The South Coast Tour is Underway! Well the funky little band of 8 Oteshalings (Alice, Ania, Tony, Mat, Kelly, Tim, Marieke and Rachael) is now off on their merry sustainable way cycling their little hearts, minds and legs from Melbourne to Sydney –They have already been to lots of schools as well as performing the skit for the first time at The Sustainable Living Festival on the River Stage! They have already performed and presented workshops to almost 500 students, and they are only about 3 weeks into the 8 week tour! They are all so excited and positive about inspiring as many of the youth (and grown ups!) they meet along the way that they can!   Check out the travel blog to stay up to date with their amazing adventures – http://www.otesha.org.au/biketours/2010/southcoast-tour-crew/blog/finally-we-get-blogging   On Route Support Support Otesha on the Road! Hugs and Thank-you’s! Other Important Thankyous Melbourne Workshops Program Human Powered Cycles     On Route Support Planning the tour we have made some really wonderful contacts who have been so generous in donating their time, food and backyards. And having said that there are so many ways that you too can help support us and the 2010 crew! That’s so ace!!   We are still seeking people and groups to connect with on route, to add to the experience of sharing with rural communities, and to support us in media coverage, local food donations and accommodation. We would love to hear from you If you have any contacts for the South Coast route or even see you if you would like to meet us along the way, this is our itinerary and you can contact Rachael on 0403 251 854 or Matt on 0413 497 493 to hopefully meet up:  

Upper Yarra

Saturday 20th Feburary

Neerim South

Tuesday 23rd February

Trafalgar

Thursday 25th Feburary

Traralgon

Saturday 27th February

Maffra

Tuesday 2nd March

Bairnsdale

Thursday 4th March

Nowa Nowa

Saturday 6th March

Marlo

Monday 8th March

Cann River

Wednesday 10th March

Mallacoota

Thirsday 11th March

Eden

Saturday 13th March

Bega

Monday 15th March

Bermagui

Wednesday 17th March

Narooma

Sunday 21st March

Moruya

Tuesday 23rd March

Broulee

Thursday 25th March

Ulladullah

Saturday 27th Match

Nowra

Tuesday 30th March

Moss Vale

Thursday 1st April

Oakdale

Saturday 3rd April

Sydney

Tuesday 6th April

  Support Otesha on the Road! It’s with the support from people like you that allows us to keep going. With the upcoming tour and our post tour follow-up program, we need to raise funds. We are very pleased with the donations that keep coming through. To date, we have raised a spectacular $2382.00!! This is some way to achieving our goal of $10,000 for each tour. So, if you have the opportunity to donate, even a small amount, please see our website or get in contact with us. Remember that every little bit helps Otesha stay on the road! Email - info@otesha.org.au web – www.otesha.org.au   Big Hugs and Thank-you’s! Our training week went by so quickly and seamlessly, to get the crew ready and raring to go! But we couldn’t have done it without the wonderful support of a select few –

• Thornbury Uniting Church – for generously providing our wonderful sleeping, rehearsing and cooking space! Felt just like home!
• The Kilbride Centre – for kindly providing our wonderfully scenic beach side training space
• Northcote Uniting Church – for generously providing us with a beautiful courtyard setting for our pancake breakfast tour launch
• Safety Dylan – for all his words of wisdom and for always being there on our shoulders to help us with our important decisions!
• Bill and the team at Human Powered for all their greasing, pumping, checking and cleaning of our bikes for the tour as well as the many jars of home grown honey for our pancakes and cups of chai!
• All the businesses who generously donated yummy food to keep us going breakfast, lunch and dinner! These include – Paul Smith at Ripe Organic, Austin at Brumbys Albert Park, Barbara at Browns Bakery, and Foodworks in Northcote. 
• The Otesha Crew and vollies – new and old, for their cooking, cleaning, motivation, tour knowledge and all the time spent with us helping us on our way.

  Other Important Thankyous The Gippsland Regional Management Group (GRMG) for a very generous donation towards the tour, for their support in our project and for their wonderful work in promoting and engaging council, community, government leaders and business in adopting sustainable waste and management processes. It’s groups like this provide great inspiration and hope for the future. Thankyou GRMG J If you are in the Gippsland region, we would really recommend connecting with this wonderful crew. http://www.grwmg.vic.gov.au/   A big thank-you for your help and hospitality to both Kristen The Unconventional Cellist and Andy The Mechanichist - who both spent an entire weekend in December helping our Otesha Tour Crew build a sustainable bike trailer! That’s right – our new little tour buddy consists of recycled parts from an old exercise bike, pre-loved bike, lawn mower, as well as the first recycled trailer that Andy ever made! The only new parts on our new little friend are the two wheels! Check out his (H)Andy work at www.mechanarchy.com.au and while you do that have a listen to the wonderful sounds of the unconventional cello www.unconventionalcellist.com.au   Melbourne Sustainability Workshop program- update Schools back and that means our Melbourne Sustainability Workshop program is also back in action reaching out to Melbourne schools. Just because your school is not along the tour route, doesn’t mean you will miss out!! Anna Haygreen the program coordinator, and our amazing vollie presenter crew are super keen to get out to as many schools in Melbourne as they can to deliver our sustainable workshops this year.   If you have any teacher contacts or are a teacher yourself looking for sustainable inspiration Melbourne we would be very appreciative to hear from you! Also if you are feeling inspired and are interested in having lots of fun, educating the next generation of eco warriors by delivering the workshops please contact Anna at: vicworkshops@otesha.org.au    A special Human Powered deal for Otesha members and supporters…

And if you have made it this far you get to read all about how much we love Human Powered Cycles. Our great mechanically minded friends have been at it again, helping us to get on the road! Not only that, they are being extremely generous to Otesha members, and want to help everyone get on the road! Otesha members get a free water bottle and cage mounted to your bike when you bring your bike in for service before the end of March. Plus receive 10% off the parts used in the service. Wow! That is so generous – so be quick to book your bike service guys! – www.humanpowered.com.au

 Thanks to you all for your support for Otesha! Keeping you posted!! Peace, smiles and sustainability in action.