Gunbarrel Challenge
School fundraising normally takes the form of cake stalls, chocolate drives and for the more adventurous, fun days and walkathons. But when you want to raise $75,000 to purchase a laptop for every child, something more extreme might be required.
Like cycling 1,500km across the desert on Australia’s most corrugated desert track; the Gunbarrel Highway. That’s exactly what a slice of the extraordinary Otford school community did in July this year. Otford is a small community of 250 people, nestled against the Royal National Park an hour south of Sydney. Otford Primary School is enjoying its biggest ever enrolment of 70 children, under the leadership of Principal Peter Holmes. Having won a NSW Premier’s Award in 2007, Peter travelled to New Zealand, the US and the UK to observe how ICT (Information Communication & Technologies) is being used in primary schools. He returned determined to provide his kids in the bush with the opportunity to be ready for the digital world. Peter inspired a Kindergarten teacher, four parents, four drivers and four children to help him achieve his dream; to provide each child in his school from year two to six with their own laptop. The federal government is already committed to providing students from year nine and up with laptops with Kevin Rudd’s ‘Digital Education Revolution’ but Peter firmly believes such a program should commence in year two. “It’s fantastic what the federal government is doing, but rather than wait years for the program to eventually find its way into primary schools, we wanted to do something now that would equip our children with the skills they need to operate successfully in today’s digital world,” Peter commented.
“At least the pain from the prickles would distract you from your numb-bum and plod-quads.”
The Gunbarrel Highway
Built between 1956 and 1958, the 1,500km long Gunbarrel was the first road to cross Central Australia. For any 4WD touring enthusiast (and Peter is one), the Gunbarrel Highway represents a real challenge. Peter had always wanted to travel the Gunbarrel, and had always romanticised about cycling the route (despite not being a cyclist). It was obvious to him: combine his Gunbarrel dream with their ‘One to One Laptops for Learning’ program. Peter’s dream confronted the reach and comfort of most parents and some teachers. Comments such as, “The most stupid idea I’ve ever heard” reflected the sentiments of most, but a handful understood—and so it came to pass. Well known Polaris veterans Shane O’Brien and Helen Jeffs aimed to ride alternate days while their five year old daughter Rosie had a personal goal of riding 100km. Four year old Tom O’Brien would ride until he’d had enough each day on a tagalong bike. Donna Lloyd, who demonstrated remarkable discipline to shed 55kg two years ago, aimed to ride the entire route. Donna had been a roadie/triathlete until this trip. Her 10 year old son James wanted to ride as far as he could each day. Steve Nicholls and Michelle Grosvenor had spent virtually no time on a mountain bike and aimed to ride as far as possible each day. Michelle’s nine year old son Jasper wanted to ride ‘further than Rosie’. Peter Holmes and John Merriment both aimed to ride the entire route.
The Adventure
As with any self respecting expedition, everything happened at the last minute. Far too late, a frenzy of publicity was organised to facilitate fundraising. Far too late, people jumped on their bikes and started training. Far too late, Mitsubishi agreed to provide vehicles so 4WD hire bookings were cancelled and spares kits for the hired 4WDs were converted to spares kits for Mitsubishis. Far too late, riders found out that old rear racks didn’t fit new seat posts and new bikes didn’t fit into old bike boxes. City Bike Depot in Sydney and Steel City Cycleworks at Thirroul were frantically servicing bikes and chasing deliveries of comfortable nix and Slime filled inner tubes.
All 10 riders left Wiluna and relished the first six sealed kilometres. Days one to five saw us complete 480km of our journey from Wiluna to Carnegie in WA. Covering approximately 100km of good dirt road each day and finding red sand dust between toes at the end of each day was still a novelty. Fresh muscles, fresh food and humour were still in abundance and camping was alongside glorious billabongs.
Days five to 10 took us from Carnegie to Warburton, WA. Covering in excess of 100km in 10 to 12 hour days, the conversation dried up along with the billabongs. The road surface degenerated into deep gravel—corrugations were a blessing as they provided some traction to allow progress. Reducing tyre pressure proved fruitless as stretches of sharp, shaly rock separated the sandy patches, threatening pinch flats. When it wasn’t deep gravely sand or sharp rock, it was the fine red sand dunes that required maximal effort just to get through.
The deep sand sent less wary riders over the handlebars and into the Spinifex, or worse into a nasty spiky bush that would release dozens of spiky seeds into your knicks. At least the pain from the prickles would distract you from your numb-bum and plod-quads. One rider lost normal nerve function in her right hand from the constant rattling of body on bike. There was no opportunity for children to ride but they were excited by scores of wild camels and dingoes. We rested on day 11—watching the Tour de France we reckoned those guys had it easy… The final stretch on days 12 to 16 took us from Warburton to Uluru (Ayers Rock), NT. The route now followed the Great Central Road and we were able to maintain an average of 100km day. Imagine the Hume Highway covered in deep sand and corrugations— that pretty much sums up the Great Central Road. It was so boring that the mountain bikers amongst us were riding through the drainage culverts for fun. Cycling over a crest to see the folds of Kata Tjuta rising out of the desert provided some reward. On arrival at Uluru, champagne flowed from dusty red drink bottles and smiles re-emerged on dusty red faces.
Just Rewards
Both Donna and Peter rode the entire route and the others achieved their personal goals. The kids rode about half of what they had hoped for but loved every minute of the trip. More than $40,000 has been raised—enough to provide a laptop for every child from years four to six as well as most of year three. As the fundraising dollars continue to dribble in, Peter is hopeful of achieving his goal of providing laptops to the year two students as well. Now three of the riders are contemplating the Simpson Desert Challenge. Donna feels she can tackle her first Iron Woman event while Michelle and Steve have got the MTB bug. The kids? Well they want to go back to the desert and Rosie wants a new bike!
