OVERLAND FROM PERTH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1415, 16 April 1912, Page 7

OVERLAND FROM PERTH.

BIETLES NEW EECOED,

By Telegraph-Press Assoclation-OopyrisW

Sydney, April 15. Francis Birtles, the "overlander," has concluded a motor-cycle ride from Fremantle to Sydney, 2600 miles, in 28 days.

Birtlcs has made many long overland trips in Australia on the ordinary pedal bicycle, and completed his last transcontinental run on February 1 last, after covering the journey from Fromantlo to Sydney in 3G days 13 hours, a distance of 3175 miles. His actual riding time was 31 days 2 hours. H6 averaged over IOU miles per day for the trip. To do this mileage in the time on good macadamised roads would be a big performance, but Birtles had to negotiate the bush country in West Australia on the lino of the proposed Trans-continental railway, and cross sandy wastes and deserts. Oh some of the lonely stretches he did not see a humaa being for days. Birtles on this journey not only lowered the Fremantle-Sydnoy record. He placed the Fromantle-Adelaide and I'romantleMelbourne records also to his credit. He has, therefore, lowered three of the principal place-to-place Australian records. The new figures and old records are: Freniantle to Adelaide, 1930 miles, time 20 days 12 hours 35 minutes, nearly five days ahead of his own previous record of 25 days 8 hours. . Fremautle to Melbourne, 2aO!) miles, in !!6 days 5 hours 3G minutes, or flvo days 8 hours ahead of F. White's previous record of 31 days 13 hours 40 minutes. Fremantle to Sydney, 3175 miles, in 31 days 2 hours, or five days 11 hours ahead of F. White's previous record of 3B days 13 hours 3 minutes. Birtles re on his machine for 18 hours out of every 24, so that he did not allow himself much slcop.