ABC News Cycling the world

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2010/07/02/2943464.htm?site=capricornia

2 July, 2010 3:32PM AESTCycling the world

By Alice Roberts Travelling thousands of kilometres by bicycle across Australia, French couple Julian and Carole, and Taiwanese couple Yen and Kai, say it's been the trip of a lifetime.
Print Email this Share Permalink Have you ever thought about cycling from Cairns to Sydney, or Sydney to Darwin? Or maybe you've dreamed of a world trip where you see the sights from your trusty push bike.
Two couples decided to do just that.
We met Kai and Yen from Taiwan, and Carole and Julian from France on the side of a busy Bruce Highway not far from Marlborough in Central Queensland.
Kai and Yen are on an adventure around the world and they're cycling every kilometre of it.
Yen says they plan to travel across 26 countries but it was because of Kai that she decided to cycle.
"My boyfriend want to ride more and more because he already rode around Taiwan seven times and he always hoped one day he could go to more places," says Yen.
"So I support him, and go with him."
She says safety on the roads in Australia has been pretty good compared to some of the other places they've travelled to.
"In some rural parts we have no roadside, that's where it's most dangerous," says Yen.
"Most trucks and cars will give way to us so it's good, it's a friendly highway."
She says they have to make sure they're concentrating all the time, but the added bonus of wearing fluoro orange also keeps them safe on the roads.
While travelling along the Bruce Highway Kai and Yen ran into a French couple, Julian and Carole, who are also seeing Australia from a different perspective.
Julian and Carole have been cycling in Australia for nine months.
Julian says cycling long distances isn't too difficult as long as you have the wind on your side.
"You can ride more and more each day but it's not very difficult, it depends on the way of the wind," says Julian.
They say they had no training for the trip but decided at the last moment they wanted to travel by bicycle.
Julian says he's been blown away by the vastness of the Australian landscape.
"Very big, very, very big," says Julian.
"Yes it's very nice, we're very happy here...and the distance is very big.
"Always big, animals, trucks, distance, everything."
Both Julian and Carole's bicycles are well prepared with very thick tyres.
So have they had any problems along the way?
"Nothing, it's the same [tyre] from 8,000 kilometres," says Julian.
"We've had no troubles with the bicycles, just troubles with spokes here because it's very heavy behind."
They say Australian wildlife is a little different to the French, but they had been pre-warned.
"Yes we know sometimes in Australia it's special because we know you have some spiders and snakes, we don't know where, yeah but some people say be careful."
Julian says there's benefits to travelling by bicycle.
"It's better to see the country and to meet people, to meet people is very easy," says Julian.
Julian and Carole say they've already started thinking about their next cycling trip.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2010/07/02/2943464.htm?site=capricornia