People of unstable nature making ill informed decisions against better judgement
Cyclists [noun] [pronounced sai.klists]
People who ride bicycles
Psyclists [noun] [pronounced sai.klists]
Crazy people who ride from Alice Springs to Adelaide for charity, off road, averaging 94km per day over 18 days
We did it. And what a great feeling it was to ride into Gouger St at 1.15pm on Wednesday afternoon to a fantastic reception at Cibo Cafe. Customers hadn't a clue what was going on. Hugs all 'round and then we all sat back for a few hours to reflect on what we had just completed. The reaction from friends and family helped give us an idea of what a great achievement it was. Riders and volunteers then later made their way to the RFDS hanger at Adelaide Airport to a great welcome from more friends, family and RFDS employees.
The ride into Adelaide was a difficult one with lots of traffic and close calls with trucks that gave us little or no room. The scheduled departure time from Auburn was 7.30am but such was the enthusiasm by riders and volunteers to get the job done, everyone was ready well before 7am for the 109km last leg.
On our last night we were all given the opportunity to voice our highlights and to express what we got most out of the trip. There was a common theme of achievement, camaraderie, friendship, the generous Outback hospitality and the trust that was built amongst each other to get through every day.
There are a number of people to thank for making this journey / adventure possible;
- The sponsors who donated cash / goods thereby making the trip viable
- The station owners, caravan park owners and local identities who allowed us to stay on their property and in some cases, not only opened up their homes to 18-20 people but fed us as well.
- A massive thank you to each of the 10 volunteers (Iraj, Danny, Nick, Katharina, Eddy, Pat, Jenny, Bob, Trevor and Steve) who gave up their time and did a fantastic job in keeping us safe, fed, on the right roads and transporting our equipment on a daily basis. You all did a remarkable job and the riders could not have achieved what they did without such dedicated support.
- The riders who gave up their time to participate and also raise money. The camaraderie and encouragement grew daily and this helped us all in so many ways. Andy S and John; you weren't with us in Adelaide but you were no less part of the adventure.
- The final words of thanks should be written for George Karlis. He took an idea dreamt up by colleague Phil Moran and turned it into reality with his passion, enthusiasm, commitment and attention to detail. It might be apt at this time to quote John Lynch who, on our arrival in Adelaide commented that "George's commitment to Wings on the Road was the single biggest sacrifice by an RFDS staff member that he has witnessed in his 22 years of service". George left behind 6 week old daughter Mia and took us all on a journey that would not have been possible without his involvement.
The initial fundraising target of $20,000 looks to have been surpassed although final numbers will take a little while to tally as funds start to get collected. Thank you to all those to have pledged a donation.
Finally, remember that the RFDS exists to support everyone in the Outback. Not only those who are residents - but tourists as well.
Thanks for reading.
