Perth2Darwin

April - July 2003, 6300km in 112 days

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.

T E Lawrence

• Introduction
• Perth2Darwin Itinerary
• Trip updates: Carnarvon (29 April), Broome (23 May), Drysdale River (30 June), Bungle Bungles (7 July), Daly River (21 July), Trip complete (7 August)

Introduction

City2City is a series of seven journeys totalling some 25 000km that Huw Kingston is making between Australian capital cities following the wildest, most remote routes and using only human powered transport - mountain biking, sea and river kayaking, cross-country skiing and walking.

It was during Huw's Sydney2Brisbane journey that he heard the news that his friend and fellow mountain biker - Sean Fitzgerald - had broken his neck in a cycling accident and become a quadriplegic. "I was battling my way through the mud and rains of northern NSW in the winter of 2000 when news reached me of Sean's accident", Huw said. "It was a simple accident with devastating results."

4 Wheels 4 Sean is Huw's brainchild - starting with an idea to help Sean get independent transport and ability to rejoin the mountain bike community at Polaris and other events - and evolving into a charity to help Australians in financial need because of a severe disability acquired whilst cycling.

From April to August 2003, Huw will set off on his 6th City2City journey, to travel some 6000km from Perth2Darwin through some of the most remote walking, riding and paddling country in Australia.

"4Wheels4Sean has already raised close to $50 000 and I want to see this grow as I move from Perth2Darwin this year. Late in this journey, I will pass the site in Litchfield National Park south of Darwin where Sean's life changed forever, and by then I hope to have raised a good amount for 4 Wheels 4 Sean.

"I've been amazed by the way in which Sean has adapted to such a different life after his injury." Huw said. "Your donation will help improve the lives of Sean and others like him who are disabled as a result of cycling accidents."

Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.

City2City to Date

• Perth2Adelaide: March-July 2001, 6030km in 111 days
• Sydney2Brisbane: May-July 2000, 1850km in 49 days
• Brisbane2Darwin: June-October 1999, 5800km in 105 days
• Melbourne2Adelaide: October-November 1998, 1940km in 45 days
• Melbourne2Sydney: August-October 1997, 1500km in 52 days
• Total so far: 17 120km in 362 days

Perth2Darwin Itinerary

Trip update: Carnarvon (29 April)

It warms the cockles of a Welsh boy's heart to arrive in Carnarvon 1000km north of Perth. A bit different to the Carnarvon in North Wales except they're both on the coast!

So 3 weeks out of Perth which I Ieft on 9th April. Starting to get in the rhythm of the journey now althogh it was a little stuttered to begin with. Wendy and I arrived in Perth, me still trying to get my back into some sort of order after having put it out 10 days before. I didn't think I'd make it to the start line! Luckily the friends we were staying with in Perth included Jocelyn, one of Perth's finest sports physios. She gave me some magical treatments and that in combination with mind over matter had me riding away from the Bell Tower (where I'd left from en route to Adelaide 2 years earlier) accompanied by Mike who took me on a tour of the backstreets 15km to Cottesloe Beach. It was a gorgeous blue sky and sea day and I was looking forward to getting on the water. We unloaded the sea kayak at the surf club and I changed out of bike knicks into paddle shorts. And West Australian sensibilities caught me out 'I have to give you an official warning for exposing yourself on the beach' said the lifeguard. 'I've had a complaint from some old people on the promenade'. We all laughed and I headed north - 6000km to go.

Within 1km the dolphins were with me, and the day passed paddling up the coastal sprawl that is every Australian city. One final night at Burns Beach with Wendy; that horrible saying goodbye on the following morning knowing we won't see each other for nearly 4 months.

Another good day before the storm hit - 70/80km winds for 2 days. So Two Days for me at Two Rocks, a cray fishing port and marina featuring what must be the ugliest shopping centre in WA. All built by that Alan Bond fellow, who entertained ideas of originally defending the America's Cup at Two Rocks. It was frustrating to be grounded so early on on the trip. I took shelter in the Sea Rescue building after the tent was flattened.

