Aussie surfer plans 8,600km ride home from the beach

There are quicker ways to Australia from Ireland, but taking the easy route has never been an option for champion surfer Kate Moloney.

The 27-year-old, currently enjoying the surf in Co Sligo, is planning to return home on her bike. With the occasional train and boat journey thrown in, Kate is hoping to raise almost £100,000 for charity.

“I want to see beautiful landscapes, so cycling enables me to do that. It's a challenge,” she told the Belfast Telegraph.

Kate is putting the finishing touches to her route, which she estimates will take up to six months to complete.

Setting out from Sligo on her bicycle in May she will get a ferry to France and then cycle into Italy and Greece. Further cycling and ferries will take her to St Petersburg, where she hopes to catch the trans-Siberian train, cycling again from Beijing to Hong Kong, where she will catch a freight ship to Brisbane. In all, she will cover around 8,600km on her bicycle.

Her progress can be followed on her website: www.katescycle.com.