Trio brave wet in trip to Cape

Inspired ride: Three mates Mark Allen, Ray Wright and Alan Hurst are cycling to Cape York to raise money for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.

MARK Allen knows he may be battling the elements when he starts cycling to the tip of Cape York next week, but he also sees upsides to riding in the wet season.

“The best thing about riding in the wettish season is that the road is closed off to heavy vehicles, so we won’t have to worry about big road trains,” the deputy principal of Trinity Beach State School said.

“There will also be plenty of fresh water around for when we run out.”

Mr Allen and two mates, Alan Hurst and Ray Wright, plan to cycle 1400km from Lakeland to the Cape York Peninsula to raise cash for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
They are scheduled to leave on Thursday from Lakeland, about 80km southeast of Cooktown.
“It’s going to take about two-and-a-half weeks, so we are riding each day from town to town and we are riding completely unsupported – we are only taking our bicycles and our backpacks,” Mr Allen said.

So far, almost $3000 has been pledged, along with donations of flights and ferry trips. He said he had been inspired to raise money for the hospital foundation by his father’s battle with cancer and he’d had an ambition to ride to the tip of the Cape for about 10 years.

To donate, go to http://www.everydayhero.com.au/to_the_cape_