Down on the beach with Luke and Andre, 30kms away from the finish line.

Rambor, my sponsor into Cape Town, South Africa.

Standing at the finish line.  Cape Town South Africa.

A photo paints a thousand words.

Group photo with all the cyclists from the 2011 tour.

I presented the Rambor shirt to 2 of the guys from Hilti.

Where it all started on the 15th January 2011.

9th May 2011.  Felix Unite, Namibia to Springbok, South Africa. 135kms

10^th Country of Tour.

Today is a very exciting day as we leave Namibia and enter the final country of our epic Cairo to Cape town journey.  We enter South Africa.

With a beautiful sunrise and plenty of food in the stomach we hit the road at 7.45am for the 13km ride to the South African border.  We had the Orange River and amazing mountains following us all the way to end what has been an incredible experience in Namibia.

The border process for both Namibia and South Africa was straight forward and not a lengthy wait at all.  To enter South Africa all we had to do was present our passport and it was stamped, no forms to fill out.

As soon we left the border post the road climbed through a mountain range for 8kms.  The rest of the morning to lunch was a 1100 metres of climbing in 65kms.  Lunch truck was at 78kms and I was really hungry by then.  The weather was beautiful, not hot and not too cool for riding.  Like usual Peter has a difficult time on the mountains but certainly makes up for it on the flats.  We just rode along chatting about everything and in no hurry to end the day.

The landscape once we got through the mountains was just like Egypt and parts of Sudan, very desolate, no villages, sandy, rocky plains and very little vegetation.  It’s so nice to be riding in a place where children don’t call out for money and you have a nice road to ride on.

Lunch stop was the usual event of sandwiches filled with eggs, cheese, tomato, nice sauces and fruit.  I can never criticise TDA for the way they have fed us over the past 4 months.

The afternoon went a lot quicker because of a strong tailwind.  We roared along the roads which had little traffic except for a police vehicle who was behind me as I hit warp speed in the tuck position down this long straight.  We just kept rolling along all afternoon with the sun warming our backs, it was just another magical day of riding in Africa.

We made it to the Campsite around 2.30pm, quickly put up Tent Hilton and found Rodney.  Rodney and I went for the 2km walk back into Springbok to find a sim card and buy some more food to eat before dinner.  The walk is so good after 135kms on the bike and it gives us a chance to chat as we didn’t ride with each other today.

When we got back to camp the sun was ready to sink behind the mountains which caused the temperature to drop immediately.  It’s time to put the warm jacket on in this place, socks and long pants. 

I did manage to get the new sim card with the assistance of Rodney’s passport and now can have contact with the outside world.  

So I finally made it to my 10^th country and am quite impressed with my effort.  We have another 5 days of serious riding before the goal is accomplished.  So it’s goodnight from Springbok, South Africa.  Tomorrow is a 125kms ride.  Should be a walk in the park.

 10^th May 2011. Springbok to Garies. 118kms. 4 months since leaving Australia.

Last night was so cold it was one of the coldest on tour.  We woke around 6.20am thanks to Luke, and found the fog was well and truly set in for the morning.  I had to put on my arm and leg warms thanks to Soto Engineering, a gortex jacket and my winter gloves to stay warm.  As soon we got out of camp my limps and nose were freezing.  The guy at the campsite said the temperature was down to 2 degrees and th fog should hang around for a couple of hours.

There’s one thing I don’t like and that’s riding in fog, especially when you have huge trucks roaring down on top of you.  We had to stay close and be vigilant at all times, sometimes we had to hit the dirt to prevent being road kill.  The majority of drivers were patient, but like always, there’s the idiot who doesn’t give a shit about a cyclist on their road.

For the first 2 hours we rode in fog and climbed mountain after mountain.  As soon as we descended to the base of one mountain we had another 2km climb in front of us.  This was the case for the first 70kms of the ride today.  I think I’m getting pretty good at climbing hills and should destroy Josh when I get back.

We rolled into the lunch stop and for once there were heaps of cyclists sitting around chilling out.  Usually the cyclists quickly eat lunch and hit the road again.  I’m different, I came to Africa to spend all day out on the road.

After lunch we had only ridden 5kms and we decided to stop again for a coffee and biscuits which ended up being an hour break.  It was so nice just sitting in the sun thawing out on the verandah of the coffee shop.  By the time I was ready to get back on the bike I had taken off the arm and legs warmers and was ready to ride the final 45kms to Garies.

The rest of the ride was again long climbs but nothing serious.  I would take turns with Peter as to who was going lead up the hills.  When I get on the front I seem to lose Peter and have to wait at the top of the mountain.  Now I just let Peter lead from bottom to top, this way we can just chat away and try and conquer the world.

Just before Garies we had a 5km decent which Peter and I roared down like mad men.  The view was sensational all day looking out into the valleys and mountains.  The colours were spectacular today especially when the fog lifted and the sun hit the sides of the mountains.  It’s days like these that start really hard but end so rewarding.

