Alida’s Adventure
As a bicycle rider, the highlight of my ending Autumn in Canberra wasn’t the relatively flat terrain for cycling nor the wide smooth cycleways bordering Lake Burley Griffin. It wasn’t seeing the yellow bicycle racks attached to bus fronts so that cyclists can travel by bus with their bicycle! It wasn’t even the hardy Canberran bicycle riders enduring the wintery weather nor the $10million underpass being constructed at Bowen Place by Lake Burley Griffin to make a safer passage way for cyclists and pedestrians. All appealing and some quite impressive, but as a bicycle rider the most interesting and inspiring highlight was meeting Canberra woman Alida Györy.
I met Alida through the HARDCOPY writers’ program where we’re both learning to sharpen our writing skills.
After our third day of workshops, I left looking forward to stepping off the plane into the sub-tropical air of the Gold Coast where the warm fragrance of plants will race towards me and fill my senses with messages of “I’m home”.
Alida left knowing that at 5am the next day, the first day of winter amidst forecasts of rain, hail and cold temperatures, she would rise before the sun, get on her bike, take a few photos and pedal West. It would be the beginning of her two month adventure to ride across the continent.
Now that’s 3956kms – so why would you do it?
This trans-continental ride on a bicycle celebrates Alida’s love of cycling and adventure. It is also a way to express her deeply held values about our planet and its people.
As Alida rides her bicycle over the next two months ending in Perth in early August, she aims to bring attention to issues of climate change and human rights; and raise monies for three nonprofit organisations along the way. Her trip is being funded entirely by her own funds.
I’m enjoying Alida’s daily Facebook updates (Follow_Alida) showing me landscapes that are unfamiliar and ever-changing. There’s a neat video and story about Alida’s mission on her just cause webpage.
This project is invested with a good dose of fun, creativity and vision for a better world.
Learning about Alida’s adventure was an inspiring part of my visit to the nation’s capital.
Canberra buses equipped with yellow bicycle racks so commuters can integrate bike travel with bus travel.
Approaching construction of the $10 million underpass for cyclists and pedestrians at Bowen Place.
Weaving around the construction of the $10million underpass for safer cycling and walking.
![Day 12 of Alida's bicycle ride and she is 754kms from Canberra. [Phote: Alida ]](https://abike4allseasons.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/alida-day-12-754kms-from-canberra.jpg)
Day 12 of Alida’s bicycle ride and she is 754kms from Canberra.
[Photo: Alida Gyory ]
a bike for all seasons 
Looking forward to following her progress. Thanks for sharing her story! 🙂
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My pleasure Jane! 🙂
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We live in a world filled with many amazing people. It’s even more amazing when you meet them.
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So true Gina!
And it’s so great to see the generosity she’s receiving from so many people – family, friends and the locals in the towns she’s visiting.
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Thanks Gail for such a great write-up. It is so heartening to receive so much kindness and generosity from so many people along the way. I’m in Mildura now, 840km into the trip!
While we’re on the topic of Canberra and other cool things, there’s a neat online ‘zine about all things Canberra: The Canberran. I’m an infrequent contributor, under a nom de plume, to keep it a little bit mysterious 😉 Check it out!
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Hey Alida, welcome! 🙂
Mildura and 840kms into the journey… that means you’ve already completed one-fifth of the ride – that’s great going!
Thanks for mentioning The Canberran. I might pick up some tips on food, coffee and cool Canberra happenings for my next visit in September.
Have a great time resting in Mildura over the next couple of days.
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What an adventure Alida is having!
Thanks for sharing Gail.
I loved the idea of the bike racks on Canberran buses.
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The bike racks are an interesting feature Robyn. They fold down and the bicycle rider has to load their bicycle onto it. I read on the bus website that the bus driver is not to help and can’t delay the bus if there’s a problem. I didn’t see any in use though so I’m not sure to what extent people make use of this feature.
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