With Mike and Jon meeting me on the 14th, I was not going to get as far as Cervantes, so aimed for Lancelin and had a good few days paddle up to there between lonely narrow beaches and rocky reefs offshore. Not having originally planned to ride from Lancelin to Cervantes I had no decent maps but was determined to fnd a route thru the dunes to pass the famous Pinnacles. The local tourist office was not much use just telling me twice to let down my tyres and that there was no fuel along the way, despite me telling her twice I was on a bike not a 4wd!! I wanted to avoid the worst of the beach and dune riding (pushing?) so decided to keep taking tracks and wheel ruts that headed north, not west. This sort of worked but after 9 hours I sort of knew where I was but...

A night camped with the worst ticks ever - spent most of the night pulling at least 80 off my body. The following morning tracks ran out onto paddocks and eventually to an abandoned homestead (luckily with water). I was where I sort of thought and had actually missed the Pinnacles and Cervantes sort of altogether!

Once on the blacktop I had 700km of increasingly desperately boring road to ride. There was little option on this section of the journey than to stick to the main roads, stick the head down and go. As far as Dongara along the coast was fine but from there to Geraldton and on north was just flat and uninspiring. An interesting thought though. Riding thru a desert on a dirt track with no traffic has great pleasures - the silence, the feeling of space and loneliness. Add traffic, tarmac and flavoured milk every 100km and it just becomes a grind. Today counting 47 VB cans, 38 Coke bottles, 12 Harvey Norman Electrical catalogues, 3 Hustler magazines (yeah the reading matter on Australia's highways is pretty average!). I was covering 125km or so a day and at least meeting some good folks, many of whom had heard of the trip and the 4Wheels4Sean fundraising from radio/newspaper pieces. Some good donations along the way.

The days were averaging 30 degrees plus and it only ever rained when I didn't put the fly on the tent. It was a relief to ride into Denham and get ready for the paddle through the Shark Bay World Heritage area over to Carnarvon. Helen and Stewart had transported my kayak and gear to Denham where they were holidaying. Despite most West Australian's love affair with the ocean (I'm sure fishing is on the school curriculum right up there with maths and science) they are all convinced that we're about to be eaten or bitten by sharks, sea snakes, cone shells, stonefish and, further north, crocs. Despite the paucity of actual attacks they all seem to have evidence and where possible try and relate that to kayaks! The 5 day, 190km paddle was great - firstly up and around Cape Peron before a 45km open crossing to the Mainland. For the most part the waters are very shallow - if you fancied a break you could just climb out and stand next to your kayak (if you dared!). Turtles, dugongs, dolphins were around but no large sharks I'm sorry to report. >From Cape Peron to Carnarvon I saw no-one and for the last couple of days had the 20knot wind up my back making for great paddling downwind.

Getting into Carnarvon harbour was probably the lumpiest seas of the trip. Arrived here on Sunday afternoon to be greeted by Lee; local hospital radiographer, kayaker and Guinness afficionado. These trips rely so much on local assistance and Lee was another to step up to the plate, right down to organizing flowing Guinness for 2 days, free meals at the local pub and great hospitality. A day organizing gear (and freighting the kayak to Broome which must go south 1000km to Perth before heading north again!).

Now it's time to head inland to see some hills; ride up the Gascoyne River and pick my way thru to Mt Augustus (supposedly the biggest rock in the world - eat your heart out Ayers Rock) and into the mighty gorge country of the Hamersley Ranges to start walking. Looking forward to it!

Trip update: Broome (23 May)

And greetings from Broome, the old pearling town and now tourism pearl on the far NW coast of Western Australia. I arrived here, in the rain (first on the bike since Perth!) a few days ago. There's much to see but the days have passed in a blur of supermarket aisles, list making, Guiness/Iced Coffee and general organisation. Wayne has now joined me and as this is the last town we see before Darwin in two months' time we've had to organise all the food stashes between here and there.

So I'm six weeks and 3000km from Perth and 2000km since my last update from Carnarvon. In that time I've traversed the spectacular country of the Pilbara - ridges and mountains rising from vast riverbeds. I spent a few days following the deep gorges of the Karajini National Park in the Hamersley Ranges. This involved sections of swimming down narrow gorges and some surprising water jumps. I'd tried to get information on the area but it was hard to come by. Throwing your pack over a five metre waterfall you couldn't see the bottom of then following it yourself knowing there was no way to reverse the route had the heart jumping! Luckily there and on the next one, the water was deep enough to cushion the fall.

