G'day MountainPro, mate don't fret, you'll not be the first one to get jacked off by the long winter of the old country.
I was reading research that there is more depression amongst the residents of the Northern Hemisphere than those living in the sunnier climates of the world?
It is the lack of good sunshine that brings on this melancoly, whereas those living in places like Queensland, Australia are much less likely to suffer the same problem.
The answer is quite simple get yourself down to "Australia House" and make an application to migrate here. I can recommend "Queensland", for obvious reasons I have been here for fourty years, and would not live anywhere else in the world.
I'm sure the Southerners (New South Wales, Victoria, South Auatralia) would disagree with me, but they don't really know what their missing. There must be something good about the place as they are moving up here in droves at least 10.000 a month was the latest figures.
If your House in the UK is worth 350.000 pounds then look at twice that sort of value here, that would equate to about AU$700.000 which would buy you a fairly substantial bit of property here, as well as a new Carbon Fibre Steed, to get out and train on.
The temperatures here are really very mild, in winter, being our dryest time of the year with night's going down to maybe 8C but usually not that cool and daytime temp's of around 22-26C, it is ideal weather to ride and train. This goes from late March till early September, with June being the mid winter time and the coolest.
Summer which we are "in at present" is a bit hot, with the daytimer temp's of between 27-34C most days from November till late February, the bit that knocks most people over is the humidity which today is about 80% and varies with the prevailing wind directions and the current rainfall.
The hottest time is from early December till late February and that is when we get the most rainfall, we hope? Of course we are at the mercy of the weather gods for our rainfal, and it does create a problem, as we are the dryest continent on the face of the planet.
The area around Brisbane is surrounded by hills, to the South and fifty kilometres away are the Tamborine Mountains, they are the hinterland of the Gold Coast this is where Bobbie McEwen comes from. To the West are the continuation of the McPherson Ranges which are part of the Greeat Dividing Range.
Going West young man will get you to Mount Glorius about fourty five kilometres and is a good climb both ways and will test most of those who consider themselve mountain goats, so of course will Mount Tamborine. If you continue over Mt. Glorious you descend to the Brisbane Valley and if you are up to it can complete a ride of around 185kilometres back to Brisbane.
The terrrain is undulating from Brisbane to both mountain ranges and if you go North you come to the range of mountains that are known as the Sunshine Coast hintrerland, climbing up to the Villages of Melaney, or Montville, lovely little eateries there ready for the return trip to Brisbane.
That ride will put 200 kilometres in your legs and a gang of us used to do those trips on alternate weekends. One week North, next week South, and the third week West, this was as well as racing Saturday afternoon at either club or open events.
Most of this has changed with the new, younger riders, who don't do the long rides like the older fellows used to, they prefer to ride a gut busting dash on Saturday morning of around 110 kilometres at anything from 28-35 Kph average pace. Too bloody quick for an older codger like me, but we have a couple of fifty year old's who do it, and kick butt at the same time.
Mate there are so many positives to living here it's a wonder why our population is only 20 Million, just think what talent we could inflict on the world if there were 100 million of us, now that's scary stuff.
The "Tour de France" again, goes to Australia, said the commentator, this is Joe Blow's tenth win, when will these people give up being so good, even the other country's won't play them at Footabll, Cricket, or Table Tennis, it must be the Water or something like that.
I'l stop dreaming and wish you a speedy recovery from you melancoly?
Keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on that last climb? TBC
They are the one's who set it up, no?
