Saturday, 15 October 2011
On significant relief
I am waiting to board my plane to Vancouver. I am very relieved as I am now past a stage of worry. Boxed bike was 20.50 kgs. Duffle was 16.25 kg. Thank you Robin for the lift.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
On vague relief
Well, it seems that I will probably get to Australia on schedule after all. I should be more relieved than I am, but I am conflicted as to my sympathies to unions as stress emerged today in my union capacity at work.
I was somewhat amused to note that the aircraft depicted in the article is a Boeing 777 at Vancouver airport as I will be boarding such a plane on Saturday, assuming more nonsense doesn't rear it's head. However, the picture shows a 777-300ER, whereas I will be flying in a shorter, but much longer-ranged 777-200LR.
I was somewhat amused to note that the aircraft depicted in the article is a Boeing 777 at Vancouver airport as I will be boarding such a plane on Saturday, assuming more nonsense doesn't rear it's head. However, the picture shows a 777-300ER, whereas I will be flying in a shorter, but much longer-ranged 777-200LR.
On how bicycles and moose shouldn't be combined, part II
Nearly a year ago, I wrote about a CBC article describing someone who advocated hunting moose using a bike. This article came out today, which confirmed my general suspicions about the legality of hunting from vehicle. From the article, it seems the people involved are serious yahoos.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
On why I will be taking binoculars with me
I was going to summarise it in one word, namely "galahs", except when I looked up the word in Wikipedia, it wasn't one of the birds I had seen in Ned Kelly, the 2003 movie starring Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom. Those birds were mostly green with some very colourful patches around the head. That probably makes them lorikeets of some description. (I now think they were rainbow lorikeets or Australian ringnecks, but I could be wrong.)
The point is that this post has already led me to find out that there are 50 plus species of parrot in Australia. As my definite exposure to wild parrots is limited to some kea and my possible exposure to a glimpse of a kaka, I'll be damned if I let the opportunity to engage in some serious parrot watching slip past me! There will also be kookaburras, wedgies and what have you!
In other packing news, I have done a goodly amount of packing: Leonardo is boxed except for the seat which is currently on Floria and my duffle and carry on bags have been partially filled. I have been using an adapted version of the list I had devised with Margo's assistance for Newfoundland. As a number of items will not be available to be packed until the day I leave, assuming I leave, and others have multiple locations, I have been ticking off the various bits using a variety of coloured highlighters that I acquired for map annotation way back when I was planning my first trip to Newfoundland! Blue highlights mean my blue carry-on bag (i.e. one of my rear panniers), orange means my red duffle bag, green means stuff I will be wearing on the plane, and yellow is for things I can't pack until Saturday. Unfortunately, my bike computer is now AWOL.
Addendum
After being threatened with railway shares, the bike computer resurfaced.
The point is that this post has already led me to find out that there are 50 plus species of parrot in Australia. As my definite exposure to wild parrots is limited to some kea and my possible exposure to a glimpse of a kaka, I'll be damned if I let the opportunity to engage in some serious parrot watching slip past me! There will also be kookaburras, wedgies and what have you!
In other packing news, I have done a goodly amount of packing: Leonardo is boxed except for the seat which is currently on Floria and my duffle and carry on bags have been partially filled. I have been using an adapted version of the list I had devised with Margo's assistance for Newfoundland. As a number of items will not be available to be packed until the day I leave, assuming I leave, and others have multiple locations, I have been ticking off the various bits using a variety of coloured highlighters that I acquired for map annotation way back when I was planning my first trip to Newfoundland! Blue highlights mean my blue carry-on bag (i.e. one of my rear panniers), orange means my red duffle bag, green means stuff I will be wearing on the plane, and yellow is for things I can't pack until Saturday. Unfortunately, my bike computer is now AWOL.
Addendum
After being threatened with railway shares, the bike computer resurfaced.
On what I was afraid of
I had earlier written about how the strike threat by Air Canada flight attendants was a potential hitch in my plans. Margo or Chris had commented that the determination of the Federal government to legislate them back to work was an answer to my prayers. Unfortunately, it seems that the tentative deal that they had worked out earlier has been rejected and that they are set to go on strike as early as Thursday. While, the Tories seem poised to legislate the flight attendants back to work, there is the distinct possibility in my book that Air Canada flights will still be in a state of flux and uncertainty by Saturday even given best case scenarios.
My feelings are along the lines I don't need this stress.
