It’s Light The Night time again, and sorry for the late notice, it’s on in a few days!

Wednesday 21, 2011 is Light The Night night in Melbourne. If you can’t make it there, it would be great if you can leave a donation, via this link. Thanks.

Once again I must say a big SORRY to everyone for not updatng this site more often. Things with my knee are going along well, I have an MRI booked for later today, and will find out a surgery date on Wednesday, so things are looking up. The surgeon has told me a lot of bike riding will be good for the recovery, if only I had done the injury before I did the long ride.

Anyway, I finally got the videos I took on the trip to work. There was an issue with the audio, and while it is still not great, you can hear things at least. Only three short ones, starting with one on the 90 Mile Straight, then one riding up the Eucla Pass, and a final one from out on the Nullarbor.

The other thing I need to do is finally reply to all the comments that have been left here. Sorry for my tardiness in the replies, I’ve been slack. But that will have to wait for another day, as I am now back at work, and duties call.

Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the lack of updates to the site lately, here’s my excuse.

As some of you would have heard, after the ride, I was looking for my next challenge, and that turned out to be playing Australian Rules football. Well I am proud to say I have played footy, but now alas, I am retired, and here is why:

Not much to see I know, but basically I have damaged the ACL, chipped the patella and generally stressed everything in my knee.

It happened in a game against North Ballarat (I was playing for Braybrook in the VWFL), at Eureka Stadium. It was in the last minutes of the first quarter, and as the ball was thrown in for the umpteenth time, I positioned for the jump, before the sound of popping and breaking as my knee collapsed.

My team mates have laughed at me, for apparently screaming like a girl before I even hit the ground. All I was thinking of was “There goes the cricket season.”

So now I’m waiting to see the surgeon next week, with hopefully surgery very soon after that to fix the knee. This is the fourth knee operation I will have, second on the left knee, which I have managed to go 20 years between surgeries.

It does mean an end to my stellar 2.25 game career, and I think I will now also have to hang up the boots in hockey as well. Oh well, not much I can do about it, but I guess it is good I own my own crutches.

Hi Everyone,
Well despite being back in an internet area, the updates haven’t been think and fast, mainly because I have been think and fast working. In fact, today is the first day I have had off from work, since starting back after returning to Melbourne.

The collection tins were opened up, and I know you are all wanting to know the amount raised, but not just yet….

First of all, a few more photos! Yes, good old photos, which I know you have all been waiting so long to see, so without further a due here are the photos.

Meadows bound, in the southern Adelaide Hills. This place would be even more beautiful in Autumn, but it was still great.

Tailem Bend ferry, and time to cross the Murray River.

A woman not only gave a donation, but was happy to take this photo of me too.

More than two weeks after the last border crossing, it's time to say "Hello Victoria".

This is a great idea. Shine your headlights on the mirror, and it lights up the dunnies. Simple and saves energy.

The trailer died and was jettisoned about 30km from Horsham. It also meant having to town hop for the rest of the ride to Melbourne.

Just another of the big things along the way.

I love how creative some people are with their letterboxes. Check out the second one from the right, it looks like a green house. Great!

Ararat is a cold place in winter. It was sub zero, and I certainly felt it.

Sunrise just outside of Ararat.

Curse the traffic, more delays to deal with.

In Ballarat I met a rider with the same trike. Yes, these are the same model, just mine has a few added extras.

So now I know you all want to know how much has been raised so far. I say so far because you can still make a donation, just click on the DONATE tab.

I have to say I am disappointed with my fundraising efforts. I worked it out that if I had been in the Big Brother house, and not in the “let’s deal with the leukaemia before it kills you” house, then I would have raise more. But none the less, all up

$2417.90

On the plus side, there was good media exposure for the Leukaemia Foundation, and a lot of people got to learn of the great work they do.

So what’s next? Well I really don’t know. I pushed my holidays back to do this ride, and as such, my holidays are due again in six months time, not long to arrange something bigger.

HooRoo,

Rebecca.

Hi Everyone,
Well it’s been a week since I finished the ride, same amount of time it took me to get from Adelaide to Melbourne. You may be wondering why I have been so quite since then, well it’s been a very busy time for me.

