Blog 11 4th – 7th May Moynaq to Nukus Distance: 256km Total Distance: 2855km In Moynaq I arranged for a guide to be with us for the remainder of the way to Nukus. Khurmet, whom we had met at the Yurt Camp beside the Aral Sea, was the perfect choice because he has local roots […]
expedition cycling
Aral Sea South – Spectacularly sad
Blog 10 28th April – 3rd May Nukus, Karakalpakstan, the UZ border to Moynaq Distance: 313km Total Distance: 2599km The old Soviet-built train chugged slowly across the dry, featureless steppe stopping occasionally at villages and for about 90 minutes at the border for immigration and customs. I barely slept because I was paranoid about my bike […]
Bringing water back to Aralsk – rising hope
Blog 8 20th – 22nd April Aralsk to Akespe Distance: 141km Total Distance: 1981km Aralsk is the only major town in the region, developed as the northern port on the Aral Sea. It was connected to the southern port of Moynaq, about 500km across the former sea, in Karakalpakstan (a part of Uzbekistan). In Soviet […]
Far away and over the Seabed
Blog 7 15th – 20th April Barsakelmes Island diversion, Karateren to Aralsk Distance cycled: 121km Total Distance: 1840km From the former fishing village of Karateren I had planned a two day 4WD excursion to Barsakelmes Island and Kaskakulan. The Aral Sea was often referred to as the “Sea of Islands,” virtually all of which are […]
All the way to the Aral Sea
Blog 6 10th – 14th April Kyzylorda to Kokaral Dam Distance: 520km Total Distance: 1719km Day 18 – 124km We left our Kyzylorda apartment – on the fourth floor of a Soviet-style building – apartment blocks have the same design all over the former Soviet Union. I’m not quite sure how some of these buildings […]
BREAKING THE CYCLE CENTRAL ASIA – Introduction
Welcome to the first blog for what’s going to be an epic journey through the heart of Central Asia. I’m writing from my room in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, soon to travel 300km north across the Fann Mountains and down to the ancient city of Khujand, a 2500 year old city founded by Alexander the Great, where I […]
Turning the tide (& thank you)
Blog 20 Days: 101-102 Dates: 20th-21st September Denham Total Distance (2021 + 2023) : 8617km Between spending a couple of weeks in Western Australia with family and friends post-expedition and returning to life in Melbourne, it has taken a while to write the final blog – so here it is. I was introduced to Tidal […]
Mount Augustus to Steep Point
Blog 19 Days: 94-100 Dates: 13th – 19th September Distance: 732km Total Distance 2023: 7089km Total Distance (2021 + 2023) : 8617km Tracking map by ZeroSixZero: https://z6z.co/breaking-the-cycle-australia/ My apologies for taking so long to publish the final two blogs – here’s the first one. Having just completed an intense week of cycling to cover the […]
Jigalong and the Rabbit Proof Fence (Part II)
Blog 17 Days: 80-84 Dates: 30th August – 3rd September Kumarina to Jigalong Distance: 388km Total Distance 2023: 5626km Total Distance (2021 + 2023) : 7154km Days 80, 81 220km (113km, 107km) From Kumarina Roadhouse it was 220km to Jigalong. I first took the Great Northern Highway heading north for 50km before turning off on […]
The Rabbit Proof Fence – Part I
Blog 16 Days: 77-79 Dates: 27th – 29th August Cunyu Station to Kumarina Distance: 222km Total Distance 2023: 5238km Day 77 (Day 1 on the Rabbit Proof Fence) 88km It was great to have a bed for the night at Cunyu Station, a pastoral lease of around one million acres with a carrying capacity of […]
