England.
We
were ruthless with the packing. One set of clothes only. Anjas wheels
were left behind, people got very small presents, anything not of
value or to worn out was jettisoned and still we were a little over
on the
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| Anja, Jenny, Derek, Tom. Hampton Court. |
weight restrictions. Flying Emirates gave us 30kgs each in the
hold and 7kgs each hand baggage. We seemed to have gained weight
somehow since Australia and we only got away with it because held one
end of each bike box up on the check-in scales taking a few kgs off
each. Luckily the plane didn’t run out of fuel because of it.
It
all went so smoothly. In 36 hours stopping in Sydney, Bangkok and
Dubai we flew back over a half a world which we had taken 2 years to
traverse, occasionally seeing from above places we knew in detail. We
felt a little sad that this wonderful part of our lives was now over.
We each had a screen in front of us on the plane and relieved some of
the boredom by watching back-to-back movies and drinking free gin and
tonics. Who would bother flying first class these days.
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| English Spring |
Our
bags and bikes were some of the first on the carousel, we walked
straight through all controls and in no time at all (after I finally
figured out the trolleys; Mr. Bean all over again) were being greeted
by my good buddy Derek who whisked us back to Cheswick and bought us
lunch in a pub by the river.
Derek
in a way was responsible for this whole cycling to Sydney caper. It
was he, some five years ago now who plied me with drinks one Saturday
night and tricked me into agreeing to go out for a cycle-ride with
him early the next morning. I remember gasping for breath as I
followed him round a 30km circuit on a summer morning, eating
everything in the fridge on my return and sleeping most of the rest
of the day. We repeated this fiasco a few times a week that summer
and slowly I began to actually enjoy it. Since then we have ridden
many places together including a 3 week escapade in India and a jaunt
around the backroads of S.E. Asia.
 |
| Kennet and Avon Canal |
Being
a computer whiz kid Derek set up this blog for his computer
illiterate friend. I told him we were thinking of going on an
extended cycle-tour and wanted one of those electronic diary things I
had heard about. “I have set the thing up for you” he wrote me,
“for want of a title I called it By Bike to Sydney, you can change
the title easily when you decide where you are cycling to”.
Well,
I never did figure out how to change the title and was too
embarrassed to tell Derek this; the easiest solution seemed to be to
leave things as they were and just pedal to Sydney. And that is what
we did. Thanks Derek for everything.
After
a few pleasurable though jetlagged days in London, putting together
and repairing the bikes, catching up with old friends and being fed
and beered by Jenny and Derek, the four of us rode off up the Thames
for a picnic in Windsor park overlooking the castle on a sunny spring
day. D&J returned by train and we carried on up the river, turned
left down the Kennet and Avon canal, then another left just after
Bradford on Avon
 |
| Narrowboat Art |
onto Sustrans cycle-route No.3 which took us the
back lanes through Wells, Glastonbury and Taunton all the way to my
brothers village in Devon. We were well received there and had only
the last 20kms to ride the next morning to Ma’s front door in
Bradninch where the whole escapade began 30548 kilometers (a smidge
under 19000 miles) and 756 days before. Banners and balloons were
tied above the door. We were back!
We met an awful lot of people on this escapade and were received, welcomed and helped by so many. Particular thanks to Manije and family in Tehran for looking after us so well, David and Sophie in the Hunter Valley for a great weekend, Chris and Rita and family in Matcham for such a great reception at the Opera House, and Wendy and co in Auckland for making us so welcome.
 |
| Bradford on Avon |
 |
| Worlds Biggest Breakfast B on A |
 |
| The Last Camp. Outside Wells |
 |
| Back Where We Began |
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| The Cake. (Thanks Ma) |
