In the summer of 2012, Elora resident Ian Evans completed an epic adventure to cycle across Australia alone and unsupported.
Inspired by the 57-day, 5,000km trek, he has documented the experience in a movie, Australia by Bicycle.
On March 24, Evans will present the film at The Gorge Cinema in a presentation that features live Australian music, beginning at 4:45pm.
“The film will give audiences a true feel of the experience. It’s in HD which is great on the big screen,” said Evans. “The challenge was filming it on my own.”
Given that the cyclist travelled through the desert and across the Great Dividing Range in winter, challenges don’t easily upset Evans, an avid adventure cyclist who has toured around the globe, most notably having cycled around Iceland and completing the End to End journey in the UK, which he also filmed as part of Lunatic Excursions series.
“The actual physical challenge was the desert primarily. It’s about 12,000km and there is about six gas stations or roadhouses along the way,” Evans explained.
“A lot of the time I camped in the middle of nowhere.”
To achieve the trip, Evans carried over 50 days worth of dried food in his pack, along with a laptop computer and camera, plus camping gear.
“I enjoyed the isolation. You just get into a rhythm. It was nice to have simple goals,” he said.
“I had projected that I would do 100km a day, with 57 cycling days and seven rest days. I made it.”
Fortunately, Evans said at one point he caught a tail wind that blew across the desert, giving him momentum that “blew him through.”
That was a good thing, because heading into the next 1,700km, Evans hit a headwind that lasted three weeks.
“It was brutal, debilitating and mentally challenging to the point of having my cycle to a stand-still.”
The film will highlight the struggles Evan experienced but also the generosity in providing help, food and, on one notable occasion, a free beer in the middle of the desert.
“They [Australians] were all very friendly and the Canadian flag got a lot of attention,” he added.
Dodging dead kangaroos and avoiding the giant road trains while trying to avoid the chance encounters with the deadliest snakes and spiders in the world, was just part of the experience for Evans.
“The thing that made this trip special for me was the people I met … talking to them about what they thought of my journey and delving into their life in Australia” he said, noting discussions of the 10-year drought brought about some deep stories of tragedy and survival.
Before leaving on his journey, Evans decided to support the Centre Wellington Habitat for Humanity build on Forfar Street in Fergus, by turning his trip into a fundraiser.
“I did this trip for me, because I wanted to do it, but my friend Rick Goodfellow was in charge of raising the money for the build.”
Goodfellow and Evans are the founders of the Elora Adventure Club and have taken extensive cycling trips together. The club is hosting the film event.
“I raised $5,000. People were very generous and donated from around the world,” Evans said, noting many people he met during other cycling excursions donated to the cause. “Some people I met on the road donated too.”
The generosity impressed Evans, who hopes audiences will see the authenticity of the Australian people in his film.
Adding to the film, Kitchener musician Peter Shaw has created a soundtrack of Australian music that compliments the story of Evans’ film.
“After the movie, which is about 40 minutes in length, we’ll have questions and answers,” Evans said.
The March 24 film presentation of Australia by Bicycle at 4:45pm at The Gorge Cinema is a fundraiser for the Centre Wellington Food Bank. Cash donations only for admission to the film.
For further information, contact Ian Evans at ianevans@sentex.net or John Chalmers at gorgecinema@gmail.com.
