On the 6th of April 2005, cousins Jamie Mackenzie and Ben Wylson set off on their bikes on a journey which will take them to over 50 countries and to every one of the worlds great continents, all without the use of an aeroplane.
Sunday, October 29, 2006: From the fwe office
Keep checking for our latest news, it's on the way. For the time being...
A Poem
Dear Mr. Branson,
Dear Mr. Gore,
Little scraps of paper on desk,
On floor.
Numbers, places, names, dates,
All scribbled and smudged,
In a blue black,
Mudge.
Upside down, on the wonk,
Addresses and numbers
We plonk.
Dirty mugs, cold half-drunk tea,
Breakfast crumbs, CDs, DVDs;
Memory sticks and cardboard cups,
Snack packs,
And stacks,
Of colourful,
Hats.
Tap-tap-tap,
Fingers fly over keys,
A pause for thought,
with jerking knee;
Countless words punched out and sent,
To Rod, to Jane,
Freddie and Kent...
With eyes a'bulge, streaked with red,
Pulsing vein snaked
Forehead,
We wait for that call to say,
It's alright boys,
You're on your way!
In other news
View our Frankie article on line..
http://www.frankie.com.au/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=39
Don't forget to befriend us at http://www.myspace.com/freewheelseast
Sunday, October 22, 2006: Titan Knog Gods
A positive vein of mental aptitude has been carved open with a surgeon's knife in our Fitzroy home. A gush of crimson activity flows from our fertile minds, passing down phone lines and internet lines in a frenzied blur of action. Pens & paper, ideas jotted on jotter pads; that pencil smell reminding me of school. It would seem now that all feelings of mud-stuckness have been washed clean away, an essence of condensed positivity remaining. We are the simmering sauce on the hob that has reduced to a low-boil of concentrated motivation.
From the Might of Rohloff, the Titans of Schwalbe and the Kings of Knog to the Gods of Goorin and Steve from Uni-Bicycles we have been gifted with the desire to continue, the means to continue, the will to continue.
In the back room work-shop of Uni-Bicycles, Steve has for a week slaved under yellow lamps over our precious black bikes until it became light outside. Hour after hour, hunched over double-butted metal, he's painstakingly taken on the challenge of returning the steeds to their former glory...perhaps better. A fresh oil change, new rear sprockets, new chains, cleaned and oiled cassettes, new cables, new mud guards, cable-ties, kick stands, bar-ends, tyres...the list is as expansive as is our immense gratitude for Steve and his skills.
So the bikes are done now but what of the remaining items on our four-pronged list of 'Objectives'? Well, our remaining energies, time and resources this week, have been poured into 'Shipping' and 'Sponsorship'.
Ships of any description, be it multi-purpose, cargo or freight, these days are an irksome nightmare to broach; that much, you may recall, we discovered during our Singapore adventure and at times we are made to feel like a ship without a rudder bobbing about in the ocean without a captain at the helm. Insurance reasons are the most commonly mooted cause for anxiety over our inclusion on the ship's crew listings while some, like Gabbi at CMA-CGM, just say "two words mate...no way!" And yet, while waiting for something to break at the bottom of this dry dock of investigation, there is hope to be found: how about, for example, crewing on a yacht! A common route across the Pacific would take us from Australia to New Zealand, on to Fiji, through French Polynesia to the Galapagos Islands, to Panama from where we could transfer to another vessel and continue on to Southern Argentina. Or, what about this; a luxury cruise. A sponsored voyage of several months at sea that would take us via Japan, Hawaii and San Francisco, before plunging South to the Cape...all realistic we find, at least in our minds and all to be fully explored in due time.
Our battle with financial matters continues but in recent days even this has been reduced. At long last we have struck a wee pot of gold. Stomp Fashion, suppliers of 'Goorin', a hat brand of highly-esteemed repute, have not only given us $1000 towards our continuation but also afforded us 18 assorted hats of varying design. We are thrilled with the advance and eager now for this rich run to continue.