It was good to be out on lonely dirt tracks with the bike, sometimes seeing no other cars for a day, sometimes one or two. I was welcomed into occasional homesteads to spend the night and collect water. Water has not been too much of a problem once you find out where the bores are and for the most part the bore water has been pretty good. I was keen to reach Broome on time and realised I'd left myself a bit short of days. So many days were nine hours or so in the saddle and most days over 100km on the dirt. For the few out on the vast Pilbara properties, time was less of an issue. One guy I stayed with had recently driven the 250km to his 'local' pub to enjoy the Sunday session, only to discover it was Thursday when he got there! Of course there's the exception to the rule - I planned to arrive at one homestead that had set up as a bit of a campground/small store, so I could resupply. Sixteen km away I came to a sign advertising the fact and informing me it was open Sunday to Friday, closed Saturday without exception. What day did I arrive? Saturday of course! They were Seventh Day Adventists!

The sounds and smells of the vast open spaces - dingos howling thru the night, spinifex giving off an aroma of cannabis of all things early in the morning and some other plant smelling like freshly ironed clothing (honestly)!

As you know I'm using this journey to raise funds for 4Wheels4Sean. I have to tell you of one particular donation. Eric, the 7 year old son of the owner of the Gascoyne Junction Hotel, bounded out when I arrived to check out my bike and to find out where I was going and what I was doing it for. After a while he disappeared and came back some time later and handed me a $5 note. I assumed this was from his parents. But no, he told me that it was his birthday the following day and he'd been given the $5 as a present from a relative and wanted me to use it to help disabled cyclists. What a gorgeous kid!

From Broome starts some pretty wild parts of the journey. Firstly into the Kimberley and starting this weekend a month long paddle along some of the most interesting and isolated coast. Wayne and I are approaching this with excitement and trepidation in equal measure, knowing it will take time to come to terms with the massive tidal flows that affect where and when we can paddle and also hoping the large lizards will leave us alone! Apart from the odd boat and a couple of pearl farms we'll be out of touch for a month or so. No idea where or when I'll get access to a computer again after that.

Hope you're all doing well.

Trip update: Drysdale River (30 June)

Geez the legs are aching back on the bike after a month sitting in the kayak following what has to be one of the most special stretches of coast in the world. Only a few minutes on this computer (a rarity round here) at Drysdale River Station, in from Mitchell Falls so I'll keep it shortish.

A month since Broome and Wayne and I are still talking. Plenty to talk about too, but running out of superlatives. We handled the road to Cape Leveque OK despite everyone in Broome telling us it was 'the worst road in Oz' (far from it).

Then onto the water. We had enough to worry about without starting the paddle into a 30 knot headwind with tides heading towards springs. Then the next day moving at 18km/hr hardly paddling (as a guide your average paddling speed might be 6km/hr) gave some idea of the strength of the tidal streams to deal with. Then storm and rain gave us a baptism of Kimberley fire. Then things settled down and we got a handle on it all and spent a month in sea kayaking paradise - which island shall we have tonight? How much fish do we want (mmm I jest - we were troubled by the fishing!), what unbelievable rock scenery do we want today? Apart from a couple of pearl farms and three or four boats we saw no-one else for the month. No point trying to say much here other than it will certainly rank as one of the highlights of over 20 000km of City2City travel so far.

So today is Day 80 - '80 days around WA' - 3/4 of the way to Darwin, should be there end July/early August. Another ten days on the bike then into the Bungle Bungles to walk just about to the Northern Territory border.

Gotta go, the corrugations are calling!!

Trip update: Bungle Bungles (7 July)

A slightly more relaxed, less rushed update coming to you courtesy of the ranger station at Purnululu National Park, the home of the Bungle Bungles and, as from a week ago, now inscribed on the list of World Heritage sights (Australia's 15th). Just across the park lies the Northern Territory border, so a few days of walking/dragging/riding/pushing/carrying the mountain bike (and BOB Trailers) should see Wayne and I out of Western Australia.

