March 8, 2006
As human beings we find ourselves too many times stuck in our safe, comfortable little worlds refusing to break out of our routines in fear of the unknown. Always so easy to say “No, I can't” and keep on going with our day to day instead of taking a chance, or even a risk to see what we really are capable of accomplishing. Currently travelling and working in Australia I had the pleasure of crossing paths with three unique individuals from France who took one persons idea and built it into reality; as well as one amazing adventure they will never forget.
Julie Daligault (25), Julien Touze (24), and Mathieu Le Boulch (23) are three determined, yet novice mountain bikers from France. How novices are they? Well, except for Mathieu who did some cross-country racing on an amateur level years ago, none can really remember the last time they threw a leg over a saddle. Their story begins back in France where Julien decided he wanted to head to Australia for some travelling while working on a report about the country. Interested in teaming up with some other companions for the trip he posted a thread on a French website stating his plan. Within a day a response came through from Julie, but she didn't just want to do the usual backpack trip, she wanted to do it by bike. Her idea was to ride from Melbourne, Victoria and head north along the east coast to the Queensland city of Cairns; a distance of approximately 6000 kilometres. The idea seemed great to Julien, so the planning began. They presented a proposal to the government of France to try and obtain additional money to help fund their trip, which was certainly going to cost a small fortune seeing that they had to buy every little piece of equipment including the most important, their bikes.
Road side stop.
Three months before their tentative departure date a third member joined the crew, Mathieu, who is a good friend of Julien's, was looking to head overseas but unsure of a destination The thought of riding a bike around Australia seemed like a great option. To the triad's delight they received news from the French Government that funding in the form of grants was available. In the end they received a grant from the Ministry of Sports, and each received a grant from their home town; definitely a big lift to their trip seeing that they estimated the total cost to be over $20,000.00.
Eight months after the project was put forward the three found themselves on a plane heading to the South Pacific; which was the start to their adventure and many uncertainties. It was November 12th, 2005 when they touched down in Melbourne, Australia, still without bikes. After some scrambling around the local bike shops they were outfitted with everything they thought they would need. The first problem arose fairly quickly as they began to pack and load their new bikes. There was way too much gear, and they would have to shed quite a bit of it before hitting the road. After a quick stop to a charity bin they were much lighter and on their way. Second problem, they were running out of daylight quickly and really had no idea where they were heading; plus the added confusion of riding a bike for the first time and having it severely weighted down. They decided to spend the night in Chelsea and start fresh the following morning.
After the first 3 days everyone in the group felt more comfortable and confident on their new rides. No itinerary was planned, or rules set forth. Just have lots of fun, ride when they wanted to ride, and let Mother Nature dictate their days; which it has done a few times. Once leaving them stranded on the side of a country road waiting for a rain storm to pass, it took 3 days to do so. Another unexpected element were the hills, seeing that the three had thought Australia was going to be reasonably flat, and had no pre-trip training, they found themselves slowed down by many of the intense climbs which were found in the state of Victoria.
Fixing a wheel
A mental game began to play in their heads as well, which has to be the hardest element to deal with at times. Usually this would play itself out during long stretches where there was absolutely nothing for hundreds of kilometres. Having to take turns motivating each other, they have been able to push through. But chains break, tires burst, and the worst of all, crashes occur. Mathieu had been the first victim of a serious crash along a long stretch of road. He found his front tire became caught between the roadway and the shoulder, and before he could react it was too late. Slow motion had taken over and his trusty steed was bucking him, along with his gear off and to the pavement. Fortunately this has been the only crash so far, but seeing that they still have over 3000 kilometres to go, someone may find themselves in a similar predicament.
When asked if they had anything out of the ordinary happen while on or off the bikes the three looked at each other and began to giggle. Julien proceeded to tell me how they spent Christmas Eve riding in fear due to an irate individual who believed they had stolen his eski (Australian for cooler) which contained Christmas dinner. This person chased them out of Schoalhaven's Head by car, yelling obscenities and threats all the way to the next town. They spend the following two days hiding out in fear of running into the person again. After their layover they made a quick exit from town and they were on the road again, and a little less shaken.
At times they feel they may not make it through the day, let alone the months ahead. But what keeps them pedalling are days like the one they experienced riding through Wilson's Promontory National Park in New South Wales. The climbing was treacherous, roads where winding and narrow, but the scenery has been by far the most beautiful and rewarding in their eyes. And the downhill was beyond exhilarating.
