Day 2: Carleton Place to Perth

Today was notable for being an easy day. A totally easy 40kms along country roads in the blazing hot sun fueled by pedal power alone. Can you tell that the person not riding the bike is writing this?

Andrew and Max set off from Carleton Place feeling strong, and blazed through our prospective lunch destination way ahead of schedule. This bold move threw the support team into chaos, but thanks to a cluster of handy mapping tools we have at our disposal, we were able to rejig our plans and catch up with the riders at a point further down the road.

We chose what looked like a shady and picturesque roadside spot for lunch, and cheerfully set up camp chairs in preparation for a relaxed bite to eat. Instead it turned out to be a mosquito-infested patch of land that forced us to wolf down our ham and cheese rolls at breakneck speed and get back on the road.

A short while later, heralded by the soothing tones of Max’s new kazoo, the Bakfiets rolled into the beautiful heritage town of Perth. No media frenzy today, but instead a magnificent park, a well-stocked ice cream shop and a gorgeous sunny afternoon to enjoy them both.

Tomorrow looks to be a harder day – for the riders at least – so stay tuned for what day three of Max’s Big Ride will bring.