Let's get back to kayaking along the Kimberley coast. Our heads are still full of the paddling experience, even though we've been off the water for two weeks now. The paddle certainly baptised us with fire. On day 3 we were sitting on an island in the middle of Sunday Strait, known as the area with the strongest tidal flows on the Australian coast. The wind was howling and all around us the sea was a patchwork of whitewater rapids, swirling whirlpools, whitecaps. It was an awesome sight. The tides were moving towards the springs (the next few days would see an increase in power). That afternoon we got lucky with a window of opportunity to go before the tides turned against us, the wind dropped and we finally got across Sunday Strait.

Over the coming days we started to get a handle of the tides, picking when we could go and when we had to wait. Indeed it was a feature of our jouney that we 'went with the flow' and we came to enojy the enofrced relaxation. Some days we might not leave until lunchtime, others we'd be away at dawn and finished by late morning. Others we'd paddle for eight hours or more. And whenever we thought we'd got the measure of things, the Kimberley would throw us a curly one. Like paddling out of a feature called the Drain near Koolan Isalnd. We timed our run to perfection and were busy congratulating each other, when we found ourselves being swept backwards at a great rate of knots. Only 30mins of shoulder killing mad paddling pulled us back out of the flow. Or on the last week or so, thinking we could predict things ('Well Wayne, there may be some dangers in the Kimberley but generally they're predictable - the tidal streams, the fact that the wind gets up in the morning but always dies in the afternoon.....'). The wind howled night and day. On my 40th birthday I celebrated with a tent full of sand - the insect mesh had sieved the sand, depositing a cm of the finest sand on us as we slept (or tried to). Big seas crashed against the rocks of Cape Voltaire and waves rose from nowhere on unseen reefs.

Not a bad place for middle age to set in. Wayne had even carried a couple of cans of Guinness in for the occasion. This followed a half dozen bottles of Crown lager handed over in a bag of ice by a cruise boat the previous evening.

Every corner offered another scene, every night a perfect beach to camp on. Water was always an issue, even more so because of the particularly poor wet season earlier in the year. We were less inclined to poke up mangrove lined creeks for fear of too many encounters with the snapping handbags. But we could carry four or five days at a time, and got water from the odd spring or pearl farm. Fishing was another issue. We'd been led to believe that dangling a bare hook in the waters would net us a fine feed every night. The comment made to me once of 'if you can't catch fish in the Kimberley you shouldn't be there' kept ringing in my ear as our haul was less than bountiful. Trailing a lure, I'd either pull in tiny morsels or some monster would grab the line, tow me backwards then snap the line. We'd envisaged gorging on fish every night. The reality was nibbling every few days.

We bumped into Malcolm Douglas over a number of days (the only boat we saw in the one week) and he came to the rescue on a few ocassions (Malcolm runs a croc farm in Broome but is well known for his documentaries on the Kimberley). He was out doing some filming. The first night we were camped on a beach when they came by. Our fishing had failed us that afternoon. I watched as they threw a line into the water twice and both times came up with good sized fish. Bastards! If you can't catch 'em, eat someones else's - so we joined them for dinner, then the following morning went out on the boat while they caught us some for lunch! Malcolm provided some can't fail lures too. They didn't - they're the ones that nearly capsized my kayak! Malcolm also put a water drop in for us further down the coast, but the best bit of luck was the film. One morning, on another island paradise, I was bemoaning to Wayne that I was going to run out of slide film - the Kimberley was fast chewing up my supply. Half and hour later, Malcolm's boat came onto our beach. 'Anything you guys need today?'. 'Yeah some slide film would be good' I replied, totally unexpectinlgy. 'What sort do you use?' came the reply. 'Geez, I don't care but I normally use Velvia' 'Sure, will three rolls be enough?'. Shopping Kimberley style!

We were going to be eaten, if not by crocs then by sharks was the general view of everyone in WA. As it turned out we only had one real croc encounter (and a few shark bumps) where one followed one afternoon and the following morning.

Tiny snippets from a month of wonder. We left our kayaks at Kimberley Coastal Camp on 22nd June after being looked after in luxury at this remote camp with fly in/fly out only access. $8000 for one week, nothing for us, in a week of no guests. Kay and Peter gave us a very contrasting but very welcome finish to the paddle.

