Lawrence Fisher’s 8666km cycling adventure was tough going in parts but full of highlights.
Mount Connor, in the NT, was just one of the many spectacular sights along the way.
Many people take up golf or tennis when they retire. Capel Sound resident Lawrence Fisher, 69, celebrated his recent retirement from the eight years he worked at Peninsula Hot Springs with a cycling adventure that saw him cycle 8666km up the east coast of Australia and down through the Red Centre.
In March this year he waved goodbye to his family and set off pedalling on his trip of a lifetime. While he took in some magical scenery and visited places he’s always dreamed of, the trip wasn’t without its challenges. He encountered the nation’s worst recorded flood disaster in NSW and a mouse plague in the Northern Territory. “I had a problem with the zip on my tent – the mice got in and they would hide when I tried to get them out,” Lawrence says. “I’d wake up to a noise and they’d be making holes in the tent to get out so I’d have to sew it up the next day.”
Having been in active work for many years and committed to regular exercise, Lawrence felt physically well prepared. “The psychological part was harder. When you have weeks of rain, or when you’re going up mountains and there’s no one else to throw it around with or encourage you, it’s hard. But the good part was I had to find that in myself to get through it. Head winds were the worst part. You can only go about 7km/h and you think ‘This isn’t fun’. You’re not getting anywhere, and you just have to accept it and keep pedalling. Acceptance is one of the hardest things in life. Once you accept it, it’s OK.”
Lawrence has been a vegetarian all his adult life. His cooking gear consisted of a tiny gas stove and two billies. Most meals were rice and vegetables. Finding fresh food in remote areas proved difficult. “Out of the big cities it was white bread and meat. Hot chips were the only option sometimes.”
All that said, he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Cycling through the desert with eagles soaring overhead keeping him company was a highlight, as was the support and encouragement he received from social media followers. “It was a really beautiful way to see Australia.”
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