A - Toodyay
B - Mildura
C - Melbourne
D - Canberra
E - Sydney
F - Brisbane
G – Newcastle
H – Wellington
I – Sydney
J – Nowra
K – Tahmoor
L – Canberra
M – Melbourne
N – Bendigo
O – Ouyen
P – Adelaide
Q - Norseman
Well I've been home for 3 weeks and am finally ready to write my final blog for my
trip. My trip lasted 10 months 2 weeks and 4 days as I travelled over 11,000km from Toodyay, to Brisbane via the WA Goldfields, Mildura and Melbourne, and back to Norseman via Mudgee, Molong, Melbourne, Ouyen and Adelaide stopping in at Canberra both ways. I cycled about 10,000km out of the 11,000, having a 350km lift in a truck after snapping spokes before Port Augusta, also in a ute between Ballina and Kempsey on the way when the road was flooded in a "mini cyclone" on June 3rd and also got a lift 75k when I snapped my crankset outside of Kangaroo Valley in NSW. I had small lifts <50k many times.
I think in my final blog I will pose some questions to myself and answer them aswell as make some final observations.
Trip time: 10 months 2 weeks and 4 days
Cycling time: 8 months
Stopping time: 11 weeks summative, spent in capital cites mostly, also Mudgee and Port Augusta
Weight: Between 80-120kg luggage, total vehicle weight of 200kg+
Average speed: 10km/h, 45km/day including Sundays, 50km/day not including Sundays
Top speed: 85km/h going down a hill in Sydney on my way to Impact Conference, crossing the river in Roseville
Lowest speed: Stopped, resting on the road going up hills
Steepest hill: Two hills of rougly 12-13% gradient on Nerriga Rd between Braidwood
and Nowra in NSW, walked my stuff up in lots for the first hill and a sympathetic truckie delivering crushed rock to roadworks gave me a tow up the second.
Longest steepest hill: 7km climb of approximately 10% coming out of Nowra on the way to Kangaroo Valley in NSW, see picture
Longest day: 121km into Norseman on my last day, beating a previous 120km into Nullabor Roadhouse 8 months earlier
Shortest days: 30km, numerous occasions due to very strong headwinds, hills, the cold, relaxing days or combinations of them all
Best priced accomodation: Merridin Caravan Park, $10 unpowered with good facilities
Worse priced accomodation: Norseman Caravan Park at $26 for an unpowered site. Most of the caravan parks in NSW too are $25+ for an unpowered site without good facilities.
Worst weather: There was 3 weeks of rain everday between Canberra and Melbourne on my way home, including many storms. The Victorian floods occured the day after I entered Melbourne. A lake that hadn't had water in it for 20 years had very large puddles in it when I rode past. Also it just happened to rain when I got back to Perth too...
Best weather: Apart from headwinds, I had beautifully fine days for my first eight weeks between Toodyay and Melbourne. Maybe a touch hot hitting 50C at some roadhouse some days.
What did I learn?
I shall list the important things I 'learnt' I already knew, it just dropped from my head into my heart, certain things gained importance in my mind. Head knowledge is useless without the application of it through the heart.
1. God is in control of everything
From the smallest thing to the largest everything is in God's wonderful plan.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding...Does he not see my ways and count my every step?...It is not for man to direct his steps...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him - Job 37:5, 31:4, Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 8:28
2. God speaks to people
Everyone has the potential to hear from God personally through a variety of ways, and to converse with the Almighty.
1 Samuel 3:10 - The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Acts 8:29 - The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
John 5:29 - Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
How did Jesus know what the Father was doing? Because as well as following in the generalities of the word he spoke to and heard from God about the specifics of who to heal,what to speak etc.
3. God performs miracles, however the greatest miracle occured on the cross
John 14:12 - I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
4. The Christian faith must be active, otherwise it is no faith at all
James 2:26 - As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead
If I am a Christian but I live in the same suburb as my neighbour, shop the same places as my neighbour, eat the same food, watch TV and movies like him, go for a run like he does and do basically the same things as him, what is the point of my being a Christian. I am no Christian if I do not act like a Christian. And how does a Christian act?
A Christian is "devoted... to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). If you aren't devoted to the apostles teaching (the Bible), fellowship with other Christians and prayer you either aren't a Christian or you are a Christian in a very perilous situation.
5. The world is screwed, Jesus can and will fix it
I only now realise the priviledge it is to live in Western Australia. The views of society in the east are more extreme when it comes to a lack of morals and ethics. Even just buying a product became a stressful situation as I found myself constantly fending off the sharks at every store, misleading me and ripping me off to a much greater degree than has ever happened to me in WA.
Romans 1:28-32 - Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Isaiah 65:17-19 - “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.
Revelation 22:1-5 - Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
6. The church is screwed, Jesus can and will fix
it
On my trip I have seen the church as it is. If the church is the bride of Christ, then the bride is almost dead due to disease. The church is full of half-heartedness towards God.
Revelation 3:16 - So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
The people in those building unfortunately are mostly Sunday Christians, they do not live out their faith. As a traveller, a visiting stranger to church what stood out to me was an absolute lack of hospitality in most churches. More than that even, some Chriatians were hostile to me for needing the support of my family (the Church) as I travelled.
1 Peter 4:8-9 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling
Romans 11:21 - Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Quotable quotes
It only takes one to make a difference
It takes a little to change
Lets start today for a new tomorrow
Don’t look back
I wont look back now
Hey yea gonna find a new beginning
Lately tired of the life I’m livin
Find a way to make a change
In the lives of all of us who need
To find the meaning of life
- Hawk Nelson, Meaning of Life
This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
Take me all the way
- Matthew West, The Motions
my new blog, because this part of my life has come to a close, http://christcrazy.blogspot.com/
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