My feelings are along the lines I don't need this stress.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
On re-organizing my packing strategy
In some cases, you never know how good you are at something until an outside element gives you pause to reflect. One example of this was on a car-camping trip I was on to Nova Scotia in 1986 with my parents, and siblings Alice and Philip. We had arrived at a campsite and proceeded to set our tents, etc. After a while, we were greeted with applause by the people at the next site over. They were impressed at how quickly and efficiently we had set up our tents, etc. Of course, they didn't know we'd had worked out our roles in a long trip from California to Quebec the year before, so we all knew who does what when arriving at a campsite. However, we hadn't realised just how good we were until our neighbours at the camp ground applauded us!
After five years of biking touring, I like to think that I have worked out a reasonably efficient method of packing my gear into my set of MEC Cordura bags. The "office" of books, electronic support devices (battery charges, etc.) and other dry odds and ends go in the front left bag. Tool kit and rain gear in the front right bag. Sunscreen, toilet paper, cup, cable lock and bug dope go in the back pouches of the rear bags. I have been more flexible about the main compartments of the rear bags as their contents vary somewhat depending on the trip. In Newfoundland, for instance, the right rear bag was clothes and food, whereas the left one was largely given over to camping gear. In short, I knew what I could carry and where I would carry it.
This meant I didn't have to think too hard about in the pre-trip planning and packing stage. This went out the window when I bought a pair of yellow Ortlieb Front-Roller Classic waterproof pannier bags this afternoon. There are two reasons for this. The first is that they are somewhat larger than the MEC Cordura PF-21's they are replacing, and therefore my overall volume budget it larger than it was. In addition, as they are waterproof, it no longer makes sense to put my tools and rain gear in the front right bag. Also, I am adding sleeping gear to my usual load, hence more volume. I could add a bag on top of my rear rack, but that isn't ideal. Anyway, my plan is to do a test pack of the bags on Leonardo in order to see what works best. One advantage of this is that I can then put much the gear into my duffle bag, ready for the trip to Oz. Hmm, that reminds me that I should include the duffle bag in my packing experiment!
Or maybe not. I should mail it to my end point. Hmm, I must investigate the Australian postal service.
Addendum
I looked up the Aussie post office and mailing a parcel of duffle bag, and bits looks like the sensible option. Subsequently, I inquired of a hostel in Broken Hill, and they said they could hold the parcel for me, so that looks set.
Using the logic that I wouldn't remember all the bits, I stuffed most of the things on my packing list into 3 out of my four panniers, excluding one of the front ones. I could do it, but the rear ones were very full. I am still dithering about whether to seek out additional volume.
After five years of biking touring, I like to think that I have worked out a reasonably efficient method of packing my gear into my set of MEC Cordura bags. The "office" of books, electronic support devices (battery charges, etc.) and other dry odds and ends go in the front left bag. Tool kit and rain gear in the front right bag. Sunscreen, toilet paper, cup, cable lock and bug dope go in the back pouches of the rear bags. I have been more flexible about the main compartments of the rear bags as their contents vary somewhat depending on the trip. In Newfoundland, for instance, the right rear bag was clothes and food, whereas the left one was largely given over to camping gear. In short, I knew what I could carry and where I would carry it.
This meant I didn't have to think too hard about in the pre-trip planning and packing stage. This went out the window when I bought a pair of yellow Ortlieb Front-Roller Classic waterproof pannier bags this afternoon. There are two reasons for this. The first is that they are somewhat larger than the MEC Cordura PF-21's they are replacing, and therefore my overall volume budget it larger than it was. In addition, as they are waterproof, it no longer makes sense to put my tools and rain gear in the front right bag. Also, I am adding sleeping gear to my usual load, hence more volume. I could add a bag on top of my rear rack, but that isn't ideal. Anyway, my plan is to do a test pack of the bags on Leonardo in order to see what works best. One advantage of this is that I can then put much the gear into my duffle bag, ready for the trip to Oz. Hmm, that reminds me that I should include the duffle bag in my packing experiment!
Or maybe not. I should mail it to my end point. Hmm, I must investigate the Australian postal service.
Addendum
I looked up the Aussie post office and mailing a parcel of duffle bag, and bits looks like the sensible option. Subsequently, I inquired of a hostel in Broken Hill, and they said they could hold the parcel for me, so that looks set.
Using the logic that I wouldn't remember all the bits, I stuffed most of the things on my packing list into 3 out of my four panniers, excluding one of the front ones. I could do it, but the rear ones were very full. I am still dithering about whether to seek out additional volume.
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