I fly to Brisbane on 29 June and start with a test ride from Brisbane to Cairns in Australia in July 2023. This stretch is around 2000km and the first 600km I will be on The Great Queensland Rail Trail Adventure. My lovely friend G is going to ride the first day or two with me, which is a great way to start. Along the way I will see a few people I know in Mackay, Townsville and hopefully also in Cairns. I’m looking forward to seeing a part of Australia I have not travelled in yet and going for a snorkel on Great Barrier Reef.

If the test ride goes well, I will rent out my house to my flatmate and sell my car to finance the next leg through Southeast Asia: I start in Indonesia in August, where I island-hop between Bali, Java and Sumatra. I will be catching up with my friend L in Bandung and B, one of my friends from Wellington is celebrating his birthday in Jakarta on 30 August. 

On Sumatra I cross into the northern hemisphere and not long after in September jump on the ferry to Malaysia just south of Kuala Lumpur. 

Then it’s north into Thailand. In Bangkok in October I’m seeing my precious friend M from Wellington and spending some time there. When I get to Cambodia, I’m hoping to meet the young boy I have been sponsoring for several years through WorldVision in Chi Kreng. This will be quite a special meeting I’m sure. 

Next country is Vietnam. In 2019 I met with my mum halfway between Denmark and New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City and we explored the southern part of Vietnam. This time the plan is to meet in Hanoi in November and my mum and I will go to Halong Bay. It is super special to have a brave mother, who is an inspiration to family and friends, flying by herself to join me in a foreign country.

Finally, I cross the border into China. I have been learning Mandarin to make it easier to travel by bike in China.

 
Heading west from China, I’m going to skip some countries and fly over Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The recommendation at the moment is not to go to some of these countries. I will land in the Middle East and this part of the trip and the timeframes is still under development. 

In March 2024, my wonderful mum is again thinking about joining me in Israel. We had planned a holiday in Israel in 2020, but it was cancelled because of Covid.

From Israel there is a ferry to Athens in Greece. My childhood friend M is considering joining me there and biking with me up through Europe in April 2024 to her hometown Gråsten in Denmark. We will be following Eurovelo 8 along the Mediterranean coast, through the Alps and up through Germany on Eurovelo 13 (Iron Curtain). As we cross the border from Germany into Denmark there will be much for both of us to be proud of, and I hope her family will be ready with a big meal for two ravenous hungry cyclists and celebrate with us. 

My deadline for getting to Stenløse in Denmark is 8 May 2024, when my niece is getting confirmed. I will not want to miss this!

I then take a break! I will spend the northern hemisphere summer in Denmark with my family. I will get a job, and I will likely enjoy going to work on a mundane rainy Monday morning.

Then what? I will either fly home from Denmark or cycle through Canada and the U.S. All to be confirmed.