Cycling Across Europe for Mental Health

Finished! 4328km from Amsterdam to Istanbul! Wow!!

And it's done! Around Europe in 80 days - 4328km, 14 countries, no major injuries and not a single flat tyre! (well I did have to replace 7 spokes and eventually the whole wheel.. but still no flats!)

Wow! I'm partly relieved, partly exhausted and very emotional all over. It's somewhat hard to believe I've finally made it here to Istanbul and I'm glad to finally get off the bike, but at the same time part of me wants to keep going. If I've made it this far.. ?

The past two weeks have seen me cross through Macedonia and Greece, following the Aegean coastline into Turkey. The weather has been hot, the afternoons have brought massive thunder & rainstorms, and the beachside camping has generally been fantastic. The heat has seen my appetite diminish and it's been a struggle to keep hydrated most days, but as always you've just got to keep on pedalling and push on through.

Riding through the Balkans

The past couple of weeks have seen me riding further south down the spectacular Adriatic coastline through Dubrovnik and onto Montenegro and Albania. It's been hot, it's been dry, the mountains have been high and the ride has been amazing. It's been a fantastic few weeks - kayaking around Dubrovnik, cycling the amazing Bay of Kotor, getting nude on the beaches of Montenegro and hiking the alps of Albania!!

As always I've had some slow days, some down days, some tough mental battles, a few breakdowns, constant hunger and am usually swimming in my sweat by the end of the day. But against this I've met some fantastic people, seen incredible scenery and witnessed more beautiful sunsets over the water than I deserve.

The Dalmatian Coastline

A couple of weeks spent in Croatia and I'm feeling recharged and ready to tackle the second half of this journey. I spent a week hanging out with my mate Tim in Split and the surrounding islands before he decided he had a job to return to, and since then I've been exploring this amazing country and soaking up the sunshine.

I've bought myself a tent and spent a few nights camping on the hard ground, realising that 1) a yoga mat is a very poor substitute for a comfortable mattress, and 2) a feral dog growling outside your tent at 2am doesn't help with any anxiety issues you may have already had. That aside, I've camped in some pretty special locations and am thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Riding across the Dolomites in Italy

After the alps, anything seemed possible and so it made sense to give the Italian Dolomite region a fair crack.  Again we were presented with ridiculously hard hill climbs, sometimes riding uphill for hours with no end seemingly in sight.  Then just as you are about to give in, you round the summit and get an amazing vista before you get to coast downhill and prepare for the next climb.

A truly beautiful part of the world!!

Zurich and the alps!

A hard few days climbing up into the alps with my good mate Tim.  He's flown over from Aus to join me in Zurich for the next two weeks and his legs are burning as we get higher into these mountains.  Our first day was miserable, cold and wet, getting much colder as we climbed higher to the first pass.  Our second day however was absolutely stunning, blue skies all around as we climbed the hills and breezed down the valleys, soaking in the amazing views all around.

Strasbourg :)

Wine country!

I've passed through Cologne and Bonn, slowly making my way down the Rhine river.  The landscape is changing and I can feel the sun and humidty increasing as I get further south.  Have been riding all day through the vineyards that grow up the super steep mountain slopes. 

Crossing the Rhine and into Germany

It's only day 3 and I've already left the Netherlands behind and cycling through the German countryside.  The past few days have been mostly riding through farmlands and forest, although I did venture into a cool National Park with a large Van Gogh art exhibition stuck in the middle of it

Leaving Amsterdam

It all starts off in Amsterdam.  After spending the weekend relaxing with friends it's Sunday morning and finally time to hit the road

Help me support Mental Health

Mental illness can, and does, affect us all.  The past two years have been an incredibly difficult and interesting time in my life, and it's the support and care of the staff at St Vincent's that has helped us through this period.

I'm embarking on a 3 month bicycle ride across Europe, starting in Amsterdam and hoping to make it all the way to Istanbul.  With your help I am raising funds on behalf of the Mental Health Unit, specifically to go towards the purchase of new exercise equipment to help patients in their journey to recovery.

Mostly riding this trip in Europe by myself, I expect a lot of time to myself to sit back and reflect, long periods of loneliness & solitude interspersed with interesting sights and people to meet along the way.  I'll document and share my journey with you, hopefully providing a little inspiration of what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.

Help me raise money and awareness for Mental Health.