On your bike!

Hi All,

Summer is well under way now here in sunny Melbourne with the temperature touching 42c yesterday.

Lovely weather to be relaxing in or sitting on the beach.....but Chris and Caroline decided to do a 70k bike ride!!!!

It was something we had already registered for as part of an organised event called 'Amy's Ride'. The event supports road safety for cycling following the death of Amy Gillett in an accident a couple of years ago. Amy was one of Australia's top cyclists and was knocked down by a reckless driver in Germany and killed.

The ride took place in Geelong which is about a 30 min drive south of Melbourne. We set off at 5.45am (gulp) and even then the temperature was approaching 20c. Our friends Natalie and Jason were also doing the ride so we met up with them. The route took us out into the countryside and then along the picturesque coast. The temp was getting hotter and hotter but there were a number of drinks stations along the way. All was going well until Chris took a wrong turn and ended up doing an extra 4k despite people trying to get his attention!!

The last 30 mins of the ride were hard work (for everyone except Caroline) and someone on a bike next to me registered the temperature at 46c!! However we all made it safely to the end which was a great feeling. 2000 other cyclists also completed the course and in the afternoon there was a pro race. However we decided to go and have a well deserved lunch in a nearby cafe. You can see a map of our route here.

Today us normal human beings are feeling a bit knackered...but Caroline was off at 8am for a swim. Is it madness, addiction or just motivation.......??!!

This afternoon Chris and Jack are taking Mum and Dad to the airport for their trip to Brisbane for a week. Then they are back with us for another week to take in more of Melbourne including going to watch Sam at the Australian Open :)

More photos on our Flickr site as usual and more updates soon.....