“ I was born at Lismore Base Hospital and we lived in town till I was 5 years old. We moved to Eltham where my parents bought a house. I lived there from the ages of 5 to 25 and it was a beautiful place to grow up. We had to make our own fun. My friends and I would beat the thistles down with sticks so Dad really liked us (laughs). It was an idyllic childhood running wild on acres. My Dad had a farm before Eltham too.
I bought my own house in Lismore Heights when I was 25. For 9 years I worked at the Linen service for NSW Health and 7 years ago I moved from there to Lismore Base where I still work as a Sterilisation Technician. I bought my home in 2015 before the house prices soared. I was very lucky to have been living with my folks so I could save. That was a massive help. I have a brother who’s 7 years older and 2 younger sisters. We are a very close bunch.
I’v always ridden bikes since I was a kid but got right into it in about 2016, more just to commute to work every day and I’ve never stopped riding to work. Through Covid I wanted to get out more because we were all in lockdown so I would take off on my bike for adventures.
I just completed the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, from the Indian ocean to the Pacific ocean, so from Fremantle in WA to the Sydney Opera House which is 5,500 kms. The race pays tribute to the Overlanders. There were guys who rode bicycles from Perth to Sydney to bring over the mail in the 1800s, which was faster than boat at the time. So now I’m called an Overlander because I completed that ride.
I’ve wanted to do it for a long time but I never had time and never thought I could accomplish it, I decided last year that I wanted to do it. One of my friends from the area races often and I asked him to coach me. We worked together for 6 months and got ready for the race which started on March 16 this year. I completed it in 22 days and 2 hours. It’s called a self supported event which means that everything I get, food, accommodation, everything has to be offered by a stranger and not by someone I know, or I have to buy it myself. You also have to carry everything yourself on your bike. Everyone follows the same route.
We leave Fremantle to Norseman, the start of the Nullarbor. I expected it to be quiet but the road trains and trucks were scary. Sadly one of my mates Chris Barker was hit and killed by a road train on this ride. It was his 6th time doing the race so he was very experienced. He had the best lights on his bike, high vis vest, everything. He was 20kms behind me. His nickname was Caveman. That was such a tragedy. Half of the 36 riders pulled out after that. Traditionally only half the riders make it, it’s such a hard race. Only 12 of us finished and one guy is still going now.
Everything is strapped to the bike so on my handle bars I have a sack made out of tarp material which I sleep in. If it’s raining I book a room in a roadhouse. On the Nullarbor, there are no towns but the stars are like nothing else. So very beautiful, lying under those stars. I miss that a lot actually. I saw heaps of snakes but they’re trying to get away from us. I didn’t get rain till I got to the East Coast. I was doing up to 300kms a day. My biggest day was 370kms. Most is pretty flat but I love hills and there were heaps of hills in the Snowy and the High country. I love it up there.
I don’t usually listen to podcasts or music, I just let my mind wander out there. When I’m working or at home I get a bit of anxiety but when I’m out there, it’s just freedom and I can let go. All I have to worry about on my bike is what I’m going to eat and where I’m going to sleep. I pretty much just eat carbs when I can. If I find a roadhouse I eat junk food cos they don’t have much else anyway. I just want fats and carbs to keep me going.
There’s a FB group that follows this race and they are called Dot Watchers so they can follow us on the race. So many people came out and met us on the trip. They come out and give us food or offer a room. It was so cool.
On the ride, 40 kms from Mt Gambier I was riding along and heard this little crying squeak. I turned and went back. It was a tiny kitten so I put it inside my jacket and carried it all the way into Mt Gambier. It was Good Friday so everything was shut. I put a post on the FB page and I had so many people wanting to help the kitten. I will find out what happened but I know it was going to be saved.”