CURRENT MISSION

To make this limited amount of money last as long as possibe

ABOUT ME

I quit my job in Australia, sold everything I own and am now riding a motorcycle from Australia to Iceland. I’m interested in learning everything I can about the world we live in including languages, food, culture and people. I have an open mind and will try anything at least once.

PHILOSOPHY

to learn as much as i can from the people i meet and share what i can when im asked to

Interests

I enjoy photography, have tried a little bit of writing and love the freedom that riding a motorcycle provides.

• culture
• writing
• photography
• dining
• beer
• boating
• traveling
• languages

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Transporting my 200kg motorcycle by small boat in-between islands is always a harrowing task. It usually involves less than ideal locations like carrying it up a 3m long ladder from the deck of the boat to the jetty above the water or passing it across 1m of open water with the assistance of a handful of local guys while my heart is in my throat and is soon followed by negotiations in a foreign language as to how much I need to pay the helpers.

Riding solo across the Simpson Desert in Australia was one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever done. After getting over my misgiving about taking enough water and fuel, then crossing over 1100 sand dunes over a distance of 550km with no roads, no fuel, no shops, no houses and very few other people the crossing itself was amazing and exhausting at the same time, the solitude humbling and the beer at the end one of the best I’ve ever had.

Teach, Learn, Share

As travellers we leave behind a ‘normal’ existence along with all the responsibilities that go with it. But we then take on a new set of responsibilities. Its completely independent of the mode of travel and more to do with peoples attitudes when they arrive. I see a lot of tourists showing very little respect for the culture they are in, arriving with the same attitude they have at home, snap some holiday shots and head home. This is annoying but something which is probably a difficult thing to change on a short trip with work and money constraints from home. The thing that really gets to me are people that think its ok to start judging another persons culture based on their own belief system. There have been a few times when I've seen things done or heard things said that are in complete contradiction to how I've been raised so I try to distance myself from those aspects of life here. But more importantly, unless my opinion is asked I keep my mouth shut. Unless I understand a culture completely I've no right to tell its population how to live their lives and I think very few people that are raised in one culture can ever claim to fully understand and appreciate another.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia