Rosie Fraser
Name: Rosie Fraser
Occupation: Part time radiographer/ aqua aerobics
instructor (in SheSpoke clothing)
I'd love to meet: You Liz, as I admire what you are doing.
When and why did you become interested in cycling? In 1976 in Sydney, in a rut so bought a bike and d cycled with a friend to Adelaide. It was out last big bid ever to be thin. Then took up racing to meet men!!!
What do you think you get out of cycling? Fun, fitness and friendship
On average how many kilometres do you ride a week and with whom?100kms commuting/social Sundays
Describe you most memorable ride? New Zealand, bottom to top in 2005
Give us a description of a ride you would rather forget? Goomeri to Gayndah to Goomeri, in 43 degree C heat and 106 kms each day
What is your favourite post cycle beverage? Champagne
What is your favourite cycle energy food? Cereal bars, coffee and champagne
How do you cope with cold winter mornings? Rug up and look like the Michelin Man!
Is there anything that can be done to improve the on road relationship between cyclists and motorists? Always wear bright/reflective clothing. (BE SEEN). Give them a wave and not a finger.
What advice can you give those who are thinking of taking up cycling? Get correctly fitted for a bicycle to suit your needs.
Experience has taught me that: I must make things happen!
Who inspires you the most? Roy, my husband - usually!!
What is your life/cycle philosophy? Life is not a rehearsal
I often daydream about: Cycling from Dublin to Ankara
When you are not cycling you are: Planning the next trip
When all else fails: Open another bottle!
Five weeks in paradise, in the saddle!
Whilst we have travelled extensively over many years, the one adventure
that stands out in our minds were in July/August of 2005.
As my husband Roy was turning 75 years old in September of that year, we decided that to mark the occasion we should undertake a long distance cycling trip from the bottom to the top of New Zealand. If you go that way no one can say it is down hill all the way!
We planned to complete the journey in five weeks and finish up back in Auckland where we would stay with my brother-in-law and celebrate Roy's 75th birthday with him and the rest of his wife's family - really great party people.
On July 28th we flew from Brisbane to Dunedin, taking only our bicycles and what we could carry in our panniers. The next day was spent getting our cycles and panniers loaded and us ready. The next morning we left Bluff Point at sunrise, temperature minus 5C. As it was winter and the inland passes where not always open, we went up the east coast and arrived in Christchurch a week later.
Backpacker lodges were our preferred stays and the many young people we met considered us 'awesome'. They could not believe we 'oldies' were actually able to do what we were doing.
In Christchurch we met up with two of our hometown cycling friends who had flown over to meet us, and we spent the next few days travelling with them up the scenic east coast and ended up sampling wines from several of the famous Marlborough vineyards during the following weekend. Our friends flew back with excess luggage of bikes and Sauvignon Blanc.
Roy and I crossed over to Wellington by ferry and continued our journey north averaging 80 kilometres each day until we finally reached our ultimate destination, Cape Reinga, on September 2nd. The weather had been kind to us and we experienced rain on only three of the days, even then only for part of the day.
We then travelled back to Auckland by bus, held the 75th birthday bash on September 4 and we flew back to Australia the next week. Our cycle computer showed that we had cycled 2235 kilometres and climbed just over a 16 kilometres in accumulated vertical height, during the five weeks we had been on our cycles.
Our next challenge, which we are now already planning, is to cycle across the USA in 2010, going from west to east and then to celebrate Roy's 80th birthday with his youngest sister who now lives in Florida .