We understand that in the past few months it may have been easy to lose sight of what FWE is all about...i.e. cycling around the world and that I find perfectly understandable. At times it is easy even for ourselves to get consumed by what we are doing right now, for the work we are embedded in to stop our heads and cause us to neglect the true spirit of what it was we set out to achieve in the first place, and yes, perhaps for a while we were guilty of this. We always knew that our stay in Australia would be like this, however; never for an instant did we let ourselves believe that it would be anything less than hard work. We always intended to earn money here, to plan for South America, to prepare for the challenges of the second year. It was always part of the plan, and without the kindness of the people we have surrounded ourselves with, it wouldn't have been possible and we wouldn't be in the position that we are in now, to be looking forwards into the bright new light of promise.
Cycling our bikes along the spine of the Andes, crossing the Atacama desert, passing through Columbia and central America...this is what our dreams are now filled with, this is what has loomed on the horizon and all of a sudden has presented itself as a very realistic and exciting immediate future.
Sunday, October 15, 2006: Kelly Joe
Oh my. What a phenomenal response to our Sunday Magazine article. Believe it or not freewheelseast.co.uk has had 70,000 hits so far this October. In FWE website history we've had 481,545 hits. We're approaching the half million mark. That's a lot of hits!! And to think, if each one of those people clicked onto a Google link below the sponsors' box on this page we'd probably have more than enough money to go on....
Although we have such a huge following there is still dismay as the elusive sponsor we so desperately seek fails to materialise. Surely there is someone out there who would love to take advantage of our immense popularity?
Poor old Jamie has been out of action too: his complaint, a viral throat infection, an affliction which totally put out his fires of energy. Us invalids loll around in a drug-pumped stupor scribbling ideas onto note pads getting ready for being well, being ready for action; perhaps that'll be tomorrow?
Over the past week there has been a lot of frustrating sitting around post-Ben's-op and therefore an absence of the usual self-promotional-drive. Book-selling has gone on hold, but thumbs have not twiddled idly; no, this week has not been entirely fruitless, for we have had many a breakthrough in thought.
Back-tracking a little; whilst still at St. Vincent's hospital floating on high doses of Tramadol, the recently-bed-ridden-Ben had an epiphany in his close-to-delirious state. Light bulbs flashed as a fool-proof idea for a future enterprise came to him. The details of his thought are so stupidly clever that we are unfortunately unable to disclose them at this time for fear of someone ripping them off. The next day at visiting time he proclaimed to Jamie as he scratched behind his ear with the end of his black pilot pen "It'll make us 20,000,000 a year by my calculations". Surrounded by flowers and little naughties brought to his bedside by well-wishers Ben looked up from his note pad, smiled and said, "I've really enjoyed being in hospital." It seems illness has done a wonderful job of sloshing FWE with clarity. This forced break from the the high stress of self-promotion and agonising uncertainty has got the pair back to their usual motivation-soaked selves.
It has been a week of rest and thought. Now it is time for action. Armed with a portfolio of our media clippings we will begin the final push to conquer the Pacific Ocean. Turning thoughts into reality will be the order of the week. Watch out! We are full of grit! Watch out, ye wealthy ones. Free Wheels East is a deadly redback about to bite!!
Kelly Joe Phelps
We contacted Kelly Joe's record company with an email. We said 'Free Wheels East does not have a budget for such luxuries as going to watch bands' and requested to be put onto the guest list for Saturday night's gig at the Northcote Social Club. Well, we got on the guestlist, watched and listened first to the haunting melodies of David Ross Macdonald and then to Kelly Joe. The Portland, Oregon musician's music, and I quote here from Kellyjoephelps.com is "smoky, lonesome, painful - yet somehow comforting. It lets you know that you are not alone - even when you're blue". I played his banjo. He hugged us and laughed with us. Kelly filled the little backstage room with presence. The three of us talked of the future and the past. "Mine's on a piece of paper," said Kelly. "It's all bullshit," was our wise conclusion.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006: FWE on myspace
http://www.myspace.com/freewheelseast
Make us your friend and enjoy our musical slideshow.
Saturday, October 07, 2006: emergency operation: surgery scare for brave team member
See below 'Tour' for our latest blog entitled 'operation'.
Tour
We are assuming that you are a Sunday Magazine reader?
