the slog to sale

And finally the day came, our last full day in Australia and more importantly, the Slog to Sale. For years we'd heard about the Slog and the excitment it brought to the community of Cardinia so this year we were determined to get involved regardless of our personal fitness levels and take on the 160km bike ride that is the Slog.


Our training regime; a 10km bike ride in (very flat) Belgium, a 17km ride from Cowes to Rhyll (Phillip Island) and a 15km ride from Cowes to Churchill Island, and let's not forget my secret weapon .... leg weights which I wore under my jeans for the month leading up to the ride. Oh yeah, we were ready.

Always the confident one, Woz decided that he wasn't going to ride with me as I might slow him down so Claire and I (a.k.a Parkes and Monroe) rode together along with our camera man, Benny. Our plan - to have fun, stopping along the way and chatting to our camera man, and of course, to make it to Sale. What actually happened was very different indeed.

Before we started, we had worked out that in order to make the 160km in the time allowed we would need to take no more than 45 minutes for every 15km at which point there was a stopping point. If we took 40 minutes we would have 5 at each stop, to stretch, rest and re-energise. The pit-stops were great - manned with enthusiastic and encouraging volunteers, handing out drinks, chocolate, bananas and oranges to each rider.

We made it to our first stop around 44 minutes after heading off which meant that we had time to shove some oranges in our mouths, stretch and get back on. Nevertheless, the short break did us a world of good and we rode of full of energy and enthusiasm. After torrential rain the night before the sun had broken out and we rode in good spirits, even getting a little hot at times. We were having fun!

The next 15km however was brutal. The slight incline of constant hills had a stinging bite to them as our legs grew tired and the clouds which had in the morning cleared to reveal the sun, once again gathered dropping buckets of rain on our path.

By about 50 km's we had stopped passing any other riders and were now the last. Claire, Benny and I were joined by Mel and Lauren and lo and behold, Woz, who couldn't keep up the pace with the front runners. Being the last riders, with the safety bus following closely behind us, was demoralising to say the least, and it took me quite a few km's to come to terms with the fact that no matter how much we pushed ourselves, it was unlikely we were to pass anyone else. However, as the day went on, Bo (who drove the Safety bus) became part of our team, cheering us on at each pit stop and letting us know how we were getting along. We felt safe riding on the busy highway knowing he was right behind us watching out for us, particuarly as time grew on as I was dangerously sleepy, barely managing to move my pedals around another cycle.

Just 3 or 4 km's out of Taralgon, the designated lunch stop, Bo had to pick us up. We were so close and were really pushing ourselves to make it to lunch but with so little energy our efforts just weren't enough. The five of us dragged our heels onto the bus and consoled ourselves that we'd ridden 100 km. After a 15 minute break for lunch we had to decide whether or not to go on. It would be another 60km of the same, fighting to make it in the time allowed, riding through rain, wind and mammoth hills, and most likely, with the safety bus behind us. For me, it was a no-brainer, the last 30 km had taken every last ounce of energy I had and I knew that I wouldn't survive another 60, certainly not in the time I had to do it in. Claire was exhausted too, although I get the feeling that she might have gone on if not for me. Benny, who completed the 100km in relative ease, decided that he would stop with us too. Lauren went on to do another 40km, and Woz, along with Stephen -the full 160km to Sale.


The feeling once we stopped was something I've never experienced before. Our muscles aching so much that nothing would relieve the pain. We walked it off as much as we could but it took every ounce of energy to stay awake and alert when all we wanted to do was collapse in a heap. Once home that evening, we were faced with another seemingly insurmountable task - packing.

brupa and gran

great nanny, gran and great gran

great grandparents

Nate was fortunate enough to spend some time with both of his Great Grandparents, his Great Nanny in Tynong Nth and his Great Gran who drove down from Heallesville to see her first great grandson.

playing with gran while great gran looks on

besotted

Nate with his Uncle Timmy, Auntie Katie, Uncle Benny and Uncle Matty. We had a great time at the island, managing to get all the Weatherhead's together on a number of occasions. All the Uncles/Aunties were great with Nate and loved taking him out for walks and playing with him. They absolutely adored him.

