Next year is just around the corner so I need to give some more thought to the trips I hope to take next year. My holiday dates for the Outer Hebrides trip have been approved so all being well that will go ahead in May and the early part of June. I hope to get to New Zealand to walk the Gillespie Pass in late March or early April. Then, I want to fit in a ride on the Mawson Trail, probably around September for about nine days.
I had hoped to fit in two week tour of Kangaroo Island during the later part of next year but at the moment I can't see how I can fit that in. Also, I was thinking of a snowboarding trip and an outback camping trip at some point, however, time and allowable holiday leave is limited.
So at the moment the plan is as follows, but I have no doubt that it will change at some point,
1) New Zealand Gillespie Pass Hike - March/April 2011
2) Outer Hebrides Cycle Tour - 11th May - 5th June 2011
3) Mawson Trail 9 Day Ride - September/November 2011
Other Options
* Snowboarding Trip New Zealand - August 2011
* Blue Mountains Mt Solitary Hike - After April 2011
Showing posts with label Mawson Trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mawson Trail. Show all posts
Mawson Trail Update
As I mentioned previously in this post http://thenorrisfiles.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-changes.html, after my failed first effort to ride the Mawson Trail I now hope to complete the trail in sections as time allows. I thought I may have been able to ride the first section of the trail this month, but work and health have not permitted that to happen. Summer is approaching and between now and the end of April is the least favorable time to ride the trail due to the heat. So, this ride will have to wait until the cooler months of next year, probably after August sometime.
More Changes
Well its the night before I fly out for Adelaide and due to the wild South Australian weather my travel plans have changed again. I won't be taking my bike as originally planned due to the closure of many of the roads in the Flinders Ranges are still flooded and the tracks would be nothing short of a quagmire.
Regardless, the plan remains same, to take a campervan road trip from Adelaide up into the Flinders Ranges. Weather permitting I will hire a bike in the Clare Valley and ride the Riesling, Rattler, and Riverton trails with a short day trip on the Mawson Trail at some point. This ineary could change as the South Australian weather is not looking that promising for at least the first week I am down there.
Regardless, the plan remains same, to take a campervan road trip from Adelaide up into the Flinders Ranges. Weather permitting I will hire a bike in the Clare Valley and ride the Riesling, Rattler, and Riverton trails with a short day trip on the Mawson Trail at some point. This ineary could change as the South Australian weather is not looking that promising for at least the first week I am down there.
It is disappointing, as these holidays were booked for the sole purpose of riding the entire Mawson Trail. I haven't given up on riding the trail but I won't be dedicating 20 or more days in holiday leave to ride the trail. Instead, the new plan is to ride the trail in sections during the multiple rostered days I have off work. This will take some planning, plus quite a few flights down to Adelaide however, I'm thinking I could do it in three sections, probably spread over one year. Time will tell.
Change of Plans
A rather large change of plans for my Mawson Trail ride/holiday. A badly timed cold left me to crook to ride so I have delayed leaving for Adelaide until the 10th September. This means I don't have enough time to ride the whole trail so a new plan was needed.
So I will be combining a self drive holiday in a campervan with some riding along the way. The plan at the moment is to drive through the Adealide Hills and through the Barossa and Clare Valleys. There is an extensive network of trails through this region so I hope to base myself closeby and do day rides throughout the area.
Then, I plan to drive up into the Flinders Ranges and do a 4 day out and back ride along the Mawson Trail. The ride will start at Rawnsley Park spending the first night at Wilpena then onto Blinman which is the end of the Mawson Trail. After overnighting it I will return via the same route to Wilpena spending the night there before returning to Rawnsley Park on the Mawson Trail. All up about 200km for this section through the Flinders which is said to be arguably the best scenery on the Mawson Trail.
These plans all depend on the weather as at present South Australia is being hit with wild weather and many of the roads/tracks I plan to ride are impassable right now. So it is probably a good thing I postponed my holiday as I could of been holed up in a campsite somewhere unable to ride anywhere until the flood waters subsided. Fingers crossed for better weather next week
So I will be combining a self drive holiday in a campervan with some riding along the way. The plan at the moment is to drive through the Adealide Hills and through the Barossa and Clare Valleys. There is an extensive network of trails through this region so I hope to base myself closeby and do day rides throughout the area.
Then, I plan to drive up into the Flinders Ranges and do a 4 day out and back ride along the Mawson Trail. The ride will start at Rawnsley Park spending the first night at Wilpena then onto Blinman which is the end of the Mawson Trail. After overnighting it I will return via the same route to Wilpena spending the night there before returning to Rawnsley Park on the Mawson Trail. All up about 200km for this section through the Flinders which is said to be arguably the best scenery on the Mawson Trail.
These plans all depend on the weather as at present South Australia is being hit with wild weather and many of the roads/tracks I plan to ride are impassable right now. So it is probably a good thing I postponed my holiday as I could of been holed up in a campsite somewhere unable to ride anywhere until the flood waters subsided. Fingers crossed for better weather next week
Mawson Trail
Work has approved my holidays for early September 2010 and the plan is to ride the Mawson Trail a 900km trip from Adelaide CBD to Blinman in the South Australian outback. More details to come as the plan takes shape. First priority is to sort out a suitable bike.
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