On a sunny morning, two men sat on Byron Bay’s main beach after circling Cape Byron Lighthouse a few times.
Unlike most visitors, they did it from the air in paramotors.
Tim Rowlinson and Gary Bell took about four weeks to fly from Kalbarri, north of Perth, to Byron Bay, where they landed on Friday.
The trip was about 4,000 kilometers by air and about 6,000 km by road for support crew Geoff Warren.
Tim Rowlinson flies over Pink Lake in Port Gregory. (Supplied)
Coffs Harbor resident Mr Bell said flying was a dream come true.
He first saw the paramotor while riding his motorbike back from Western Australia along the Great Central Road.
“I was living the dream, but I wasn’t sure it was my dream,” he said.
“It was like it wanted to fly.”
These paramotors traveled 4000km to get from WA to Byron Bay. (ABC North Coast: Emma Rennie)
Mr Bell said when he first started flying, he had limited mobility due to a tumor on his spinal cord.
“My left side didn’t work. My left hand didn’t work,” he said.
“Being terrified in the direction of something you love for a good purpose, I think it brings the circuits back together.
“I can even squat now, my left hand is working.”
The couple hatched their plan to fly across the country last year, but there was an unexpected twist for Mr Bell.
“My idea of flying across Australia was something more relaxed and slow, taking six months to a year,” he said.
“When Tim first said ‘I think we could do it in four weeks’, I said, ‘You’re dreaming, you have no idea mate’.”
David Tymms (centre) had to withdraw from the trip. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Rachael Clifford)
‘Difficult moment’ for the third pilot
Marathon flights are not a new feat for Mr Rowlinson, who last year crossed the Torres Strait to Saibai Island.
But with 45 individual flights to complete the journey, he said this one was even more challenging.
“Every flight has its difficulties, but some, like today, were really special,” he said.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
The men had left with another glider, David Tymms, who had to retire when he experienced technical problems near the WA border.
Gary and Tim say there were spectacular views throughout the trip. (Provided by Gary Bell)
“It was a tough time at Eucla,” Rowlinson said.
“We were stuck in a hotel for four days waiting for the wind to clear and the rest of the journey looked very daunting at the time.”
But he said things got better from there.
“Walking the Great Dividing Range a couple of days ago was pretty special,” Rowlinson said.
“The Flinders Ranges were very enjoyable, challenging and of course the Great Australian Bight was unforgettable.
“I’ve been to the Nullarbor 17 times, but this was the best of them all.”
Gary Bell says flying has shown him the importance of chasing your dreams. (Provided by Gary Bell)
Chasing your dreams
The trip aimed to raise money and awareness of men’s mental health in conjunction with the charity Grab Life by the Balls.
Mr Bell said he wanted to show that it was possible to chase your dreams.
“I love [paramotoring] because it has taught me not to avoid the things that are scary,” she said.
“It’s living your dream, that’s what I love about it, and you can make up a new dream every day.”
The pair, still accompanied by Mr Warren, said they were going to have a swim, a beer and relax after completing the epic journey.
But they were already planning the next big adventure.
“Gary and I were discussing it this morning, actually,” laughed Mr Rowlinson.
“If we can get Geoff, our fabulous driver, to come with us, we could travel from the southern tip of Tasmania to the northern tip of Cape York.”
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