ruffy

boys and their toys

On our last week in Melbourne Woz caught up with his best mate Ruffy who he used to ride with often when we lived just minutes apart. Ruffy took a day off work and they rode to Heallesville (thanks to Stephen who lent Woz his bike and gear). They had a brilliant day together, making up for lost time.

thomas the true

I finally got to meet little Thomas who I had heard so much about. Thomas is in his 'stranger danger' phase and so it took a while before I could steal a cuddle but when I did we had a great old laugh and got on like a house on fire ... really. He just doesn't look that happy in these shots!

andrew the brave and cherie the great

Andrew and Cherie came to the Island to see us while we were there, taking little Thomas on his first road trip. It took them 3 hours to get down to see us. Now that's commitment to friendship!

the park by the beach

terri and em

island views

churchill island

For the first time in all the years I've grown up taking holidays at Phillip Island, this time we spent a few days on Churchill island. Woz and I rode the 15km there on our bikes in preparation for the Slog to Sale where we met up at the Farmers Market with a group of us that were staying down there. I wasn't really that interested in going along when I heard that it was a produce market as I pictured stalls of fruit and vegies and little else, but it was actually a gourmet market with beautiful little stalls scattered along the hill which looked out over the sea.

We returned the following week to have lunch at the cafe on the hill for Claire's birthday. Once again, there was a large group of us staying down at the Island and it was great to catch up with everyone there. My friend Terri drove down to see me for the second time which was lovely and she joined us for lunch and then a walk around the island afterwards.

emma grace

digging a hole 'for the kids'

holes

ewww. what are you eating that for faith?!

clairzy, em and sharon

watching the kids

Sharon & Scott and their two girls came to stay at the Island on our first weekend there. Claire and Stephen also came down as did my two brothers, Tim and Matt. We had a ball hanging out together and also caught up with some friends who have holiday houses on the Island. It was great for Sharon and I to see Nate and Faith together who were born just days apart. Faith is much more advanced than Nate on her feet and so he would often tumble when she came running to him to give him cuddles (which she did all the time!). Very cute!

shoulder ride

mummy's boy

owen and woz

let's go fly a kite ...

old friends

Our first day at the Island was shared with Brian, Madelene, Owen and Sean Rich who drove down to spend the day with us. Owen bought his kite with him and we all had a go at getting it up. Both the boys are very exciteable and Nate loved watching them running around making loads of noise and giggling. A slight change from what he gets at home with me!

Our holiday house in Phillip Island was just a few houses away from a quiet beach, and a short walk to the town of Cowes. It wasn't warm enough to go swimming (although that didn't stop Nate who went in on two occasions - once fully clothed!) but we still loved having it there. Something we no longer take for granted living in London.

the parker men

nana and pop

phillip island

Having learnt some lessons from our last trip we decided this time to hire a holiday house at Phillip Island to give ourselves a base and a place for people to come and see us. On our first week Nate's Nan and Pop and Auntie Michelle came to stay with us. We really appreciated Michelle flying all the way from Cairns and taking time off work to see us. We all benefitted from being away and much relaxing and sleeping was had by all!

boy's best friend

It wasn't until we got out into the country that we were able to see the Australian landscape through Nate's eyes. This environment, though somewhat of a novelty, is familiar to us, but to Nate it held a stark comparison to anything he had ever seen, particuarly inner city London where he spends most of his time.

Tynong North held endless appeal to Nate as he explored the surrounding bush, machinery and animals. Something he will grow to appreciate even more as the years go on I'm sure.

just four days later ...

We flew into Tullamarine at 7am and were greeted by Ron and Fi who took us back to their new house which is part of a retirement village. It was lovely to see the place we've heard so much about and to see them so at home there with so many new friends made. I think Nate had been the most talked about grandchild in the village leading up to the trip so it was great for Ron and Fi to be able to show him off in the flesh.

On our first day there Woz and I caught up on some sleep while Ron and Fi took Nate for a walk and in the evening we got together with lots of family who were also keen to meet our little boy. We had a lovely relaxing night with everyone, managing to stay up until about 10pm before our heads hit the pillow with a crash.

malaysia, truly asia

Why we haven't opted to stopover for a night in Asia en route to Melbourne/London before is beyond me. Stopping in Kuala Lumpur after a 12 and a half hour flight from London was heaven sent. Giving ourselves a chance to stretch our legs and have a decent night's sleep was such a luxury particuarly in Asia, where our money seemed to go so much further than anywhere in Europe.

