ABOUT | onwardsupwards

Inspired by a desire to travel, seek adventure, meet people and see places beyond the usual tourist destinations,
Zane, Todd and Alex decided to bite the bullet and make it happen.

After 12 months of planning, including determining a route, purchasing motorbikes, setting them up to conquer

any terrain, learning to ride them, applying for numerous visas and documents and making transport arrangements, the trip has begun.

Click map for more about our route

WHO ARE WE?

ZANE STEPHENS (ZANO)

1/13

By day I am a Reliability Engineer in the Australian mining industry. Well I was – right up until I left my job to pursue this trip. I grew up on a farm, but lived in the city for a few years while doing university - I feel pretty comfortable in both worlds.

I love travelling, adventure and endurance sports. I like to take on a challenge, complete it, then dream up a bigger or harder one.

I love hiking and have done some great trips in Australia, Belarus and Papua New Guinea. In PNG I climbed my first decent sized mountain – Mt Wilhelm at 4,500m. Ascending directly to the summit and returning again in 24 hours I experienced two new feelings – the pain of altitude sickness and the thrill of climbing mountains.

I have cycled a 500km, 24 hour ride and run a couple of marathons - one on the Gold Coast and one in Tanzania. In Tanzania I went for a double challenge – after the run I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. This was my first 'Seven Summits' mountain - but hopefully not my last.

And now - motorbiking round the world with some mates.

Onwards upwards!

TODD WHEATON

1/9

I’m a Mine Surveyor, snowboarder, traveller, motorbike rider and the youngest of the crew. I’m always up for a challenge and believe it’s important to live an interesting and fulfilling life.

After growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, I studied at the University of Newcastle, and then went straight into work at an underground mine in Central Queensland. It's now been over four years and it’s time for some adventure!

I’ve always been interested in long distance overland motorbike trips - having grown up with bikes and after reading numerous adventure blogs and books. My favourite being "The Long Ride Home", where Nathan Millward rode a postie bike from Sydney to London at the drop of a hat.

Adventure runs in the family with my dad recently completing a five month trip on a 1968 Tasmanian lobster boat turned adventure vessel from Forster to Princess Charlotte Bay, covering three and a half thousand nautical miles (at 7 knots!). Unfortunately I was only able to join the trip for a week (or less) at a time.

When the idea of riding from Russia to London was formed, I couldn't say no!

ALEX CALLAGHAN

1/12

Adventure is in the Callaghan blood. From a young age I've enjoyed travelling, camping, hiking, and in particular 4x4ing and traditional & sport rockclimbing. I also love a challenge ~ of any description.

The inspiration behind my original idea of doing a 'world motorcycle adventure' was from two main sources. Jupiter's Travels, a book by Ted Simon which narrates his four-year journey through 126,000 km across 45 countries on a Triumph Tiger, and a journey my Father made in his youth from Australia to Asia to Europe to America (by numerous means) over several years. The motivation to turn this idea into reality was the desire for a real life experience, and a few rums around the fire with Zano in mid 2014 officially seeded the idea of riding across the largest continent on Earth.

I was born in Brisvegas, schooled at Churchie and UQ, and progressed career wise through the family business and am currently a Mining Account Manager for Hastings Deering in Central Queensland. Typical life goals are on hold this year and life experience is priority #1.

It's not everyday that you meet two great mates with such similar interests, that are able, and courageous enough to put life on hold for four months and ride across the World. Cheers Zano and Toddy.

Onwards

Upwards