The thought of riding a push bike 1200km from Port Macquarie to Melbourne might sound daunting on any other day but for John Clarke, Aaron Turner, Daniel Seehusen and Tim Holman, it’s a walk in the park.
Arriving in Port Macquarie last week, the quartet had already covered 23,000km over 27 countries and 11 time zones, all to raise funds and awareness for the fight against child trafficing.
Their journey started from London, riding across Europe to Istanbul, then down through Iran, up Pakistan, through India, Nepal and Bangladesh, heading South through China and South East Asia towards Singapore, cycling across Indonesia, flying from Bali to Darwin and now travelling south down the East Coast of Australia towards Melbourne.
“Working very hard in the heat and wind from Darwin to the East Coast and finally seeing the beach would have to be the highlight of my trip so far,” said Turner.
Whilst in Port Macquarie, the four swapped their two wheels for legs and completed the scenic coastal walk from Town to Lighthouse Beach. Seehusen, who has had 55 punctures and two broken chains since leaving London said, “To stop and walk Port Macquarie’s beautiful coastline is the best form of relaxation after a hard day in the saddle.
“We were having a few beers at Oktoberfest when I mentioned the idea of riding from London back to Australia, said Clarke.
“Before I knew it, we were drinking a toast and, on April 30, 2011, we left London for home.
“Each day, there are children all over the world being tricked, forced and sold into slavery, hazardous labour, combat and prostitution.
“Millions end up in brothels, factories, sweatshops and private homes. We don’t see them or hear their suffering, so hopefully we can be their voice, spreading the message along the way.”
“It would be great if people search Ride2Rescue on Facebook and LIKE us,” said Clark. “From Port Macquarie, we are riding south to Newcastle, Sydney and then following the coast to Melbourne.”
You can also view more details of their journey at Ride2Rescue.org
Story: Darrell Nash
