About 3 years ago when we decided that Jen wanted to go home and I had no problems with to moving to Australia, we decided to make the journey more ‘interesting’.

When Jen and I started to plan our trip we knew it had to fulfill certain criteria, it had to involve spectacular landscapes, a physical challenge and
contrasting cultures to our own. So the choice was obvious, we would cycle from Tierra Del Fuego to Lake Titticacca. The plan was simplicity itself, we would fly to South America and then cycle north and eventually fly onwards to Hobart.

However a brief bit of research showed that the airfares would be about 2,000 pounds EACH. Our minds began to whirl four grand is a lot of money we could use on a longer trip through developing countries, it was then I bought a book called ‘Asia overland’ and my brain went into overdrive, “we could go overland”. A cycling holiday in Iceland gave us the final (somewhat misplaced) confidence to decide to go overland by bike where possible or practical.

The route is fairly simple really. It had to begin in Edinburgh, probably at the top of Calton Hill (Arthurs Seat would have been better but have you ever tried to get a bike up that last bit?). Then (See Scotland map) down through the Borders to Newcastle in the North of England.

Then a ferry ride to Ijmuden in Holland down through Holland using the Dutch National Cyle Route 7a (the north to south one) to Maastricht. Across Belguim, to Luxembourg and then Northern France. Having passed through Northern France we would head for Basel in Switzerland. Picking up the Swiss national cycle network we would then head to Como in Italy then diagonally across Italy to Ancona where we would pick up a ferry to Turkey.

Arriving in Cesme (see Turkey map) we will head along the coast to Ephesus then head inland to Pamukkale and on to Konya and then Goreme in Cappadoccia. Then across Eastern Turkey to Lake Van and up to the border with Iran at Dogabayazit.

Entering Iran (see map) in the North west we aim to head south east through Tabriz, Zanjan, Qazvin and Tehran. Then onto Qom and Esfahan where we would store the bikes and fly north towards the Afghan border and the pilgrimage centre of Mashad and south to Shiraz and Persepolis, returning to Esfahan to collect the bikes. The route then heads to Yadz, Kerman, Zahedan and finally Bam. If we judge the border region to be safe we will cycle to Pakistan if not we’ll bus it across the Balluchistan desert to Quetta.

Pakistan will be a challenge as we may have to use the bus depending on politics and communal unrest in the area. Crossing the Balluchistan desert we are aiming for Quetta near Afghanistan, then traversing Pakistan to Lahore (the road may be a bit snowy by the time we get there). From there it is straight across to Amritsar, India.

Our route across India will be a quick hop across to Western Nepal, stopping in Dehli for Chinese visas and my medical for emigration to Australia (now that ought to be interesting).

Nepal will alllow us to have few weeeks Rest & Recuperation as the snow on the high passes to Tibet will still be too deep to cycle across. The Chinese
authorities require us to be part of a group of five people accompanied by an officially sanctioned guide. We would rather complete the journey to Lhasa on two wheels rather than four.

Ideally we could get a group of cyclist to cycle with us so forming our own ‘Tour De Tibet’ aiming to arrive in Lhasa around 15th of May (Just so happens to be my 40th Birthday “all welcome to the party”). We then have to detour 1000km north to Golmud as the Chinese will not allow us to use the most direct eastern route as it is ’sensitive’, anyone caught in this area is liable to be fined and may have their bikes taken away from them.

We decided that having to cycle at night dodging police and hiding in ditches would not be our idea of fun. We are basically aiming south east across China towards the Vietnamese border, then halfway down Vietnam to Hue. A turn to the west (our first) will take us to Laos and the Mekong River, if it is rainy seasaon (and it probably will be) we hope to take a river boat up the Mekong to Vientienne and then cyle down through Thailand and the Eastern coast of Malaysia to Singapore. Island hopping through Indonesia, will take us to Bali, where we will have to catch a plane to Darwin- the first time we will have to fly a section of our route (there being no boat..if you know different please get in contact asap).

From Darwin we head due south to Alice Springs and Ullaru (Ayers Rock) to Adelaide where we hope to enjoy a spell in the Penfold vineyards. Then along the Great Ocean Road towards Melbourne and the ferry to Tasmania. In Tasmania we aim to head along the east coast of Tas to Hobart. The ride will finish at the top of Mount Wellington (1270m) where we will pose shamelessly for photos and the head off to Knopwoods Retreat for a celebratory beer or two (dozen).

Day, Name, Distance (km)

1. Melorose 69
2. KeIlder Water 65
3. Morpeth 65
4. Rest day waItIng for ferry
5. North SheIlds (ferry) 40
6. Noorden 60
7. GorInchem 85
8. Day off
9. EInhoven 105
10. MaastrIcht 120
11. rest day
12. Stoumont (Liege) 93
13. Vielsalm 30 Jennys birthday
14. rest day
15. Grebbemacher 120
16. Morhange 120
17. Wasserlonne 90
18. Basel 150
19. VenIce by train
20. Cambridge
21. CambrIdge
22. CambrIdge
23. CambrIdge
24. Basel by traIn
25. Basel
26. Stusslingen (Aurau) 50
27. ? 60
28. Lucern (rest half day) 20
29. Goschen 70 (fIrst half Gottatd pass)
30. ? 50 (second half Gottard pass)
31. ? 30
32. Como 93
33. rest day
34. ? 96
35. ? 156
36. Ferrara 95
37. ServIa 130
38. rest day
39. CatolIca 70
40. SenegalIa 80
41. rest day
42. Anconna 30 (waItIng on ferry)
43. Ferry
44. Cesme (ferry)
45. SIgacik 77
46. Selcuk (Ephesus) 79
47. day off
48. day off
49. NazIllI 104
50. sick
51. sick
52. Pamukkale 89
53. DenkirI(?) 90
54. EgIrdIr 131
55. sIck
56. sIck
57. BESEHIR (130)
58. KONYA (91)
59. AKSARAY (148)
60. NEUSEHIR (73)
61. KAYSERI (80)
62. PINARBASI (106)
63. GURUN 102
64. KEPEZ 76
65. MALATYA (72)
66. ELAZIG 104
67. KARAKOCAN 95
68. AGACELI 75
69. MUS 75
70. TATVAN 75
71. MURADIYE 85
72. DOGUBAYAZIT 95
73. IRANIAN BORDER 35

Here’s the proposed timing through Iran:
This may change if we are not granted a new one month visa.
To just quick sprint through Iran taking less than a week. We will also need an extention
which I understand is easily available at present, but who knows by then….

Day Place

1. Dogubayazit (Turkey)
2. Maku
3. Tabriz
4. Khoy
5. Miyaneh
6. Zanjan
7. Ghazvin
8. Tehran
9. Tehran
10. Tehran
11. Qom
12. Qom
13. Kashan
14. Namtaz
15. Esfahan
16. Esfahan
17. Esfahan
18. Na’in
19. Yaz’d (store bikes)
20. Bus to Shiraz
21. Bus to Shiraz
22. Bus to Shiraz
23. Fly to Mashad
24. Mashad
25. Mashad
26. Mashad
27. Fly to Yadz (collect bikes)
28. Anar
29. Rafsanjan
30. Kerman
31. Mahan
32. Bam
33. cycling to Zahedan (desert)
34. cycling to Zahedan (desert)
35. cycling to Zahedan (desert)
36. Mirjave to the border.

To be added in will be approx. 5 or 6 rest days plus days for illness etc.