Fiji cash ride rocks

SUNKISSED: Officials gathered at the Suva Civic Centre for the formal donation handover.

LONG HAUL : The ADF team raised $3000 during their three-day charity ride. Pictured are team members MAJ Greg Hansen, CPOB Steve King, LCDR Mike Gough, Sally Gough, WOMT Mark Mitchell, WO2 Clive Keam, CPOET Jim Hodges, SQNLDR Glen Heyward, LTCOL Ron Morley and WO1 Paul Carr.

Nine ADF members who are currently posted to Fiji in either diplomatic positions or as part of the Defence Cooperation Program, raised $3000 in a three-day Charity Cycle around the main Fijian island of Viti Levu in August 2005.

Sally Gough, the wife of the Maritime Surveillance Adviser to the Fiji Navy LCDR Mike Gough, also took part in the ride to raise money for Fijian Returned Servicemen and War Widows, as well as raising the profile of the serving ADF members working and living in the Fijian community.

The ride commenced on August 9 at 6.30am and was conducted in the form of a relay with riders changing every 30 minutes. Support vehicles were utilised to act as a ‘safety screen’ for the bikes and to transport spares and the other riders.

The terrain varied significantly between long steep hills and a 40km unsealed section of road. The riders enjoyed breathtaking views, especially along the Coral Coast and Northern Coast roads. The weather during the ride remained mostly clear and warm, although some rain was encountered leaving Suva and along the Northern Coast, providing some challenging cycling conditions at times.

The cycling was only conducted during the daylight hours for safety reasons. The first leg between Suva and Nadi of 180km was covered in eight hours at an average speed of 22.5km/hr.

The second leg between Nadi and Rakiraki of 130km was completed in only five hours and it was decided to push on to achieve as much as possible in daylight. Thanks to the previous day’s extra efforts, the final leg was reduced to 100km and this was completed in five hours at an average speed of 20km/hr.

The third leg along the Kings Road included the 40km section of unsealed road, which provided an agonising 3.5km continuous hill followed by 15km of muddy undulating downhill conditions. The team arrived back in Suva at 1400 on Thursday August 11, having covered a total distance of 465km in 20 hours of riding time.

Corporate donations to the Charity were disappointing, however, the local communities that the riders encountered around Viti Levu were extremely generous in their donations.

The $3000 raised was formally handed over to the Secretary of the Returned Soldiers and Ex-Servicemen’s Association of Fiji, on behalf of the Returned Servicemen and their families, at a ceremony outside the Suva Civic Centre on August 12.

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