SEEING AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 85, 4 January 1935, Page 14

SEEING AUSTRALIA

Cyclists’ “Pleasure” Trip

Two of the English motor-cycle speedway riders visiting Australia, J. Abbott and H. Haigh, longed to see something of the Australian bush of which they had heard so much before they arrived in Sydney. They have had it and now say they don’t want any more.

They will have a romantic story to tell when they return to England. On a recent Sunday, in company • with R. Case, the Queensland rider, who lives at Toowoomba, they set out on their racing machines for Toowoomba at the invitation of Mr. Case to spend Christmas with him. Little realising thp rigorous nature of such an undertaking—to ride over 600 miles and be back in Sydney for the following Saturday night’s race sat the Showground—they set off. Haigh and Abbott arrived back at Sydney unshaven and unwashed, after having spent the previous night in the open bush in the vicinity of Wyong. They said that they covered about 450 miles the first day, although delayed for 2} hours by continual punctures. The Englishmen had no idea of where they were, except that they were about 70 miles from Armidale when night came on. The lights on Haigh’s and Case’s machines failed, and they proceeded about 35 miles assisted by the lamp on Abbott’s cycle. They decided to camp, but had no blankets or camp equipment. A heavy storm, accompanied by rain and lightning, struck them at about midnight. They pulled branches from ■ the trees and sheltered themselves in a. rough lean-to. Next day they made good progress until they reached what both described as the largest mud flats they have ever seen, in the vicinity of Killarney, Queensland, Their cycles became bogged, and they were forced to remove the mudguards and at times carry the heavy cycles from one track to another. About seven miles from Killarney Haigh’s cycle became hopelessly bogged and he was forced to abandon it until assistance was sent from Killarney. They eventually reached Toowoomba on the Monday night. On the Thursday night Abbott and Haigh Left Toowoomba to return to Sydney. They rode for over 500 miles side by side in order to prevent giving one another their dust. The racing machines are really not built for such an endurance test, but they stood up to the ordeal wonderfully. The riders averaged nearly 70 miles an hour, and struck bumps which Haigh described as “as big as shell holes,” without slackening speed. Three of the spokes in the back wheel snapped and Abbott broke a driving chain. After a remarkable ride they arrived at a spot near JVyong on the Thursday night. Worn-ouitumd sore, they decided to sleep in the open. Mosquitoes kept them awake, and beetles and ants also annoyed them throughout the night. When Abbott picked up a piece of wood to make a fire he was startled to see a large snake wriggle away from under it. With nothing to eat, and their clothes completely ruined, they reached Sydney on the Friday morning at about 10 o’clock. Both riders had their shins badly skinned by the : kick-starting handie flying up and striking their tegs. Haigh wore out a oack tire on the trip. Abbott said he had seen every animal imaginable, and they were lucky to get back alive. His machine had careered off the road on several occasions. At one stage they became lost and were 30 miles out of their route. Haigh said that he would remember the mud flats for the rest of his life. He had wanted to see a'bit of bush life, and he had seen it. He would not repeat the ride for £lOOO.