If this is your first visit to www.freewheelseast.co.uk and you are wondering how you can help us continue east, we suggest you follow this simple step-by-step, make-the-most-out-of-your-visit-tour:
1. FWE news archives are to be found by order of month to the top left of your screen. We began documenting our expedition in January 2005. In April 2005 we started cycling east and arrived in Melbourne in early May 2006 where we began fundraising for the next FWE leg (Antarctica / South America), so you know where to click for stories of the road.
2. Put an image to the story by taking a look at our gallery.
3. If you would like to support our Charity, Practical Action, you can do that on line. Go to the Charity tab for more information.
4. You can make a donation and help us continue east too if you wish. Click on the make a donation button on this page and follow the instructions.
5. If you wish to sponsor or invest in us, send an email to info@freewheelseast.co.uk
6. If you know anyone with a ship going across the Pacific from Australia or going to Antarctica from Tierra Del Fuego, send an email to info@freewheelseast.co.uk
7. If you are in charge of a large website, link us.
Thank you for your help.
Ben Wylson and Jamie Mackenzie
Expedition Partners
An operation
Ben was discharged from hospital soon after lunch this very afternoon. What had started the same as any other day ended in emergency hospitalization and a one-hour operation under the surgeon's knife at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. Here's the story:
'Jamie, I think those Hot Thai noodles have, er...disagreed with my internals if you know what I mean!' said Ben shortly before snooze time late on Thursday night. 'Oh dear, oh dear...all those chilies I expect...anyway ta-ra, sleep well, old chap,' replied Jamie airily before skipping off to bed to read a few pages of 'Off The Rails'.
The following morning Jamie awoke to the pip-piping from the merry song birds that had gathered for a natter on the virginia creeper-covered electricity cables outside his window. A warm wind blew through the glass slats and it felt like another typically glorious Fitzroy day as he padded across the carpeted landing to Ben's room.
'Morning lad...and how are we feeling this cheery morning?' 'Not so good I'm afraid,' Ben croaked with a wince; 'the pain you see, it got worse through the night. Three times I got up to pay a visit to old Terry Toilet and all to no avail...I feel like a sausage machine with a blocked nozzle.' 'A sausage machine, eh! Well now, that's not a good sign...and where's the pain located?' said Jamie with concern for his stricken companion. 'Right here,' said Ben pointing a finger at his lower right stomach. 'Ah ha, the appendix area then,' Jamie surmised, stroking his chin and furrowing his brow that was smeared with ever-growing gobs of concern. 'Yes, that's right, the appendix area...that's just where it is.' Ben's face contorted with confusion. 'So, what on earth do you think it might be then?' 'Well I'm not a doctor, as you know, but perhaps...it's your appendix!' said Jamie. 'Great Scott!' Ben yelped. 'By Jove, you're right, old boy...how could I have missed the signs...it's obvious.'
The two brazen young men left the house and began the walk up Brunswick Street to the corner of Nicholson and Victoria Parade in the direction of St Vincent's Hospital. On the way they passed a 7-Eleven convenience store where Ben spied a young Paramedic on lunch break tucking into a Walnut-Whip. 'Hello there, young lad,' said Ben approaching the young medic who turned out to be a woman, 'I was wondering if you might be so kind as to help me with a small problem I seem to be encountering.' Ben went on to detail the symptoms to the girl in green and, as expected, was strongly encouraged to make haste to St Vincent's at the top of the hill.
The pains were coming thicker and faster now; more concentrated and sharper than before. 'Ohh eee, ohhh eee...' Ben uttered with each foot step as he edged courageously closer to the target destination. It didn't take the doctor, Dave, long to assess the situation and offer his professional conclusion: 'Mr Wylson, I suspect you have acute Appendicitis...we must prepare you for possible surgery immediately.'
'Give it to me like a man, I can take a little prick,' Ben championed through gritted teeth from his trolley bed as a needle was primed and clear fluid rose like a fountain from the two-inch slivver of pointy metal. Bloods were taken and an intravenous receptor applied. An hour later the results confirmed the suspicions and operating became inevitable. 'Mr Wylson,' said Dave dramatically like he was about to announce the end of the world, 'soon you are to fall beneath my knife...I am your surgeon.'
