DAY 19

The major motivation for todays leg was Melbourne. The fact that they were so close to the expeditions first major goal led under Anders having an easy day. 93 k’s should though turn out to be a bit more in reality.

From Torquay to Geelong was soft, 30 k’s at comfortable speed. Then the navigation started out of Geelong with trying to find the correct highways they are aloud to bicycle on. After many stops for checking the map on the mobile they get out of Geelong with 60 k’s left to Melbourne.

Lasse keeps laying pretty far behind and Anders thinks it goes a bit to slow. “What up, since it goes so slow today?” Anders asks Lasse. Lasse points out that it is the 14th day in a row they are cycling.

It is hot today, like really hot. Anders navigates wrong / the app he uses doesn’t inform us that the chosen road is closed with fences and only allowed to access for authorized people. Lasse calls the operations manager from a phone that is mounted nearby the fence, asking if he could let them through but that was never gonna happen. The boys have to turn and cycle back and take a detour that gives further extra kilometers. The thermometer at the bike shows above 35 degrees and the boys have to cycle 3-4 straight roads that are as long as the eye can see. The sheep on the field seeks the shadow behind a concrete building as a herd, but there is not enough space for everybody. The kick up some cooler dirt and put their face down in the ground. They must be extremely warm Anders thinks. The heath from the asphalt is pushed up to their bodies when a little wind comes and when you put the thigh on the frame it burns, even though the frame is white. The boys do not have a lot to drink and must save the water they have.

Kilometer after kilometer, hour after after hour – Anders thinks that this they boys’ first taste of the heat that is coming, as it still is only spring(!).

They are getting closer to Melbourne and Lasse runs out of water. Lasse gets a bottle from Anders and soon runs out again. Lasse gets the last little rest Anders has in his last bottle, then they both are empty. 13 k’s left to Melbourne in one straight road. “I have navigated us so we only got 13 k’s straight ahead to the city” Anders says to Lasse, but he doesn’t reply. Anders cycles ahead, Lasse pushes his bike and body to the maximum – “Anders I must have something to drink now!!”. Lasse repeats that 3 times without Anders being able to do anything about it. “Nothing to drink here, you will get it in the city” Anders says.

According to himself Lasse have never ever been so thirsty in his whole life and when they have just about reached the skyscrapers in the city his troubled backwheel gets completely broken. That was lucky Lasse says who has to walk his bike for the last two k’s to the apartment. The face is red from the sun, his mask is long and the motivation is low. Anders have never seen Lasse more characterized and exhausted, but he thinks it is a bit funny that he managed to push himself for over 100 k’s with a wheel that barely functions.

They are renting an apartment for three nights from a girls over the phone in Melbourne. From the 20th level they look over the city that welcomes them. For two whole days they will lay with their feets high, drink Coca Cola, eat potato chips and sleep in. The last 19 days have consisted of 2 resting days and 17 cycling days. After Anders injury in Meningie they have cycled for 14 days straight.

Anders is relived to have made it to Melbourne and asked Anders “seriously, when had you actually thought we need a resting day”. “I thought that resting days we take if one of us is injured, other than that we just continue” Anders replies. Lasses face is filled with many expressions; fear, amazement and resignation. Anders loves to be the over positive guy when it comes to topics like this, and asks Lasse if they should do some squats that evening, where Lasse answer “yeah right”.

PS! Anders saw snake number two (alive) today. Beige and thin, right by the sidewalk 15 k’s before Melbourne.

PS! Anders and Lasse have now cycled over 1000 k’s. Who actually believed that before they started.

Awesomestralia – a normal life is boring