Our bikes had made it to the rangers at Mitchell Falls and after a couple of days looking at aboriginal art sites with them and sorting gear we tackled some 'orrible corrugated roads. It was with some rear end relief that we left the Gibb River Road to follow quiet station tracks to here. Classic MTB touring on narrow winding tracks through real mountain country - rocky peaks up to 1000m in height. Night times down to 6 degrees shocked the body clothed only in warm weather gear. We ran out of food this last week so were peckish when we reached the Bungles last night! We even saw 20km of sealed road yesterday, the only bit between Broome and Timber Creek; some 1500km. And the bit where I had more punctures than any other!

Into the last four weeks, and Darwin hopefully on the 31 July. Not long before the finish we'll ride past the spot where Sean Fitzgerald had his MTB accident resulting in him becoming a quadraplegic and us starting the 4Wheels4Sean charity. I spoke with Sean today. Three weeks ago, Steph and he received the specially adapted vehicle we've been raising $50 000 for as the first objective. Sean told me it has totally changed their life. The ability to do the thnigs we all take for granted - spontaneously drive off to see friends or to go out for a coffee without the huge expense and organization of special taxis. One unexpected bonus is that Sean can actually see out of the window in the car which he can't in the taxis so has seen for example, the devastation the January bushfires wreaked on Canberra for the first time around his house. Thanks again to those of you who have been part of this.

The fund continues, so make a contribution (it's not too late to sponsor me for this trip - check out the website). It could so easily be one of us who needs assistance.

Trip update: Daly River (21 July)

Wayne and I are sitting on the banks of the Daly River, waiting for our canoes to arrive at the end of nearly 2000km of mountain biking since we last were last paddling along the Kimberley coast. Darwin is less than 400km away with an arrival scheduled for 29th July - a double celebration being also Wayne's birthday.

Claravale Crosssing here on the Daly marks a first for City2City - coming to a place that was visited on a previous journey. During Brisbane2Darwin in 1999 I paddled the Katherine-Flora-Daly rivers to this point. From today we will head another 120km downstream on what I recall as a beautiful river system. Although the further we descend the river, the more of our old friends the saltwater crocs we're likely to encounter. We're hoping they will remain as old friends!

Since the last update, we enjoyed some spectacular walking through the Bungle Bungles before some 'interesting' riding, pushing and dragging of the bikes and trailers to the Northern Territory border. With not a track in sight for part of the way it truly was some classic pushwalking! Once in NT we endured some mind numbingly tedious, vicious headwind riding on the Buntine Highway - highway in name only given we saw 10 vehicles in 3 days (and unbelievably 2 of them were people I knew from NSW!).

After close to 100 days of travel I think I hit the wall on that section; the body and brain was saying 'stop the bike I want to get off'. The tonic was riding through Gregory National Park - the best mountain biking of the journey so far (and there ain't much left!). Narrow, twisting, rocky wheel ruts over hills, through rivers, past cliffs for 200km or so. It's amazing the hammering the bikes take and the terrain the BOB trailers get through. One added advantage of the trailer is it's damn near impossible to go over the handlebars!

Just out of Gregory NP we hit Timber Creek, our first (and last) town since Broome over two months ago and before Darwin. Town? A caravan park, two shops (with the most miserable staff in Australia), a bar, police station and National Parks office. Still it was good to spend a day eating and catching up with Wayne's parents who were 'passing through' en route from Broome to Cairns. Then three more days of excellent riding through primarily Aboriginal lands to the Daly River.

With Darwin just over the horizon, thoughts move toward the end of the journey; looking forward to things like home, that special person there and some decent cold, wet, windy weather. And in reverse, rewinding to the journey that has been (nearly) completed. Anyway the canoe has arrived - time to float off down the Daly...

Trip complete: Back at home (7 August)

Here in Bundanoon the frost is down on the lawn, my fingers still tingling with cold from an early morning ride. How different from the past four months in Western Australia and the Northern Territory where a cool day was 28 degrees.

After 6300km and 112 days, I completed Perth2Darwin (the sixth leg of City2City) on Tuesday 29 July, when Wayne and I paddled the final 10km across Darwin Harbour from Mandorah to the City. In the final washup it turned out to be the longest City2City journey in distance (by 250km) and time (by 1 day). Arriving in Darwin completed my somewhat circuitous circumnavigation of mainland Australia by foot, ski, kayak and mountain bike covering over 23500km. City2City is not complete of course - there remains the 'side trip' of Melbourne2Hobart (what a magical journey that should be).