We rolled into Garies around 2.30pm after 118km ride.  After a quick freezing cold shower it was up town for a nice coffee and a huge slice of chocolate cake with Andrea and Peter. So it’s now 5.15pm and soon dinner will be ready.  Tonight it’s an early night because we have a 165km ride tomorrow down to the ocean.  It’s been along time since I’ve seen an ocean, and Luke insists that I go for a swim to mark the occasion.  I’ll see how cold the water is before I commit myself.

Another wonderful day in Africa.  Goodnight from Garies, Northern Cape, South Africa.

11^th May 2011. Garies to Strandfontein. Western Cape South Africa. 162kms. 

I think everyone today was a little anxious about the length of the ride so close to the finish line.  I personally didn’t care as long as I took it easy the distance was going to bother me.  We had another really cold night but the morning was slightly better than yesterday.

Peter and I left the camp around 7.45am and just cruised along up and down mountains all morning.  The scenery was exactly the same as yesterday, and still little traffic to bother us.  We continued onto the lunch stop at the 85km mark, which was about 10kms along another dirt section for the day.  Today we had to navigate our way through more sandy/gravel road for 30kms.

As we approached lunch I could see Peter was getting very tired and struggling on the hills.  I should say that he’s EFI and has good reason to be tired.  Lunch was extra good today with cooked sausages on a roll with salad was just magic.  

We hit the dirt again and within 10 minutes Peter was behind.  I continued on and caught Christine and we then caught Peter Prince and Sarge.  We rode to a coke stop and once again devoured food like we hadn’t eaten in a month.  

The wind was getting stronger all morning and when we hit the dirt road just before lunch the wind had turned into a block headwind.  For the next 75kms we rode straight into the face of a strong wind with a brisk chill in it.

After the coke stop we got back on the road and made the final dash to Strandfontein on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.  It’s been 4 months since I’ve seen the ocean, other than the swim I had in the Red Sea,  and cresting the hill and looking down into the ocean was pretty cool.  With the waves just like back at home, and the roar of the waves hitting the sand, I thought this could be any beach along the east coast of Australia.

I rolled down into the campsite around 4.15pm, which was pretty late for the day.  Quickly did some bike work, set up Tent Hilton, grabbed a cup of tea, and went for a walk to talk to some of the other cyclists.

It was a good day today, and I did finish feeling pretty good.  Tomorrow is a 77km ride to Eland’s Bay, with some rough stuff thrown in for good measure.  So it’s time to try and get some sleep with the waves pounding in front of my tent.

No internet access in this part of the world.

12^th May 2011. Strandfontein to Elands Bay. 78kms. Truck destroyed in crash.

Today was easy day on the tour.  We left camp and rode up the hill to have another breakfast at Leonies B & B.  Because she was open at 7.30am I decided to ring the bell and get the lazy sods out of bed to serve us.

About 8 cyclists sat down for nice coffee, crepes, and cheese cake before getting back on the road for the 78km ride to Elands Bay. The road was nice for about 2kms then we hit the dirt once again.  We had a rather smooth gravel/sandy road for about 30kms then hit the pavement.  The first stop of the day was lunch at 40kms.  Because of how much food I had for breakfast I decided a banana was more than enough to get me through to Lambert’s Bay about 30kms away.

Because I was riding with Luke, Scott and Paul Spencer it took us very little time to cover the distance.  For lunch we went to a really nice restaurant down at the wharf called Isabella’s.  The food was great and set in an interesting atmosphere.  The floor was made of crushed sea shells.  NO expense saved in this place.  We just sat down and looked out into the harbour which had one vessel in it.

The next part of the trip was a ride beside the rail line to Eland’s Bay, the finish line for the day. The most interesting thing on tour today is one of the TDA trucks overturned and was completely destroyed in an accident.  I don’t have all the information on how the accident happened, other than to say, the inside where all the lockers are, were completely destroyed.  When we got back to the hotel we found all our gear spread out and had to find our belongings.  I found all my gear and now have to wait for another truck from Cape town to come up so we have a place to put our gear.  I think we have a shit fight on our hands.  I’m sure the TDA staff will do a great job fixing the problem.

So tonight is our 2^nd last night camping and tomorrow is a 144km ride, than a simple 90kms into Cape town on Saturday.  So I need to go and get all my gear sorted out.  So once again it’s goodbye from Eland’s Bay, Western Cape, South Africa.

13^th May 2011. Eland’s Bay to Yzerfontein. 145kms with the fast guys. 1 more day to complete the ultimate cycle journey on earth.

Today is different to all the rest.  Today is the penultimate day of the ultimate cycle journey on earth.  I left with Luke, Scott, Paul, Jorge and Adam, the fast guys of the tour.  I rode with them to the coffee stop at 50kms and didn’t do much at all.

