Day: July 30, 2017

What an incredible day, hanging out with some amazing men as we rode from Brisbane to Tweed Heads. Today started with a great breakfast of fruit and cereal with our hosts Kym and Deb. We were soon joined by Martin and Keith, two mates of Kym’s who are also keen cyclists. After a little more fuel for the day, we were soon on our way after the customary photos and farewells. A neighbour in the street Kym lives in, made her way to our gathered little group to enquire about our ride as she is also a keen cyclist and enjoys long distance adventures. We asked if she wished to join us but, unfortunately, she had other commitments that would stop her this time.

Rolling off, we set a great pace as we headed south through the back-roads of the southern suburbs of Brisbane. It wasn’t long before we reached the old Pacific Highway which runs alongside the M1. Great smooth roads with a decent shoulder allowed for fast flowing cycling. With Martin at the front, it was like having our very own Fabian Cancellara ‘Spartacus’ setting the pace. Charging down the road we made great time and it wasn’t long before we arrived at Paradise Point, our first destination where we stopped for a snack and coffee. All of us were feeling very buoyed from our mornings ride. Having Grant meet us there, allowed for reapplication of sunscreen, removing of vests and the opportunity to drop off any other unwanted items.

Once back on the road again, we could talk as we rode, which is a massive change from the first three weeks of isolated cycling. Sharing in the locations and history of the Gold Coast was an enjoyable experience. We had elected to take the coast roads so we could enjoy the sea breeze, which was increasing at the same time as the heat of the day. It was the perfect mix of sun beating down and breeze to refresh you making it such a glorious day and the company topped it all off.

On reaching Surfers Paradise, we stopped for a quick break and photos of the 2018 Commonwealth Games countdown at the beach before moving on again. Importantly, we made a brief detour to take a quick snap at Currumbin Sanctuary as a memento for my wife, Merrilynne, who worked there in 1992. Utilising the cycle ways and cycle lanes, we thread our way toward Coolangatta and our ultimate destination – Tweed Heads and the border between Queensland and New South Wales.

Arriving early, we met Darrel Sparke (Vice President of Amputees NSW) and Holly Franklin (AFSG) who had caught up with Grant at a local coffee shop. We decided to push up the final climb on Boundary Street and reached Point Danger in great time, coming to a stop at 2.30pm. A short time later, we were met at the top by Grant, Holly, Darrel and Lynda Foulis (AFSG) for the official handover of Riding 4 Amp Camp from Queensland to New South Wales. Today brought an end to our ride through Queensland and now we begin the next chapter in New South Wales for the final 800+km of this exciting adventure.

I wish to thank Lynda and Holly, from AFSG, for all their support as we have been riding through Queensland and we thank all the families and teens from Amp Camp who have really made our trip a pleasure. Having been handed over to the NSW team, after completing two thirds of our Riding4AmpCamp, we will now continue along the NSW coast for the next phase.

Please lend your support to Amp Camp through providing donations to www.afsg.org.au or via the links on our home page.

Until tomorrow,
Mike and Grant

Our last rest day was a real treat. The day started with a very lovely breakfast and conversation over the table with our hosts Kym, Deb and their son Sam. We have been shown incredible hospitality whilst here.

Following breakfast, we made our way into Brisbane for a planned event with the kids from Amp Camp, along with Lynda and Holly from Amputees and Family Support Group Queensland (AFSG). The first venue was Jimmy’s On The Mall which was a great meeting point for coffee and a chance to meet the parents of these amazing young people. Next was a Lazer Tag party. The privilege for Grant and myself was to be included in this Amp Camp family event and to have an opportunity to share in their stories and lives. I have often thought, it is one thing to read or hear about another person’s life and experiences, but it is another to meet the person and hear the story from their own lips. It is a very humbling and challenging experience. I have been continually left in awe of these incredible young people who have such resilience and strength and have so much to offer. I have learnt so much already from the simplest act of being accepted and included in their community and have enjoyed the relationships built.

Lazer tag was an absolute ball! As I have plenty of kilometres still to travel, I was reserved in my actions in the game and found nice corners to conceal myself and avoid the chance of injury. There was a real connection between all the young people and a great time was had by all. After two games, we had a quick bite to eat and there was a short session of Karaoke before re-entering the battle zone for one last game of Lazer Tag.

After a group photo, we said our goodbyes and everyone went their own way. A massive thanks to these amazing kids and to their incredible parents for allowing us to join in on their day. Holly, Grant and I finished the day with coffee and cold drinks while discussing tomorrow’s final ride in Queensland. Leaving the outskirts of South Brisbane in the morning, we will meet up with Lynda Foulis and Holly Franklin from AFSG, and Darrel Sparke from Amputees NSW at the border to do our hand over from Queensland to New South Wales. Our planned meeting will take place at Point Danger (Tweed Heads), which is on the border between both States. I will be joined on my ride to Danger Point by Kym and two of his cycling mates as we take in the beautiful Gold Coast beach strip.

We have covered over 1800km so far, which means we have completed two thirds of the ride – only 900km to go. Please lend your support to Amp Camp through providing donations to www.afsg.org.au or via the links on our home page.

Until tomorrow,
Mike and Grant