Of course those figures are of no consequence. Over the past nearly four months I've once again been lucky to experience the best of outdoor Australia. From Perth up to Broome on my own - paddling the coastline north of Perth and the World Heritage Shark Bay, riding remote tracks across the Pilbara with its surprising mountain ranges, walking and swimming through the gorges of the Hamersley Ranges. Then from Broome to Darwin, joined by my good mate Wayne Byard. A month kayaking the unbelievable remote Kimberley coast, threading a route on the mountain bikes through the Kimberley ranges via cattle stations and Aboriginal lands to walk the stunning, unique landscape of the Bungle Bungles. Classic mountain biking through the Northern Territory - Gregory NP, Litchfield NP and a week paddling down the Daly River.

In addition to the physical challenges we faced there were times when we faced our own fears, playing with our minds, fuelled by comments of both those who had knowledge and those negative people who are so common in Australia. Fears of crocodiles and such like.

Most of you will be aware that Perth2Darwin was raising funds for 4Wheels4Sean, a charity dedicated to providing for people severely disabled as the result of a cycling accident in Australia. Many of you have made definite pledges of money, many more have inidicated you would like to contribute. Now is the time. It is dead easy. You can even use your credit card to donate online. Alternatively you can send your donations (payable to 4Wheels4Sean) to PO Box 218, Bundanoon, NSW 2578, Australia. Remember that donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. For those who have already pledged support, it would be great to get your donations without having to chase them - there's enough to do in the office when you've been away for four months!

The last week of the journey had us paddling down the Daly. I think Snowy, a mate from Darwin who provided the canoe, was having a lend of us. The canadian canoe was green on top with a white underside and two double paddles with white blades. I didn't actually check from under the boat but reckoned you couldn't get a canoe to look more like a croc. We certainly saw quite a few on the river but maybe they were scared of our disguised canoe! Even the "massive" one we were warned about by some fishermen near the Douglas confluence, went unseen. From the Daly we had three days of good riding up through a burning Litchfield National Park and on out to Mandorah.

To complete a journey such as this requires the assistance of so many people and organisations. For example moving bikes from Cape Leveque north of Broome, to Mitchell Falls where we would finish paddling a month later, involved five different organisations. We were amazed they made it! The logistics can get quite complex but everything worked out just about perfectly. Similarly people met along the way offered great support and hospitality.

A few thanks (by no means comprehensive): Mike and Jocelyn Young (Perth), Helen and Stuart Cooksey (Perth), Lee Wright (Carnarvon), Dave Whitelaw (CALM Karajini National Park), Ken Fitzgerald (Mangrove Hotel, Broome), Jules at Over the Top Tours (Broome), Peter Tucker (Broome), Malcolm Douglas (roving the Kimberley Coast), Cockatoo Island, Paspaley Pearl Farms (Talbot Bay and Kuri Bay), Robert Vaughan, Peter and Kay (Kimberley Coastal Camp), John Heywood, Vernon Wright (CALM Mitchell Falls), Paul, Owen and Emma (CALM, Bungle Bungles), Martin Wohling (Darwin), Mick and Joan (Gecko Canoeing, Katherine). Plus many dozens of people who did everything from put me up in a remote homestead, to proffering a cold beer or drink along the trail.

I'm also very fortunate to have the support of a number of businesses who provide equipment for the journeys. I get to trash it, they get test reports and piccies of the gear out there doing what it's supposed to (and sometimes beyond!). My personal thanks to Geoscience Australia, the commonweath government map agency (I must have one of the best private map collections in Oz by now), Outdoor Agencies (Scarpa, Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction, Alpineaire foods and more), Sea2Summit (MSR, WXTex), Rohloff, Velo Vita (WTB, Sigma, Magura, Time, Serfas and more), BOB Bike Trailers, Perception Kayaks, Bikecorp.

And of course to Wayne Byard - thanks mate for sharing some magic in the North West. Can't wait to see the paintings.

Thanks to all of you for your support and interest. This office seems a strange place to spend a day.