It all started in 1980, towards the end of my last year at university, when I saw a hand-written, hand-illustrated advert for a six-week truck expedition to Morocco, and instantly knew that I had to be part of it. That trip, and the country blew me away; it was like travelling around another planet. During that trip, we encountered groups of people travelling on big dirt bikes. I knew then that I wanted to ride a bike around the World. At that point, I was not aware of anyone else ever having done this.The day after I got back to England, I bought my first bike. This I intended to use for the planned trip, despite the fact that it was only a 175cc. Now all I had to do was pass my bike test and earn some money.

Over the next few years, bikes, friends and girlfriends came and went, but I still had the urge to do a long bike trip.In early 1988, two things happened. Firstly, I managed to get an offer of a job in Australia; and secondly, I saw an advert by a company called Wanderers Expeditions for a truck-supported bike trip from London to Nairobi, starting in November 1988 and taking sixteen weeks.A plan crystallised. I would travel to Nairobi with this trip then carry on to Cape Town, either by myself or with one or two of the other participants. I would then get a ship to western India, travel across to the other side, then get one or more ships to Perth, in western Australia. From there, I would ride the bike around Australia, ending up in Adelaide towards the end of September 1989.I already had a suitable bike, a Suzuki DR600S, plus Krauser panniers, tent, etc.

I bought some lightweight enduro kit to complement my usual attire of leather jacket and jeans, plus a selection of spares for the bike. I tried to keep the luggage to a minimum because I knew the bike would have to carry it most of the way.Very early one morning in November, I bade a tearful farewell and set off for Dover. Even before the sun rose, it started to snow - the first of the year. I was only just thirty at the time.