LPG) cannisters are banned in any luggage, along with any other item/bottle used to carry flammable stove-fuels. Fuel bottles have been confiscated at airport check-in, so be aware of this, too. You can probably get away with Trangia burners because they use alcohol, and can be cleaned to remove all trace of fumes. But bottles to attack to multi-fuel stoves are at real risk irrespective of how clean you think they might be.
The large cheap clothing shops are Target, and Best-and-Less, plus the megastores such as Kmart and Big W. Camping is covered by Kathmandu, Snowgum (scouts association), Mountain Designs, Paddy Pallin, Jolly Swagman and the like. Groceries are provided by Woolworths, Coles, Safeway and, especially in the country, IGA.
Rebel Sports, Rowe and Jarman, and Sportsco stock clothing and other sports goods.
Most towns of moderate size seem to have a bakery of some sort these days (there has been a bakery rennaissance in the past decade, which has been good for cyclists).
I also failed the first exam to be a coffee snob, so you'll have to sniff out your own suitable cafes.
Try to stay clear of the shoulder drop-off on to verges on most roads. These nasty little drop-offs range between one and two inches (or more) and will catch out tired or inattentive riders. These are even worse if there has been heavy rain just prior to wash the gravel verge away.
Many country roads have been "widened", but the legacy is a nasty one for cyclists. The local authorities spray the seal onto the shoulder without building it up to road level, then spread the gravel over that. The result is that the original road edge is still prominent through the new seal, and it's usually where a cyclist would normally ride.
I've taken to riding close to the middle of the lane on many country roads in Victoria and New South Wales on tours and randonnees because of this problem. This sloppy resealing technique also camouflages potholes that have not been levelled before the seal is laid down, and result in nasty jarring of hands, wrists and backside as you jolt over them. Beware, too, the dreadful patching jobs on many roads in New South Wales — early morning and late afternoon sun casts mottled shadows that hide these destroyers of hands and butts.
Acquire SPF 40+ sunscreen and apply it regularly and religiously to exposed skin, including the back of the neck and ears, irrespective of where you are in Australia and what time of the year.
Many people believe that there really is a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic, which would mean we are closer than most other places to ultra-violet rays from the sun that have not been fully filtered by the atmosphere.
I always remember the sun being really vicious in southern Australia and Tasmania, especially on redheads with fair skin. People coming from the tropics can hardly believe how burned they have been after a day out in a Tasmanian summer.
Pay special attention to the scalp if you have thinning or no hair (sigh); wear a bandana or skull cap on the bike, and a cap off the bike.
Lip balm is another must. Glasses are handy if it is windy, or you ride through huge clouds of small insects. A collision in the face with a wasp or bee and some of the other larger insects is bad enough, but one in the eye can be the end of a trip.
Tipping is not a common practice in Australia except maybe for restaurant waiting. At least in my experience it isn't. Of course, good-to-excellent service always suggests some extra reward.
Apart from remembering to stay on the left side of the road, cyclists are required to wear a helmet in all States and Territories. The fine if you are booked for not wearing one is $80. You must have front and rear lights and a rear reflector if riding at night. Some States permit riding on footpaths (sidewalks); others don't unless you are an adult in the company of a rider aged 12 years or younger.
Stop signs mean just that in Australia. Unlike North America, there is not yielding at crossroad junctions; usually there is a throughroad in one direction, and Stop or Give Way signs for the other roads. The hierarchy is such that Give Way signs are erected at junctions where there is good visibility and traffic flow is either not heavy or not fast; Stop signs are erected at junction where there is a real need to stop. Rolling through stop signs in Australia is not advised for your the safety of you and your wallet.
Other than that, just about all the other usual bicycle laws apply in Australia as they do elsewhere. But you can check by doing a Google search on Australian Road Rules and pick those for the States in which you will be travelling. Bicycle rules are in their own section, but some other sections also cover bicycles.
If you can read a weather map, you will see that the southern part of Australia has low and high fronts that generally sweep their way across the the continent from west to east.
However, the key to wind conditions is how far apart the isobars are on the map on any given day. The further apart they are, the lighter the winds. If an area, say southern Victoria, is smack-bang in the middle of a high-pressure system, there should be hardly any wind at all. Isobars close together mean strong winds.
It's worth watching ABC-TV's weather at 7.20pm each night to see the good news/bad news. The Australian Burea of Meteorology (the "Weather Bureau") is pretty good with its forecasting.
Not that I can think of at the moment. If you have any questions or specific comments, though, feel free to email me. I'll also update the page as I think of other useful subjects.
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© 2004-2006 Rowan Burns — The Cycling Adventurer |