Cyclist’s Darwin to Broome ‘Gravelganza’ ends in ginger beer shower and shoey on Cable Beach

On a warm Sunday afternoon, a NSW man rode his bicycle on to the firm sand of Cable Beach, past the northern rocks and along the water’s edge until he finally came to a stop in the arms of a cheering support crew. It was the finale to a 2012km journey from Darwin to Broome, one which had taken Brett Straatemeier — supported by his daughter Jade Straatemeier and her friend Lara Doherty — 17 days to complete on bicycle. Travelling an average of 150km a day, Mr Straatemeier’s ‘Crocodile Gravelganza’ took him through Katherine and Timber Creek, then across the border to Kununurra towards the Gibb River Road leg. He told the Broome Advertiser these were some of his toughest and best days. He marks day 10 as his toughest day, cycling along the Karunjie Track, an old stock route between Wyndham and Pentecost River, in 42C degree heat. “I lost my UHF radio, bits were unrideable and I got lost a few times confusing animals tracks for the Kranunjie track.” Even these moments could not take away from his appreciation of the Kimberley. “Out there, there are hard, hard days,” he said. “But the afternoons — they were beautiful. I got to recover under waterfalls.” “Everyday was special, full of spectacular Kimberley landscapes and casual conversations with strangers. The advantage of cycling is you can take in so much more and everyone wants to have a chat with you.” Mr Straatemeier is no stranger to endurance challenges, having previously completed 10 Ironmans around the world, two ultramarathons and a number of bike packing challenges including the C2C (a 4000km ride from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Curl Curl Beach in Sydney), the 4kUP (Adelaide to Darwin via Uluru and Kings Canyon), The Vapor Trail (Bottom cape to the top cape of Japan) and Glady’s Gravel Adventure (Silverton to Sydney via the gravel roads). When asked why he tackles these long-distance rides, he answered that it was simply about perspective. “On a bicycle, you get to do it slower, to stop and talk to people and hear their stories and history.” Mr Straatemeier said the experience of cycling through the Kimberley was made more special having Jade and Lara with him. “They just finished HSCs so it puts a couple of notches in their belts of becoming beautiful adults.” And for them, it was an incredible experience being able to make the journey with him. Ms Doherty said her favourite part of the trip was swapping stories at the end of their days. “We’d be driving for three hours every day because we’d be stopping and waiting for him and meeting all the different people who would stop and have a chat,” she said. “I feel like we had such a different experience. But at the end of the day, we would compare stories and we’d find out we’re meeting the same people.” And while Mr Straatemeier was completing his final leg on day 17 from Derby to Broome, a distance of 230km, Jade and Lara were waiting for him on Cable Beach with a shower of love and Matso’s Beer — a joke-turned-promise between them. Set to spend the rest of the week recovering in Broome, the cyclist did not leave the beach before doing a celebratory ‘shoey’.