The night I got back, my car was rear-ended, and I wasn’t even in it at the time. Thankfully the car is still drivable, but still needs to be repaired. While on the car thing, my spare tyre needed replacing, due to a puncture that happened the night before I left Melbourne for the trip. That was repaired, but they gave the wheel to someone else, and had to track it down again.
I did an interview with 774ABC Melbourne last Saturday, and followed it up with one for 5RPH in Adelaide later in the day. They both asked me what was next on my list, and I said to play a game of Aussie Rules footy. Well last Sunday I went and watched my local team play, and last night I went to my first training session with them. On Sunday I’m due to play footy for the first time. I wont say who the club is, as I don’t need the extra pressure of you all watching me and my inabilities on the field.
The book is starting to take form. I’ve worked out which way I want it set out, and now need to do some research for the dates and times of when things happened. I’m also hoping to get hold of my medical records, so I can include some of the notes from those in the book. Don’t worry if you are one of the doctors or nurses that treated me, I wont be listing any names with the quotes.
Apart from all of that, I’ve been working, and working hard. I came back to work last Monday, and my next day off is next Wednesday, that’s nine days straight. Welcome back to the thick of it.

It’s great to see donations still trickling in. Don’t be worried if you haven’t made a donation yet, and are worried that it might not look like much. Every dollar counts, so if you can only afford a dollar, that’s ok, just donate a dollar, it all adds up.

Well that’s iit for me, lunch break is over, time to get back to work.
HooRoo,
Rebecca.

Hi Everyone,
Well, I made it back to Melbourne, back to the office of the Leukaemia Foundation, and now I’m at home, in bed, and just chilling out for a bit.
Melbourne greeted me with a very cold, wet, miserable day. Thankfully the day was improved with the smiling happy faces on the staff at the Leukaemia Foundation, who welcomed me with open arms, until they saw how wet I was. Only joking.

I really can’t believe the trip is all over and done with now, except for a couple of radio interviews, but the riding is done, and on Monday, it is back to the bump and grind of work. It really doesn’t feel like I have just ridden across the country, despite spending five weeks doing it. So where to from here?

Well the first step is to unpack everything and get stuff sorted out, fixed, cleaned, all ready for when I next may need them. Next is to go through all the photos, and things I have written, and somehow form a book out of it all. Then it is time to plan the next adventure.

“Hang on a minute, what do you mean next adventure, you just finished one, have a rest girl, and relax for a bit.” Well the thing is, to ride a push bike across the country was one of those things that had always been in the back of my mind, so it wasn’t just like a split second decision. So I do have to think of what kind of adventure I would like to do next, and then go about planning things from there.
As many of you will know, I lost a great friend in Paige when she passed away shortly before the Long Ride. We had thought about a wild idea of kayaking somewhere (or rather kataking, due to a typo one day), and the initial plan was to go down the Murray river. Then the plan got to be Sydney to Melbourne, then Melbourne to Hobart, then Australia to New Zealand, then back to Sydney to Hobart. Anyway, something along those lines is something I would like to do in her honour, but there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before that happens. Pun intended.

So for now I would like to thank you all for your support, your kind words,your donations, and even just for taking the time to read this blog. I’ve got a busy few days ahead, so there will be a bit of a gap until the next update, but by then I will have sorted out some more of the photos, and will be able to give a full ride report of my adventure from Adelaide to Melbourne, including the bit about the tree that missed me by only a few metres when it fell over. But more on that later, for now, I’m going to work out what to wear to the drinks night tonight.
HooRoo,
Rebecca.

Hi Everyone,
Well I am offically in Adelaide now, and what a Sensational Adelaide day it has been.

But first…

I arrived here on Sunday night, at about 1830, very cold and wet, and with a few mechanical issues. For my time here in Adelaide I am staying with Paige’s sister Shauna, who set up her guest room as a full on hotel experience. After a refreshing hot shower, it was pizza time, then off to bed.

Monday was spent doing repairs. All up I had nine spokes broken on one wheel, and four on the other wheel of the trailer. Due to Shauna’s car having some untimely mechanical repairs being undertaken at the moment, we were on the buses to get around to bike shops. It seems to me that the bus routes in Adelaide were designed by a drunken one legged guy stagging home one night. I’m sure we went past the same building nine times on our way to the bike shop.

