Starting in the beautiful township of Nuriootpa, we’ll ride northwest to Clare in the stunning Clare Valley.
Day 1 of the ride will first take us in a north-westerly direction through Koonunga to Kapunda, before heading north onto Marrabel. We’ll then continue northwest from Marrabel onto Saddleworth before riding through Manoora, Mintaro, Polish Hill River and Sevenhill and onto our destination – Clare.
Overnight we’ll set up camp at the Clare Discovery Parks
The return ride will commence from Clare and travel southeast back to Nuriootpa.
Day 2 of the ride will venture south taking us through Sevenhill, Penwortham, Leasingham and Auburn before heading southeast towards Saddleworth once again.
From Saddleworth, we’ll continue southeast through to Marrabel and then onto Eudunda before taking a south-westerly route back to Kapunda and finally to our home destination – Nuriootpa.
All of these items will be transported for you for the full duration of the event allowing you to just crank out the k’s without hauling the extra kg’s!
Meals and refreshments over the two-day event will be provided as a part of the registration including morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on Day 1, as well as breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on Day 2.
As for the fundraising itself? Be creative! There are numerous ways to reach and exceed your fundraising target. You can hold a BBQ or run a quiz night… Seek support from family, friends, work colleagues, church groups or other groups you are part of. Use your social media platforms – spread the word!
But regardless of experience, this event is for anyone who loves cycling, who enjoys the challenge of pushing their personal boundaries, and has a heart to see lives set free from all forms of addiction. All levels of riding experience are welcome!
Road bikes are built for this sort of stuff as are hybrid’s, cyclo-cross and tandem bikes. Modern day mountain bikes are also geared well and have good ergonomics but weigh more than the road-based bikes, but if that’s all you have and you still wish to ride, then welcome aboard!
Rider registration covers site fees, however, all riders will need to provide their own tent and sleeping gear in addition to their cycling togs and overnight bag. Full bathroom and kitchen facilities are also included, as are all meals over the two days.
After finishing the Living Free program, Darren is now giving back as an intern. Here is his story …
I often hear stories of how people’s horrible childhoods and home lives were what got them into drugs. I can’t say the same for me. I came from a loving, caring and stable middle-class family. I just liked getting high.
My childhood was great until in my early teens I discovered drugs. I started with weed and alcohol, then pills and cocaine. Then around I found meth. It started out great. I worked full time, I had the money to support my habit and I used on weekends.
After celebrating a good friend’s 21st with a group of mates, my friends and I got in a car crash. We hit a stobie pole doing around 100 kilometres an hour. The driver died, and the other passenger and I survived. Life after the accident got no better. I eventually lost my job, and with a car loan and credit card to pay, I filed for bankruptcy at 22, thinking life couldn’t get any worse than this. But it did, and my life spiralled further out of control.
After a suicide attempt, I spent some time in a program, which I found helpful. I settled down, found full-time employment and got engaged.
