Bike rider pedals poverty message

MAN ON A MISSION: D’Arcy Lunn, from Adelaide, passes through Lismore yesterday as he cycles from Melbourne to Brisbane under the banner of the Global Poverty Project.

JACKLYN WAGNER

D'ARCY LUNN is facing rain, hail and punctures in his bicycle ride from Melbourne to Brisbane for 1.4 billion causes.

Yesterday, while passing through Casino, Lismore and Byron Bay, Mr Lunn said he was inspired to ride for the Global Poverty Project after recently riding 3000km around New Zealand visiting schools and communities.

“My goal is simply to chat to people and reach smaller communities about raising awareness of the 1.4 billion people who live on less than $1.25 a day and therefore live in extreme poverty,” the Adelaide man said.

“The Global Poverty Project is not a charity and it's not a guilt trip, it's simply raising awareness.”

During his ride Mr Lunn, whose background is in teaching, volunteering and travelling, has been interacting with various audiences about his own experiences, including volunteering in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Latin America and, most recently, Ethiopia.

“We're trying to launch a movement to eradicate poverty with programs based on an inconvenient truth model,” he said.“I really do believe humankind can eradicate poverty and I can see that by the friendliness I've been shown on my ride.”

Mr Lunn said that during his stopover in Casino a local bike shop kindly donated a repair kit for tyre punctures, he was given some quiches by a local lady, and was given free use of the internet by a local store.

Mr Lunn, who held a presentation at the Byron Bay Community Centre last night, is set to arrive in Brisbane tomorrow. If you would like to follow Mr Lunn's journey visit www.you tube.com/gppdarcy