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Sometimes the only way to make a difference is to go the long way around. As previously reported, Papakura’s Rich Easton has been circumnavigating Australia (clockwise) on his trusty Kawasaki KLR 650 to raise money for the Neurological Foundation.
Shortly before our last paper went to print, Easton’s adventure came to an end after he rolled into Sydney in the nick of time.
“I arrived in Sydney around lunch time and flew back to NZ first thing the next day. I had a pre-booked flight and I had to be back at work, so I didn’t have any time to spare,” he told the Times. “All up, my lap of Australia covered 19,045 kilometres, it was 63 days travelling and, so far, it has raised more than $4500. I’ve had some wonderful adventures in beautiful places and interesting experiences.
While (most fortunately!) its rider wasn’t on his last legs by the time the epic road trip finished, the Kawasaki has now been put out to pasture.
“I came back in one piece, no injuries, some good rest and plenty of time to think,” Easton says. “It did get a little lonely when travelling for so long on my own, but it also meant I learnt a lot about my own mental health and personal resilience.
“The bike survived too, although it needed a new battery and new tyres [along the way]. In total, it had more than 56,000km on the clock and, given the new [increased] rego fees for bikes in NZ, I couldn’t afford to keep another bike, so it stayed in Australia.”
The journey had its highlights, but Easton had no intention of carrying on for another lap.
“When I reached Port Douglas [Queensland], I wanted to get to Sydney as quickly as possible, but the east coast had some wonderful roads, which was fun and that kept me going,” he says.
“But by the time I got to Sydney, I’d had enough of Australia and I was missing my family, although there is still Tasmania to cover! It has had me thinking about taking a ride around the UK in the future, though.”
CEO of the Neurological Foundation, Easton’s fundraising is intended to support students looking to make breakthroughs in neuroscience. It’s a cause quite literally close to his heart – his father, Frank Easton, passed away following complications from a stroke.
Easton’s latest endeavour is now in his rear vision mirror, but the drive to raise more funding is an ongoing expedition.
“A big thank you to everyone who’s supported, but I’m always keen to raise more,” he adds. “The fundraising page is still live and there are other ways to donate to the foundation too.”
See discover.neurological.org.nz to donate and, to read our previous ‘on-the-road’ article, search ‘Rich Easton’ at franklintimes.co.nz.
See discover.neurological.org.nz to donate and to read our previous ‘on-the-road’ article search ‘Rich Easton’ at franklintimes.co.nz.
