How Far Can You Fly a Paramotor?

The red dirt enhances the sun’s glare as we begin to unload the car at The Overlander Roadhouse. It’s refreshing to finally be free of those four wheels after eight tedious days spent driving across the continent. Our plan is to fly 5000km back across Australia on what some people describe as a backpack fan.

As we continue to assemble the paramotors, the challenge we have undertaken is beginning to sink in. We’re based 180km from the most westerly point of Australia whilst we get ready to take on the world’s first crossing of Australia by paramotor. And we’re doing it unsupported.  It’s taken six months of preparation (mainly by Scott Ryan) to land us here. For some reason, we are naively confident it will take around five weeks to complete.

I first started paramotoring six-years ago and was instantly hooked. The appeal was not the peaceful flights themselves, but the ability to travel and simply land in a random field. I could take in the amazing scenery from above and experience the friendly atmosphere from the ground. All that from this machine that packs neatly into the boot of your car. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t started sooner and you can bet I was making up for it.

I started taking the paramotor to different parts of the world; Egypt, Kuwait, Italy, Spain and France. All of these trips offered the sights, culture and unique experiences but there was still something missing. I wanted that big adventure, one to challenge my ability, force me to meet new people and see sights that I would never otherwise have the opportunity to experience.

A few months deliberating options and, this opportunity landed right in-front of me. As many great adventures do, the story starts over a couple of beers and a random idea. Fast forward eight months and we’re finding out just how challenging those random ideas can be.

The thought of Australia also brings to mind beautifully sunny days and soaring temperatures. 45 days and 2180km into our trip, those temperatures finally arrived. As did the reptiles. Discovered by almost stepping on a baby brown – one of the deadliest snakes in the world – finding an adult brown close to the road and watching Andrew run away, much to my amusement, from a dead huntsman spider (yes, he knew it was dead).

A notable moment in our journey was arriving in Wilcannia, a town with an underserved reputation. The repeated words of warning for this place were countered with great friendliness and a huge warm welcome. What started with great hesitation was soon transformed into a great experience, a lesson learnt to wander into the unknown, defy those preconceived views and go forward with intrigue.

It’s safe to say our journey was filled with challenges. The first and largest problem we faced was, of course, the weather. What the news stated as the worst rain in 100-years, delayed us for weeks at a time in the most remote locations. Something known in the paragliding world as para-waiting is when you stare longingly at the sky, hoping it will change for the better. Para-waiting was a strongly developed habit by the end of our trip.