"Bah, humbug!" to city posts!

[martinjs]

Yep, that said it all, every time I go to the state sections the first 5 to 10 threads seem to be about the capitals. Come on country peoples, lets even the score!

Martin

[open roader]

Pity those in the big smoke........ Don't know what they are missing out on.......

[The 2nd Womble]

I remember and hate myself

[Cardy George]

Carbon monoxide, hot tarmac, constant (red) traffic lights, the impatient motorist you just passed for the fourth time on the same stretch of road, not to mention playing Leapfrog with a bus due to the bus stops making his average speed the same as yours......

Geez, how do I cope with the fresh air, sunshine, rolling vineyards and precious little traffic............

[WarrenH]

"Bah, humbug!" to country posts!

A humbug is a brown and white or black and brown typically cylindrical striped sweet available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Are these humbugs then? Sorry, I'm not big on identifying the bucolic or truly rural stuff.




Photo from a tour I did last week, across the Northern Tinderries from Queanbeyan to Captains Flat, then returning to Canberra.

Warren.

[RonK]

Pity those in the big smoke........ Don't know what they are missing out on.......

hehe - well yes we do...but we also know what we are not missing out on, like decent paying jobs, shopping, healthcare, and basic community and social services - we even have banks in the city. Lots of 'em.

So, don't pity us, we'll pity you!

[CommuRider]

"Bah, humbug!" to country posts!

A humbug is a brown and white or black and brown typically cylindrical striped sweet available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Are these humbugs then? Sorry, I'm not big on identifying the bucolic or truly rural stuff.




Photo from a tour I did last week, across the Northern Tinderries from Queanbeyan to Captains Flat, then returning to Canberra.

Warren.

Lovely. Looks like Belted Galloways to me

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belted_Galloway

Though of course you ever shoot a Heilan Coo Warren, they are very furry critters and will give the belted galloways a run for their money in cattle cuteness.

[il padrone]

Pity those in the big smoke........ Don't know what they are missing out on.......

hehe - well yes we do...but we also know what we are not missing out on, like decent paying jobs, shopping, healthcare, and basic community and social services - we even have banks in the city. Lots of 'em.

And a social life, preferably with people who can read.

Going by the descriptions of some new cycle club members who have returned to Melbourne after several years trying to make a life in a small Tassie town. They found very little in common with the locals, with their cycling and other social interests.

[WestcoastPete]

Pity those in the big smoke........ Don't know what they are missing out on.......

hehe - well yes we do...but we also know what we are not missing out on, like decent paying jobs, shopping, healthcare, and basic community and social services - we even have banks in the city. Lots of 'em.

And a social life, preferably with people who can read.

Going by the descriptions of some new cycle club members who have returned to Melbourne after several years trying to make a life in a small Tassie town. They found very little in common with the locals, with their cycling and other social interests.

I guess there is more likelihood that you'd find people that you can relate to in any city, but I don't think that you can say that you won't find people that you can relate to in every country town, nor that people in country towns can't read.

[il padrone]

For sure. Just relating one person's experience. They were exceptionally glad to be able to come on a 50km bike tour with our club and sit with us (many in lycra) at a cafe, enjoying good coffee and food. When I mentioned to this chap about BNA and the Tasmania forum, he said "Oh, but computers. You need people who can read to use them" . He was not casting aspersaions on his own reading skills.

Got to ask, Pete - how many other keen cycle tourists do you meet/ride with in Darwin? More than fifty? Twenty?

We did bump into a Darwin guy, riding his own home-built red recumbent in Lynhurst, SA. He was heading for Adelaide then keen to get back to Darwin. A guy with long, dark hair called Chris, who has worked in media, music and with Koories, a very helpful bloke. Maybe you know him?

[WestcoastPete]

Got to ask, Pete - how many other keen cycle tourists do you meet/ride with in Darwin? More than fifty? Twenty?

Fair question. Answer = not many. I'm the new chair of Bicycle NT and, although it sounds cool, we're a heartbreakingly small organization. Last year, we were essentially four active people and it was hard to achieve anything meaningful. Things are looking promising this year with a few more people turning up to meetings as well as a bit more strategic planning, but we'll have to wait and see.

The Darwin Cycling Club and the Darwin Offroad Cycling Club (DORC) are decent sized organizations with plenty of members on their rides. I need to put more effort into attending their events, not just to network but because it'll be fun!

We were active on Warmshowers.com for a while there and had plenty of interest; Darwin seems to be a bit of a hub for cycle tourists either circumnavigating Australia or heading to/from Asia. We had some good and bad experiences with it though, and my wife is studying at the moment so it's not appropriate to have unknown guests, particularly if they're d*ckheads.

