Now that the formalities are done...

Now that I have gotten all of the formalities out of the way, in the form of the necessary and appropriate thanks, it's time to move on to more of the pictures and tales of the visit.

Melbourne;
Steve Paraskevas was a wonderful host for my entire stay in Melbourne. From the food, the coffee, the riding and then the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix. I had a blast in Melbourne!

(A few blocks from the hotel in Melbourne, before heading off to the Grand Prix.)



(This is what Formula One cars sound like... since you only get to see them for a fraction of a second, it's really more about the sound.)

Sydney;
Sydney was very impressive as well. Shortly after arriving in Sydney, Steve Davidson took me out for coffee... good on ya mate! AND... to top it all off- we had coffee at Krispy Kreme! I couldn't belive that there was a Krispy Kreme just outside the airport in Sydney. I almost shed a tear. God bless you Steve Davidson.

(As you can see, the view from my hotel room- overlooking the bay at Brighton Beach, left a lot to be desired. I really should have refused to pay.)

(Steve also took me to lunch at Bondi Beach for the best fish-n-chips I'd ever eaten. )

(Here's a sunset I caught on my way back to the hotel one evening... kinda nice isn't it? )

(Does your track have a fleet of dernies?)

Brisbane;
Brisbane was my final stop on the whirlwind tour of Autralia. Brisbane was the warmest and most humid of the cities I visited. However, it was probably almost the most like the US. Brisbane kid of reminded me of San Francisco blended with a Southern California beach town.

(This really cool cathedral was directly across the street from my hotel.)

(A row of Masi bikes... the kind of thing to make a Brand Manager's heart skip a beat. Nick at Bike Force Kedron knows how to make a fella feel good- he was a former pub owner after all.)

I'm going to bed now before I pass out. More pic's and tales will follow.

Tim