Grandfather and Grandson Complete 5,300km Ride Across Australia for MND Fundraising

Bob Montgomery, now 82, and his 18-year-old grandson Tom Malcolm embarked on a 5,300-kilometre cycling trek from Broome, Western Australia, to Bowral in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, completing the route on a Sunday afternoon. Over six weeks they faced relentless headwinds, extreme heat and remote desert stretches, averaging about 160 km each day while riding alongside road trains on narrow highways. The ride was motivated by Montgomery’s personal connection to motor neurone disease, having lost a cousin to the illness, and included tributes to AFL figure Neale Daniher and former rugby league player Jai Arrow.

Their campaign, dubbed “One Last Ride,” attracted donations from across Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and New Zealand, ultimately raising roughly $65,000 for MND NSW. The funds will support advisory services, equipment provision and carer assistance throughout NSW and the ACT. Montgomery, who has raised nearly $300,000 in previous charity rides, says the experience reinforced community spirit and may inspire future adventures, such as tackling the Kokoda Trail with his grandchildren.