Mushypea

If you like the idea of riding 2,600 km across 2 states, 4 deserts, alongside Taipans, Camels, Roos and howling Dingos in temperatures in excess of 40 degrees pulling up to 60 kg of weight on a mountain bike through some of Australia’s most remote outback, then swap your bladder for a trailer, helmet for a wide rimmed hat and your SPD’s for a pair of thongs and prepare for one of Australia’s great outback adventures!

As part of the celebrations leading up to the 10th anniversary of Timor L’Este’s vote for independence from Indonesia, one man decided to mark the occasion by holding a mountain bike race with a difference. Covering a distance of 450 km over five stages on rugged roads alongside tropical beaches up in to the clouds of remote mountain villages, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laurette and President of Timor-L’Este, Jose Ramos-Horta, had three months to pull together the biggest sporting event Timor-L’Este has ever seen

Travelling Light. I was first introduced to the idea of using a compact camera as an alternative to an SLR when I attended a talk by Eamonn McCabe, the former picture at the Guardian newspaper in London, 1987. I was fourteen years old.

In March 2009 Dave Turner and Tim Garrett set out to ride their mountain bikes unsupported across 2,600 km of Australia’s harsh outback to raise money for World Vision Australia. To save weight and space, they decided to leave their SLRs at home and go compact, carrying a Ricoh GX200, two lenses and a GX8 for back up. Dave Turner recalls the epic journey and explains how you can pack a photographic punch without packing the kitchen sink!

1000km of Himalayas, a 42km/hr dog chase, arguing monks and a sudden faith in Tibetan prayer flags!
The pressure was on to plan a trip by mountain bike from Lhasa in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, before the maiden voyage of the worlds highest and most controversial train journey in June 2006 from Beijing to Lhasa. I’ll be stopping off at some of Tibet’s most important cultural and spiritual icons along the way. I’ll be meeting arguing monks, reluctantly opening my tent door to growling wild mastiffs in a violent dust storm and getting emotional at seeing Mt Everest for the first time.

If there is such a thing as the ultimate cross country mountain bike ride the surely the Queen Charlotte Track on the South Island has to be up there with the best that New Zealand can offer.

“You need your head read mate! It’s desolate out there, there’re some fruit loops about, not to mention crocodiles, wild boars, water buffalos and….you’ve got a knife right?”. These are the first words of encouragement I heard from a well meaning Darwin local before I set off to find a long abandoned track in Litchfields National Park.