8in8in8: The Plan
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Goal
Using only human powered transport, reach the highest point of each Australian state and territory within eight months.
Plan
Cycle from Hobart to the north east tip of Tasmania at Little Musselroe Bay. Peer worriedly over Bass Strait for a few hours before getting in a kayak and paddling past Flinders Island on the way to Wilson's Promontory and Port Welshpool. Jump back on the bike and struggle up the hills of the Victorian alpine country. Dismount for a dash over to Mt Bogong to claim the first of the eight peaks. Clap my hands once and ride happily towards New South Wales and the second peak, Mt Kosciuszko. Climb onto the rooftop of Australia and run back to the bike for a quick squirt across to the ACT and Mt Bimberi, the third mountain on the list. Point a hand roughly north and begin a long stretch through outback New South Wales and Queensland before honing in on Mt Bartle Frere. Sweat buckets climbing through the tropical jungle of peak number four and pause briefly to consider the vast distances of northern Australia. Get on with it across the Savannah Way, passing Normanton, Burketown, Borroloola, and maybe Timbuktu. Slice rapidly across the Northern Territory and round the north west shoulder of Western Australia to stop for a walk to the summit of Mt Meharry, mountain number five. Begin to wonder if this was such a good idea but continue nonetheless towards Laverton, which is the centre of nowhere in particular. Fill up every available bottle with water and grind across the Great Central Road (of death) to reach the elusive Mt Zeil, peak number six. Dodge some camels and a hungry looking dingo on my way to the desert country of South Australia which harbours peak number seven, Mt Woodroffe. Kick up dust, continue the sweat-fest, and make a beeline for Port Welshpool and cool waters of Bass Strait. Paddle back across the islands with a growing hunger for apples and fine Tasmanian cheese. Ride past Launceston and a bunch of country towns before dropping the bike for a familiar walk into Mt Ossa, the eighth and final mountain on the list. Jump back in the saddle one last time to roll into Hobart whence it all began eight short months prior.
That's the plan anyway...
Rough Statistics
- 14 000 kms of riding
- 400 kms of walking
- 600 kms of paddling
- 240 nights in a tent
