Brothers Boggabilla to Bentley Bicycle Bash

Brothers Bob and Pete were keen to do a reasonable bicycle journey for charity. Both, recognising the value of education in human development, were enthusiastic that the long established Aboriginal Childrens Advancement Society (ACAS) be the beneficiaries of their ride. Funds raised will be directed towards the education of young indigenous people in particular from any of the communities under stress. The money raised should have a long term beneficial impact through scholarships, education and training programmes. The ACAS currently has 30 indigenous young people living in the Society's residential accommodation (Kirinari) in the Sutherland Shire. These young people attend local schools and technical colleges in the vicinity of the residential hostel. More can be learned of the work of ACAS by looking at their website. www.kirinari-acas.com.au. These students are actively supported by tutors and dedicated teachers during their stay in Sydney.

"The recent publicity about the challenges of young indigenous people  (some in 'isolated' communities ) has alerted many to the massive gap that exists in opportunities between indigenous and non indigenous youth. 

The initial idea for a bike ride came from the gut wrenching sense of privilege that many of us enjoy while others are facing severe challenges due to circumstances beyond their control. Time to do something.

The first thought was to make a document of some kind (audio visual?) to promote discussion and gain support from the wider Australian community to help our younger indigenous brothers and sisters so that they are able to access common human rights as spelt out in the Rights of the Child documents signed by Australia and making us accountable to international law. This is still a desirable goal. However, after discussion it was agreed that a fund raising trip would be at least a practical and achievable goal, which may also have the benefit of focusing peoples' minds on the issues of the rights of the child.

We are looking forward to respectfully making contact with indigenous communities and others, and offering our fund raising efforts as testimony to the deeply felt belief in equal opportunities in this great democracy of Australia.

Bob and Peter will be setting out on 2nd September 2012 from Boggabilla just south of Goondawindi to ride East over the Great Dividing Range, passing throughYetman, Bonshaw, Texas, Emmaville, Tenterfield, Deepwater and Casino on their route to their destination of Bentley, arriving 11th September.

About the riders.......

Bob – former public high school teacher from six different locations around NSW and more lately, the Central Coast of NSW, sometime tutor to Newstep students at Ourimbah campus of Newcastle University, facilitator at the Central Coast Screen Co-op (voluntary) and keen recreational bike rider, married to Cath and father of two daughters, an 18 year old doing her HSC at Terrigal High School and 21 year old at Wollongong University.

Peter – former accountant, and now enjoying gap years with a series of adventures, married to Lorraine, who tutors to help fund both their active lifestyles, father of Tim, 28 year old who received some notoriety as one of the Two Tims  on the ABC show Travel Oz and the Nat Geo Foxtel show “ROAM”. Peter is a keen sailor, golfer, recreational cyclist, and bush walker.

Update 29th August: Bob and Pete are actively weighing each indivual item to be carried. Even Peter's sleeping mat has had one third of it sawn off to reduce the weight from 900g to 600g. Half a dozen evening meals have been cooked and dried reducing their weight by 88%. Typical menu will be spag bol with a heavy emphasis on added vegetables included in the preparation and also dried in the Fowlers drying machine. A typical dessert will be rehydrated granny smiths apples with custard and full cream milk powder. All good wholesome stuff. The carrying weight of these six dinners for two is approximately 1kg (excluding the water needed to rehydrate).

Any tax deductible donations and messages will support the chosen cause, and encourage us on our ride. We only established the website  early last week, and already in excess of $2000 has been donated.  On Saturday 1^st September we leave for Boggabilla by train and bus, our bikes all boxed up for the journey. We have set an ambitious target of $50,000, but will not be doing this ride every week!! We have allowed 12 days for the adventure, with an actual 9 days in the saddle”

And to-day Peter bumped into Willoughby Mayoral candidate Stuart Coppock. Not having met before, Peter was most impressed with the genuine interest shown by this mayoral candidate. Mr Coppock was a country boy, coming from Collarenebri. He demonstrated great empathy with our cause and promised to promote our fund raising efforts.

Update 5th Sept:  2 days and 115 km behind us as we prepare to leave Texas (just across the beautiful Dumeresque River, and in Queensland), All going well in perfect cycling weather. Nights cold though. Great hospitality from the two schools we have visited, and today we will arrive at Bonshaw 

Update 8th Sept: Very excited to be preparing for departure from Tenterfield after a total of 5 days riding, visiting schools, camping in the bush and with the wind on our backs everyday so far. Today we met Roxanne Bancroft, a local aboriginal woman who is to-day running for local council. We are excited to support her. How good is this!!! While at Tenterfield we were given air time on the local radio station, in the form of a 15 minute interview at the radio station studios. Earlier at Texas we had our photo and a half page story published in the McIntyre Gazette.

Update from Casino 11th Sept: Well the downhill ride from Tenterfield was in fact three down hill rides and 2 separate several kilometre rides (walks) uphill. There were 2 serious mountains to get over before we reached the relatively flat country around Casino. A real highlight was presenting ourselves unannounced to Manifold Public School at Bentley. Until the day of arrival at Bentley, we were not aware of anything other than the odd farm house at our destination. The principal of the two teacher school, Peter Eckersly, after checking our credentials by looking at our website, gathered all 20 pupils of the school before a large screen version of our webpage. We were actively questioned by the pupils, then presented with friendship rings, tied around our wrists and neck, as well as an engraved school pen, as mememtos of our visit.

Bob and I have written and filmed a lot of our adventure. In summary we have been privileged to experience open friendship, and have learned a lot about life in relatively isolated parts of our country. We hope that we have demonstrated that a lot of people care about the future of all of Australia's inhabitants. Thank you to all who have supported us with messages, and contributions to ACAS. We have been invited to meet with the board of ACAS, to offer views on the best allocation of the funds raised.