Monday 24th February - Bega to Sydney - the
final lap
"Dear All
A strange thing happened on Monday at about 12.30pm-ish: I ran out of road. I stopped, looked about and, to my great surprise, the bridge was behind me (I don't mean the musical one) - the Sydney Harbour Bridge and I was in Kirrabilli on the north side where in the dim and distant past I remember leaving one Tuesday morn, very early last year. To my distinctly smiling face a revelation occurred; I had just completed a circle or loop of the biggest single country/continent in the known land-based world, and I still had most of my faculties and was not looking like a sun dried tomato.
Seriously, the last time I wrote I was perhaps 500kms shy of the state capital of New South Wales, and the driest continent decided to break the drought of three years by throwing all it could down on anyone silly enough to be out in the daylight. The record, I heard as I arrived in a small town called Ulladulla, was that I had just cycled through 20mm in ten minutes, which took the rainfall that week to a little over 140mm and it was only Wednesday. Well, the rain could not stop the machine that had slowly amassed speed since April of last year, and so it was that, on Sunday, without a break in 14 days of cycling over terrain high and low, wet and dry, cold and hot, I arrived in the outskirts of Sydney. Not really believing my position, I consulted the GPS system (a man in a local sandwich shop) and, sure enough, he, in a strange accent, told me I was indeed 40kms from the city centre. 'Right', I thought, not wanting to fight the traffic and rain any more (another very large drowning was only moments away), 'I had better get a caravan for the night and look about for a laundrette.' So moments later, after a shower (this time in the appropriate place), I found myself in the local battle cruiser with a jug of Aust's finest half consumed. I then decided to stay and tell the locals about my achievements and then it was to bed for a light sleep and then a very slow ride into the city from which I had emerged some months before.
Monday dawned and the sun came out and so things looked good right from the outset. I set off with the words of my father rattling around my head: "when the golfer rounds the corner of the 18 fairway he stops, looks around and sniffs the air." Wise words, Dad. And so it was I pedalled slowly into the traffic in order to finish the last 40kms and then add it to the total already amassed. Getting into the city itself, not even taxi drivers cutting me up with their words and vehicles could dampen the spirit, and I quickly found the signs for the harbour bridge before stopping and taking a good look around. With a smile for the cameras and a wave to the tourists, I stopped midway on the bridge to look at the view and to remind myself that the last 16995kms were about enjoying this moment before freewheeling down into north Sydney for photographs and time spent interviewing self in order to show to family, friends and sponsors. Unfortunately the only thing I could think about was that I needed the toilet (no toilets in central Sydney - or none that I could safely chain my bike to).
The last 5kms to make a round 17000kms were fantastic, and I found the hostel in the city pretty easily and even managed to cycle right into the foyer - I told you, its the done thing here. I had a quick shower and a good look around the city before treating myself to a shandy and a spot of dinner in Darling harbour with views of the sun setting over the city (in a restaurant with a table cloth), before retiring for the night with a smile on my dial.
So, young people, the adventure is almost over and the end is within spitting distance. Indeed, a large lady in the wings is warming up her vocal chords. I will be amongst you all again, for I leave for the green and pleasant land only today (although I arrive tomorrow), so I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who, over the last 10 months, have phoned, texted and emailed me. Your messages have helped me more than you know and allowed me to think that there is life other than a hot, dusty, no-end-in-sight road, made me smile and continue on my journey.
I would also like to thank my Dad, without whom, I would have not made Queensland. When I had been out of contact for a while it was great to get into town and find messages telling me how many times he had called, the weather and news of the homeland, always signing off with "I am on those handlebars with you, Son." Those words of encouragement helped me through when the times were hard and the wind its most fierce and, without them, I would be sitting by some road in some state with my head in my hands. Indeed, Dad has called all the time and I know that if I had needed to be rescued he would have been on the plane. Thanks, Dad.
Lastly,
when you go into a Sainsburys, Homebase or DIY Superstore, even into the small
hardware store in the backstreets of a town (you know, the one that will sell
the door knob or tap fitting that you have been looking for ages), and you come
across a tin on a shelf that says "Mike Hill Cycles Round Australia",
buy it, think RONSEAL, because it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Thanks again
Michael Hill"