In London people often stop to smile at Nate and say hello but in Malaysia, everyone was stopping, smiling at him, cooing and wanting to hold him and give him sweets. His fair skin and hair seemed to be a magnet for the Malaysian people. The children all wanted to know his name and one girl in particular who we met at the park couldn't quite believe that his name was so short. Her name was a four barelled name, the only one I remember being 'Krishna' and so when I responded with 'Nate' she looked at me and paused as if she was waiting for me to finish by listing more names. I added 'Parker' for her but she didn't seemed to be satisfied with that either. She also wanted to know my name, and the name of 'Uncle'.

On our first day in KL, having flown overnight with little sleep, we stopped at our hotel for a short nap and then took a taxi down to Chinatown for lunch where we sampled the local delights. The heat and humidity was incredibly oppressive and after an hour or two of wandering aimlessly around Chinatown and a local park we were absolutely exhausted and headed back to the hotel to laze around in the pool.

The following day we went shopping at the Petronas Towers and then back to the pool until moments before our taxi picked us up to take us back to the airport. Being in Asia, with the extreme heat, foreign smells, sights and sounds we truly felt that we on the other side of the world, but with another 7 and a half hours to go we weren't quite there yet.

up, up and away!

Tomorrow morning we head off to Heathrow to fly to Australia via Kuala Lumpur for a two day stopover. We'll be away for just over a month. It's going to be pretty crazy while we're there so I don't expect to be posting regularly but we may manage the odd post.

This week has been very difficult. Woz has been working crazy hours to prepare for being away for so long which has left him tired and me with no relief from looking after an incredibly active and mischievous 15 mth old little boy with endless energy and little regard for his mother's sanity or the state of her home.

I have packed about ten times already. I pack the bags, put things aside and then Nate gets into them pulls things out and drags them around the house. I have a terrible feeling that we'll get there and realise that the crucial thing we just couldn't live without is tucked away at home in the freezer or the wash basket which are two of his current favourite hiding spots. I'm thinking of attaching a bell or flashing light to every object in the boat that isn't nailed down.

So, Australia here we come ay?

For anyone reading this who is thinking of hijacking our boat while we're away, I dare ya. We've got a house/boat sitter staying here who I certainly wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

they said it couldn't be done

So, the sceptics out there who implied that we may not be able to finish the task before us obviously didn't reckon on the fact that Woz is actually the Eveready Energiser Bunny. Fact.

True to our word, by Sunday night the roof of the boat was painted from top to bottom. Woz put two very long days in to get it done (and I put in a good two hours) but he did a sterling job, and it looks 100% on what it used to. The dark sky threatened rain on several occasions but fortunately we had two warm (ish), dry and windy days - perfect for drying paint.

And the best bit is we still have five days and 12 hours until we fly out. We could easily paint the rest of the boat. Yep, this is going to be a walk in the park.

how much do you trust the weatherman?

will we or wont we?

Okay, we sooo knew we weren't going to finish painting the entire boat this weekend. We did however aim to finish one coat on the roof section of the boat which curves around the edge of the wall and so far we're on target, although Woz will have to put a huge effort in tomorrow if he's going to finish it. Woz started sanding last night and finished off today at around 3pm. From then he has been 'cutting in' and has almost finished, which is always the long and fiddly bit. Tomorrow he'll finish that off and then roll baby roll!

The paint is light grey in colour and will hopefully be cooler in Summer than the revolting red primer underneath and a damn sight less ugly.

famous last words

It's one week until we fly to Australia for a month so we are savouring our last weekend of Summer and in true 'Woz & Em style', painting the exterior of our boat. We've wanted to do it for so long now but it has seemed like an insurmountable task, until of course, on the cusp of leaving, watching the hours quickly filling up with more 'to do's', then, it seems like a breeze.

'Do you reckon we could paint the boat before we go, that way if the weather turns when we get back we wont miss out on doing it this year.'

'Yeah, I reckon we could. It just needs a quick sand, and we can throw some paint at it. I think we've even got some in the engine room'.

'Brilliant! I can't believe we were thinking of paying someone to do it!'

'I know! We can easily knock it over on the weekend!'