The road took us from Eland’s Bay which is a beautiful little town situated on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.  The road went from pavement straight to a dusty, gravel road for the next 30kms. I managed to stay with the fast guys all morning but suffered big time.  The road travelled right next to the shoreline for many kms and it was so spectacular meandering around the Rocky Mountains that were towering above us.  We had such a cool ride this morning.  We could see the locals in their small wooden boats fishing so close to shore we could call out to them and wave as we continued our way to Cape town.

The first top was the usual coffee and cake at the 50km mark.  We stopped for about 30minutes before the racers got the urge to get back on the bikes for the final 20km push to lunch.  From this point on I did my share of the work at the front of the bunch all the way to lunch.

The rest of the ride was at warp speed for the remaining 70kms to complete the day.  We took about 2 hours 15mins to cover the distance and man my legs were gone on the last hill.  I managed to do the work until 10kms to go and I had had enough.  I sat on the back of the bunch and just hung in there.

The town we’re staying at is right on the ocean and a special place to stay in the tent for the final time of this journey.  To think I won’t have to put this shitty tent every again or sleep in my sleeping bag.  I won’t have to get damp clothes out of my bag and put them on each morning.  I’m going home to clean clothes and the family.

Tonight we had a fantastic meal of seafood of the highest quality.  Everyone was in high spirits and drinking plenty all evening.  I’m sure there’s going to be some sick cyclists on the road in the morning for the final 90km push to Cape Town.

TDA has plenty of things organised for tomorrow with the ride into Cape Town and being joined by local cyclists where we will ride the final 20kms along the new cycleway into ECO Park.  I’m sure tomorrow will be a fantastic day that I will remember for a long time.  So now I’ve got to get some sleep and enjoy the final day of the ultimate cycle journey on earth.

Bring on Cape town. 14^th May 2011.  90kms to end the ultimate cycle journey on earth.

It’s been said many times before, but, all good things must come to an end and so does my time in Africa.

With an early rise this was going to be one of the most exhilarating days on bike for quite some time.  We hit the road around 7.45am for a leisurely 60km ride to lunch.  I felt so strong with the new cycling shoes I was given by Patrick.  My old shoes had died about 6 weeks ago and I managed to nurse them to the end against all odds.

I rode with my good friend Lindsay from New Zealand.  We just took our time chatting about conquering the world when we get home and whether we would do a bicycle trip of this magnitude if given the chance again.

At the 50km mark I finally got the first puncture of the trip.  At the 52km mark I got my 2^nd puncture of the trip.  Talk about getting pissed off.  That’s an Aussie for term for being annoyed. I got a spare tire from Peter and his son Simon and was on my way to meet the rest of the cyclists down on the beach.

We arrived at the beach to find about 200 cyclists waiting to join in on the convey for the final 30kms into the majestic city of Cape Town, South Africa.  After eating more cheese, cakes, fruit and drinks we went down to the beach for some photos to complete a smashing morning.  We couldn’t see Table Mountain behind us because of all the fog that was still sitting on the mountain.  

At 12pm we got back on the road with full Police escort for the ride into town and along the new cycleway that led through the heart of the city and close to the V & A Waterfront.  When I turned around to see the number of cyclists trailing I was stunned.  There were hundreds of cyclists riding with us to welcome us into their beautiful city.  It was a really touching moment as we rode through the city with people calling out and clapping us on our arrival.  We stopped out the front of the city office and once again for some speeches and headed off for the remaining 6km journey to the new Eco Park.

We did a ride through the heart of the city with Police stopping the traffic whilst hundreds of cyclists coming up to us and wanting to chat about our journey or wanting photos.  I must be famous with all the photos I’ve had taken of me this trip.

So there we were, 80 intrepid cyclists waiting at the front of Eco Park Green Point to be given the go ahead to enter this complex and be greeted by family, friends and cyclists from all over the Cape.  It was just amazing, with flags from all over the world, a band playing and people lining the path as we entered, cheering and clapping.  Perhaps it was a big deal, perhaps I’ve achieved something special in life.  Not people are given the chance to ride a bicycle from Cairo to Cape town, I was, and I will cherish today and the other 119 days of pain and happiness for the rest of my life.  

Once everyone had gone about with their hugs and kisses it was time for formalities.  We all had to get behind our country flag and mark behind the band that led us up onto the stage to be greeted by the public.  This was so moving, I could see the people in the crowd clapping and standing tall as we enter the stage.

After the speeches it was time to receive our medals for completing the longest cycle tour in the world.  To have the medal placed over my head and to rest on my chest was acknowledgement that I had completed the ultimate cycle journey on earth.

Everyone got presented their medals and so did the winners and EFI cyclists.  With a quick bite we rushed back to the Ritz Hotel for a hot shower, to warm up a bit. 

We all went down to the V & A Waterfront for the final night out as a group and celebrate the end of the tour.  It was a great night to see and speak to some of my friends, some that I will never see again.  That’s life.  

I still have a lot of work to do with collecting donations for the Songo charity here in Cape Town and get all my gear ready.  So for now I’ve got to go and do more work.