Writing on the wall
Their next destination is a one day ride from Brisbane to Gatton where they will stay for the next month or so to experience what it's like to work on an Australian farm. My advice, keep riding, it'll be much easier! I hope to cross paths with this inspiring triad in the near future to get an update on their journey. For anyone wanting to take on something similar, or something that at times may seem impossible to pull off; their advice, “Just do it!” and I really can't think of any better advice.
To check in on Julie, Julien, and Mathieu's progress go to www.australieavelo.com and be sure to check back here for an update in the coming months.
Story and Photos on behalf of www.jasonmanchesterphotography.ca
Road side stop.
Three months before their tentative departure date a third member joined the crew, Mathieu, who is a good friend of Julien's, was looking to head overseas but unsure of a destination The thought of riding a bike around Australia seemed like a great option. To the triad's delight they received news from the French Government that funding in the form of grants was available. In the end they received a grant from the Ministry of Sports, and each received a grant from their home town; definitely a big lift to their trip seeing that they estimated the total cost to be over $20,000.00.
Eight months after the project was put forward the three found themselves on a plane heading to the South Pacific; which was the start to their adventure and many uncertainties. It was November 12th, 2005 when they touched down in Melbourne, Australia, still without bikes. After some scrambling around the local bike shops they were outfitted with everything they thought they would need. The first problem arose fairly quickly as they began to pack and load their new bikes. There was way too much gear, and they would have to shed quite a bit of it before hitting the road. After a quick stop to a charity bin they were much lighter and on their way. Second problem, they were running out of daylight quickly and really had no idea where they were heading; plus the added confusion of riding a bike for the first time and having it severely weighted down. They decided to spend the night in Chelsea and start fresh the following morning.
After the first 3 days everyone in the group felt more comfortable and confident on their new rides. No itinerary was planned, or rules set forth. Just have lots of fun, ride when they wanted to ride, and let Mother Nature dictate their days; which it has done a few times. Once leaving them stranded on the side of a country road waiting for a rain storm to pass, it took 3 days to do so. Another unexpected element were the hills, seeing that the three had thought Australia was going to be reasonably flat, and had no pre-trip training, they found themselves slowed down by many of the intense climbs which were found in the state of Victoria.
Fixing a wheel
A mental game began to play in their heads as well, which has to be the hardest element to deal with at times. Usually this would play itself out during long stretches where there was absolutely nothing for hundreds of kilometres. Having to take turns motivating each other, they have been able to push through. But chains break, tires burst, and the worst of all, crashes occur. Mathieu had been the first victim of a serious crash along a long stretch of road. He found his front tire became caught between the roadway and the shoulder, and before he could react it was too late. Slow motion had taken over and his trusty steed was bucking him, along with his gear off and to the pavement. Fortunately this has been the only crash so far, but seeing that they still have over 3000 kilometres to go, someone may find themselves in a similar predicament.
When asked if they had anything out of the ordinary happen while on or off the bikes the three looked at each other and began to giggle. Julien proceeded to tell me how they spent Christmas Eve riding in fear due to an irate individual who believed they had stolen his eski (Australian for cooler) which contained Christmas dinner. This person chased them out of Schoalhaven's Head by car, yelling obscenities and threats all the way to the next town. They spend the following two days hiding out in fear of running into the person again. After their layover they made a quick exit from town and they were on the road again, and a little less shaken.
At times they feel they may not make it through the day, let alone the months ahead. But what keeps them pedalling are days like the one they experienced riding through Wilson's Promontory National Park in New South Wales. The climbing was treacherous, roads where winding and narrow, but the scenery has been by far the most beautiful and rewarding in their eyes. And the downhill was beyond exhilarating.
Writing on the wall
Their next destination is a one day ride from Brisbane to Gatton where they will stay for the next month or so to experience what it's like to work on an Australian farm. My advice, keep riding, it'll be much easier! I hope to cross paths with this inspiring triad in the near future to get an update on their journey. For anyone wanting to take on something similar, or something that at times may seem impossible to pull off; their advice, “Just do it!” and I really can't think of any better advice.
To check in on Julie, Julien, and Mathieu's progress go to www.australieavelo.com and be sure to check back here for an update in the coming months.
Story and Photos on behalf of www.jasonmanchesterphotography.ca
