
A restless yearning drives an ordinary man to undertake an extraordinary quest: to ride a bicycle from the southern coast of Australia all the way to its northern tip. In the late 19th century, when few had even imagined such a feat, he resolves to give his longing a name, setting out from Adelaide with nothing but a bike, a modest notebook, and a determination to be the first to cross the continent on two wheels.
The narrative follows his day‑to‑day progress across vast, varied landscapes—sun‑baked scrub, hidden waterholes, and endless horizon. He relies on the kindness of strangers at remote hotels, trading stories for directions and a warm blanket at night. Along the way, his observations capture the rugged beauty of the Australian interior and the quiet camaraderie of those he meets, offering listeners a vivid portrait of adventure, perseverance, and the simple joy of pedaling into the unknown.
Full title
From Ocean to Ocean: Across a Continent on a Bicycle An Account of a Solitary Ride From Adelaide to Port Darwin
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (262K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain works at The National Library of Australia.)
Release date
2018-10-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1863–1926
Best known for a remarkable solo bicycle journey across Australia, this late-19th-century travel writer turned endurance and curiosity into a vivid adventure narrative. His work still stands out for its firsthand picture of the Australian interior and the sheer nerve behind the trip.
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