Darwin is really transient too, which is both good and bad. I got really jack of it a while back; it's hard saying goodbye to good friends and then have to put the effort into making new ones, but I've reconciled now and am happy with the friends I make. There are some great people, and they're usually around for at least a year. I'm starting to get a few people bringing their bikes over to my workshop and we hang out, fix bikes and talk sh*t. And when I told a few people that I was planning on riding out to Walker Creek, I ended up having 2 others invite themselves to come along.

[WestcoastPete]

We did bump into a Darwin guy, riding his own home-built red recumbent in Lynhurst, SA. He was heading for Adelaide then keen to get back to Darwin. A guy with long, dark hair called Chris, who has worked in media, music and with Koories, a very helpful bloke. Maybe you know him?

Yeah, I've seen him around. He looks like a dude, but I've never had a chat with him...

[WarrenH]

CommuRider, Cheers for the ID of the humbugs. Please enjoy a few more truly rural shots.

The joy of riding through herds and flocks, aka Long Paddock grazing, on quiet back country roads.

A young muscle builder ... Carkella Station, NSW.




A young family enjoying a roadside picnic on Coodravale Road, NSW.




Rural traffic jam, Woolcara Road, NSW.




Rural riding certainly is hard to beat. If I can recommend a book for bush and rural travellers, 'The Bicycle and the Bush' by Jim Fitzpatrick is more than a history lesson. It is an inspirational account of the Overlanders.

Warren.

[m@]

Shouldn't that be 'baaaa humbug'?

[WarrenH]

m@, too quick.

Warren.

[Marx]

Not as many cafes in the country.
Thats why so many people live in the cities - proximity to cafes.

[Mulger bill]

Rural traffic jam, Woolcara Road, NSW.



Warren.

Wow! Scene reminiscent of the Harbour Esplanade bike path minus a little concrete and exhaust fumes.

[ozzymac]

Not as many cafes in the country.
Thats why so many people live in the cities - proximity to cafes.

Us country folk don't need cafes on our rides!

We don't have the same stresses from all the brogan drivers so we don't need the caffeine to settle our nerves.


Cheers

[Cardy George]

Already posted these on the 6k club but I think they illustrate the point

You don't see this in the city!





It was too good to miss, apparently

[RonK]

Already posted these on the 6k club but I think they illustrate the point

You don't see this in the city!

We don't see coal seam gas wells either!

[open roader]

Work finished at lunchtime today, found myself with a whole half day off...... what to do?

Went home for lunch, got on the bike and rode up over Benny Hill, into Lorne, along the Great Ocean Road for a further 22km for a lazy 60 odd km ride........ bugger all traffic, mild sunshine and clear clean air. Had my partner pick me up at Aireys Inlet, arrived back home in plenty of time to shower, snack, clean (admire) the bike off and hit the PC with this post all well before sundown........

Try doing that in the city from a 12:45pm start..... ps full apologies for the crapola quality of the mobile phone pics

Top of Benny Hill



Cinema Point near top of Big Hill



View to Split Point Lighthouse - Aireys Inlet

[martinjs]

Already posted these on the 6k club but I think they illustrate the point

You don't see this in the city!

We don't see coal seam gas wells either!

Wouldn't need open cut mines or coal seam gas wells if the cities didn't eat up so many resources.

Go figure.

Martin

[RonK]

Wouldn't need open cut mines or coal seam gas wells if the cities didn't eat up so many resources.

Hehe - well we know you country folk don't have the power on yet, but it'll get to you one day. Phone to - maybe.

But that coal and gas - all gets exported mate.

[martinjs]

Wouldn't need open cut mines or coal seam gas wells if the cities didn't eat up so many resources.

Hehe - well we know you country folk don't have the power on yet, but it'll get to you one day. Phone to - maybe.

But that coal and gas - all gets exported mate.

Were do you think the power comes from? and the food and the water? yes indeedy the country. I know about cities, lived in Melbourne for just short of 15years, and worked night shift, saw the city going and going and going, the cities never stops, if the coal and gas doesn't go to Aussie cities, guess what? Goes to overseas cities, still a city.
Great place to visit but this little black duck won't be living there ever again.

Love it when the shops close and we can kick back and relax, no 24 hour living here, thankfully.
Horses for courses, but if the cyclists who care about the environment are really serious, the should first and foremost look at the pure waste and energy consumption of the cities.

Martin

[il padrone]

So folks down home in the country don't get electric power? Don't use gas? Don't use water?

Well wahoo, whadya know. Those cars driving 80kms to get a pack of ciggies and put down a few schooners must be all running on solar cells too I guess