While Ben succumbed to his ordeal Jamie took the opportunity to do something he had long being dying to do. He went to see the much-hyped Picasso exhibition at the National Gallery. An exercise, you understand, designed entirely to take his mind off the horrors that were unfolding at St Vincent's. It worked a treat and he had a fantastic afternoon perusing the delightful art work and succeeding entirely in forgetting about the atrocities that his young cousin was being subjected to. Oh the power of the human mind!
When Jamie returned to the bedside of Ben shortly after squeezing in a quick Steak & Cheese Sandwhich, he was already sitting up in bed and talking. The operation to remove the angry appendix had been a thorough success. A little lighter and a lot balder, but still the same old Ben!
Gretchen swung by in her sister Sarah's car late in the evening and together with Jamie, did a grando job of attending to the invalid's needs and desires. The nurses were fantastically kind throughout their ordeal and a large slice of gratitude must go out to them for their perseverance and warmth.
'I'm going to miss it here,' Ben said this bright Saturday afternoon having been awarded his freedom, discharge papers and an arsenal of tablets. 'How wonderful everyone has been...ah dear...anyway, come on then, let's go home.'
In truth, the entire two days were something of a surreal shock to us and we're both just happy and glad that it didn't happen when we were in Patagonia, Antarctica or climbing a pass in the Andes. It was, I suppose, a blessing that it happened when it did and, all jokes aside, a rather nasty experience for Ben and co. Still, it adds to the story, provides yet another meander in the snaking time-line of this expedition and will doubtlessly provide for some rather entertaining bar converstaion.
Free Wheels East are now back in Fitzroy in a new secret location near Brunswick Street. We're staying with the charming and beautiful Kelly, another FWE legend who will live and dance forever in our fondest memories. Here, at Kelly's wonderful home, we shall remain until the start of November whereupon we will depart this city/home of ours and relocate to Sydney; the gateway to the beginning of phase 2!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006: stale progression
What is there to report? Sometimes we are concerned that we are boring you folk with our stories of Melbourne. We arrived here over 5 months ago now. A few of you must be wondering when we are going to get moving again? Five months is almost a third of our trip. On the 6th of October we will have used exactly half of our scheduled three-year time allocation to complete our journey; that is to say, we are about to cross the half-way-home point, which sounds preposterous seeing as we are still no closer to getting away from our book-selling at the burgundy bench on Brunswick Street.
Our lack of easterly motion is as frustrating for us as it must be for you. FWE is not about city living. We have a hunger for the wilderness which grows by the day. There was a time not so long ago when life was as simple as needing shelter, food and water. Staying in one place for so long has begun to get complicated. We are beginning to be recognised in cafes and on the street. "Haven't you gone yet?" they say, or "Hey, aren't you the cycling guys?" Our stories are told and re-told. Like a song on never-ending repeat, you know the words better and better with each listening, all the time becoming a little bit more sick of it.
If we dare to imagine ourselves on a ship sailing across the Pacific Ocean a pulse of electricity shoots along the spine. Oh, to get back to the way it is meant to be; oh to escape the flickering computer screens, the bench splattered freshly with bum vomit, the dark trapping walls and the frequent obtrusive interruptions of the mobile phone. How we long for escape from the ways of the modern city.
A solid group of goodly friends -predominantly New Zealanders- whom we've made though the selling of the FWE publication part one, are still helping us with our accommodation. We have stayed in East Brunswick and in Perhan, on High street and on Malvern Road.. yes, we have ventured south of the river.... Thank you to our hosts and hostesses of the last few weeks, Sarah and Gretchen, Maurisa, Pipes, Mattie, Nick, Hutch and Jess for helping us on our quest for continuation. Tomorrow we move back towards Brunswick Street to stay with Kelly in Fitzroy. It's back to our neck of the woods!
In how many hundreds of rooms have we slept? On how many squares of grass? How many people have helped us now? Thousands, literally thousands. We've slept on a ship, in a warehouse, in a wendy house, in tents, under the stars, on trains and in cars. We thrive on uncertainty, happy to know that there is no knowing what tomorrow could bring. When will sponsorship come? When will we find our vessel to take us to Antarctica? Who knows.
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