Images of the World / World Bicycle Tour slide program

Rock Climbing

Images of the World
World Bicycle Tour
26 months / 22 countries
Slide Program

A multicultural four-continent biking and hiking adventure around the world.

From South Dakota we cycle the southwestern US and island hop across the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia. We spend our second year bicycling through Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Nepal. We sprint through the Mideast and Europe, then ride across the US in winter storms--our hardest riding.
"It remains the grandest of all our adventures. Neither of us ever once considered giving up."

Social Studies, Science, Geography, History, Art, Reading, Writing, Motivation, Health & Lifestyle

Fascinating cultures along with humor and adventure make this our most popular program.

Bruce and Tass in northern India cycling to the headwaters of the Ganges River.

14,000 miles / 13 tires / 42 flats

The day of our departure is the first time either of us ride a fully loaded touring bike.
We wobble across Wyoming.

Our first big stop is in the desert southwest at Moab, Utah to visit Arches National Park and Canyonlands. Then it is off to the Grand Canyon, which of course we hike to the bottom to see and explore.

Hawaii is famous for surfing and beautiful beaches.

We spent many days snorkeling. We carry our masks, fins and snorkels with us on our bikes all through the south Pacific, Australia, and into Indonesia.

The highlight of our time in Hawaii is seeing the eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Volcanoes National Park on the big island of Hawaii. From the moment we first see the eruption, we are determined to get a closer look!

More Kilauea volcano photos and stories.

On the Fijian island of Viti Levu we cycle for the first time on the left hand side of the road.

The countryside is rolling hills covered with sugarcane. The morning heat is suffocating but afternoons we ride in hard cooling rains. During our month on the island we survive two hurricanes.

A family invite us in for a meal. When they discover the next day will be Tass' birthday, they insist we stay and have a celebration.

They are Indo-Fijians, brought by the thousands from India to work British colonial sugar plantations in Fiji from 1879-1916. At one point nearly 40 percent of the island was Indo-Fijian. Those numbers are now declining due to emigration.

Tass is wearing the mother's silk wedding dress.

New Zealand is famous for the alps, a beautiful chain of mountains running the length of the South Island.

Here you can see the Fox Glacier, a huge river of ice, 1500 feet thick, descending down from the mountains almost to sea level.

We saw lots of wildlife including rare Yellow-Eyed penguins.

More New Zealand Photos!

We take two months to bike through the southwestern U.S., a month each in Hawaii and Fiji, and three months to explore New Zealand.

In most countries we stayed as long as our visas would allow. This section, through Australia and southeast Asia into northern India was the heart of our trip and took us 15 months.

A Gray Kangaroo mother and her Joey. There are 59 different species of kangaroos in Australia.

Australia is the world's smallest continent. The country is made of one large island and several smaller islands.

Uluru, formerly Ayers Rock, is in the center of the Australian Outback, a vast arrid desert region covering much of the continent.

Tass is covered with wild Rainbow Lorikeets who have flown in for a free meal at the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary.

At the end of our three months in Australia we have spotted and identified more than 230 different species of birds.

This young dancer is being carried in honor on a litter through the streets to the temple.

More Muslims live in Indonesia than any other country in the world.

Yet on the Indonesian island of Bali nearly everyone is Hindu.

We are in Bali during a huge celebration that has only occurred twice in 100 years to purify the earth.

These woman are bringing offerings of sculpted fruit to the temple. Entire towns were decorated with beautiful artwork made from food and flowers, the streets all lined with giant palm frond sculptures.

Java is the most populated island in Indonesia and home to the capitol, Jakarta.

We cross Java during the monsoon season. Most days it is warm and sunny in the morning and raining hard by early afternoon.

Indonesia is famous for all-night long shadow puppet performances.

Many of the stories are very old and teach morals and correct behavior. Newer productions even promote political parties.

Each puppet is made of beautifully painted leather. The audince never sees anything but the shadow.

The Indonesian island of Sumatra used to be covered in rainforest.

Today logging companies from around the world are a cutting trees. These are some of the most endangered rainforests in the world.

Since the terrible tsunami of 2004 there has been even more pressure to develope the natural resources in this part of Indonesia.

Sap dripping from a rubber tree into a small bowl.

A young orangutan climbs a tree in Gunung Leuser Nature Reserve.