At the bike shop, JT’s Cycles, they were fantastic in repairing the wheels, and getting me back on the road to Melbourne. Not only did they provide fantastic service, they did it all for free too, as their contribution to the ride. Thanks heaps JT Cyles.

Tuesday morning, was a short 8km ride to the Port Adelaide Football Club, where a great turn out of people had to put up with a short speech from me. Coffee, baked goods, and laughs were shared by all, before we got a tour of the facilities, the highlight for me being David Roden joining us for the entire day. I even got to go one on one with him in a game of kick to kick, certainly one of the best things to happen in my life, he is a real star!

Despite my achillies still playing up, whiteline fever took over, and I had a ball kicking the footy around, before it was time to get on the bike again and head down to the Leukaemia Foundation offices in Adelaide, where I currently sit writing this update.

This is also the first time I have to put up some photos, so here goes, I hope you enjoy them.

Leaving Perth, all ready for the adventure ahead.

First highlight of the trip, meeting Mish for the first time ever in person.

Typical sunset.

Earthquake damage at Boulder.

One of the many rubbish trees.

Typical camp setup.

First sign of my way to Adelaide, photo at Norseman.

Deborah De Williams, who is running around the country for Breast Cancer. Another cancer survivor.

Typical sunrise.

Great Australian Bight

Ankle damage

Typical lunch. Banana, vegemite, honey on flat bread.

Iron Knob Hotel

Soaked, sunburnt, and loving it.

I made it to Adelaide!

Camped for the night at Snowtown. Never did quite get around to seeing a doctor in Port Augusta, but just kept on riding. While the tendon hasn’t got any better, it hasn’t really impeded the ride, as over 100km per day is still been maintained. Of course, walking is out of the question, but riding the bike is manageable, if a little painful. I’ll see about it in Adelaide, as there is more time there.

The final couple of hours into Snowtown was pretty exhausting with a fierce head wind and driving rain making ensuring that an extra hour was spent getting to the days destination. Three broken spokes on one of the trailer wheels is also causing grief, and just have to hope that it makes it to Adelaide where repairs can be made. But lets face it, these things were designed to transport little kiddies around parks, not to be hauled across the continent!

So tonights it’s a comfy hotel room, hot shower, and an attempt to dry some gear, and a substantial feed. Hope to be in Adelaide by tomorrow afternoon, which means a couple of days off.

Have struggled into the South Australian Town of Minnipa  and while the settlements along this part of the Eyre Highway are not large, they are at least more substantial than a road house – and they are on average less than two days apart. Cedunda has come and gone along with buckets of rain that soaked everything. Ceduna was a decent size place in which to stock up, dry out and get a decent rest. Been able to keep up a good rate of Daily kilometres but it has come at the expense of a damaged Achilles Tendon. However there is a need to push on and try to get over to Port Augusta in the next couple of days and get a doctor to have a look at the ankle. It will be dependent upon Medical Opinion as to whether the rides continues beyond there.

There are plenty of mountain ranges both behind me and ahead of me, very attractive should you be travelling by means other than your legs. These hills are not helping the ankle out at all. But all going well, should be in Port Augusta by Friday, and I will able to update you on my plans beyond there.

Till then,

Hooroo For now

Hi Everyone,

A big thanks to Sophie and Mike who have been providing the running updates to the page. I’ve finally got onto a computer, but alas still can’t upload photos.

Right now I am running a day ahead of my timeline, so things are going well for my arrival in Adelaide on June 8.

Lots of people taking photos of me, but very few making donations, which is really annoying, it looks like I will fall well short of my target of $35,000. Heck at this rate I will be lucky to break the $5,000 mark. /sigh

Well time to go and have dinner, Ceduna is about 5 days away from here, and that will be a chance to stock up on supplies, but for now I am going to enjoy the Ribs of the WA/SA border roadhouse, before calling it a night.

I’ve been writing daily reports on my phone, so hopefully there will be a book to follow my adventure, also it will give me a chance to put up more info once I get to a real computer set up.

HooRoo,

Bec.