The ANZAC Spirit

Well, ANZAC Day has come and gone again for another year. It's amazing how much influence it has over an Australian soul. I never see it coming but every year, without fail, I wake up on the 25th of April and a flood of respect for the diggers who fought for my freedoms washes over me.

The feeling comes in different forms and isn't restricted to ANZAC day but it is particularly strong on this day. It's a top up of patriotism, a destroyer of selfishness and a realignment of priorities. It starts before sunrise with the sounds of a lone horn amidst a throng of thoughtful souls and continues all day with beer, two-up and heartstring pulling odes of spirit and unification.

I write this with a particular situation in mind. A situation along the road on my planned adventure. After journeying from Australia to Europe, I want to stand with pride on the battle ground of Gallipoli on ANZAC Day 2 or 3 years from now. It will be a moment to strive for, a moment to keep in mind when things get tough. I want to see where the ANZAC spirit comes from, see the land where it was forged and smell the air where so many of my countrymen wrote themselves into history. It's a young Aussies right of passage. Something that must, and will, be done.

A Cry For Help

As you can see on the right, I've established a gear wish list and a check list of things I need to do. There are of course more things to be added to both of these but it's a start.

The first thing you'll notice is that I don't even have a bicycle yet. I'm in the process of writing letters to send off and hopefully help me aquire some sponsorship. The extent of my journey is not yet clear to even me but I'm allowing myself to plan to China. My dreams are 'a little' larger than that but from Australia to China is, in itself, a very, very big journey. Raising money for those less fortunate than myself is another major goal. I'd like to use this journey to inspire people to sponsor children. More on that to come. My dreams are big but so is my heart and that will hopefully be enough to capture the imagination of a sponsor.

I not only need wheels but gear of all sorts. A tent, a sleeping bag, saddle bags for the bike, camping gear, tools, spare parts and everything in between. The plan is to be self sufficient so I need to carry all the necessary gear but with a focus on keeping down the weight. This means getting quality gear and that of course isn't cheap.

If you are interested in supporting my journey, or you know someone who might be, please contact me through my comments link. I'm working on an advertisement display for this site so I will be able to display logo links on this page to your business.

“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.” - Goethe

The First Step Is Always The Hardest

I quit my job yesterday.

I can't believe how difficult it was. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking and I'd had intense muscle tension in my neck for the week leading up to it. It almost killed me.

The company I have been working for is called 'The EIP Group'. I started working for them a few years ago teaching English to predominantly Japanese and Korean students. More recently, however, I was fortunate enough to be welcomed in as a director. My future would have been secure. This made my decision all the more difficult. It has been made though and has marked a definitive moment in my life. It is a very clearly defined turning point; the very first step to a new chapter. The only thing to do now is decide exactly what that chapter will entail.

The only thing I know so far is that it will include a bicycle and many hours on it. At present I'm not sure how large I want this chapter to be but in early 2009 I will set off from my home on the Gold Coast which is on the mid-east coast of Australia and ride north. I want no limitations on this journey. Let the planning begin.

The open road.