The Rotary Club of Peterborough, like other Rotary Clubs around the country, played host to bike riders participating in the Great Australian Bike Ride recently.

The event is part of the project called Australian Rotary Health.

The bike ride raises money for mental health research in Australia and sponsored by 39 major businesses.

The riders, who are largely in the 50 to 60 age group, left Melbourne on March 31, being joined by other riders along the way.

The journey’s first leg took them to Hobart, back onto the mainland and along the Eastern seaboard, eventually to Kakadu, Darwin and Broome.

Their stay in Peterborough involved the leg from Perth to Adelaide.

Wild winds, wet weather and blackouts accompanied the riders to Peterborough where they stayed over-night as guest of the local club.

Past president Dennis “Willy” Polomka said that it was originally planned to billet the riders out to Rotarian’s homes, but an extended power failure locally forced riders into hotel and caravan park accommodation, which had the advantage of gas hot water for showers.

In the best lateral-thinking tradition of Peterborough Rotarians, the club’s dinner meeting was powered by generators for the dining room and kitchen, so the dinner meeting proceeded as scheduled.

Team Leader, Geoff Kennedy introduced the riders and spoke about the Great Australian Bike Ride.

The following morning saw the riders flagged off by Mayor Ruth Whittle, outside the Town Hall at 8am, for the next section of the ride to Clare.

The Ride was scheduled to be completed in Melbourne on World Mental Health Day, October 10.