About the answer is yes..

Me? Urban Designer, Bartender, Motorcycle geek and a useless mechanic with passion for riding bikes. 

I’m riding from Sydney to London overland on a motorcycle. While this has been done many times before, I will be doing it on a 45 year-old English made Enfield motorcycle – the same make and model motorcycle my grandfather had at my age.

Along my journey, I will be raising awareness about mental health issues and specifically highlighting male depression. 

I have lost a number of people who were very close to me to suicide. A recurring theme with my mates who are no longer here is they felt that they could not live up to the perceived expectations of “manliness” and were lacking a venue to discuss their struggles. As I cross the globe, traversing 19 countries and encountering a variety of remote and grand scale landscapes, I will explore the norms surrounding “manliness” and discuss a variety of issues associated with male depression. 

Through interviews, I will unearth what it means to be a “man” in different cultures. By openly discussing male depression, I hope to provide insight for those doubting their own self-worth and to destigmatise mental illness. I want to convey the message that it is ok not to fulfill the advertised description of being a ‘man', as everyone is different.

This trip is also an adventure for me; I’ll be dealing with a 45 year-old motorcycle and the situations that arise when things invariably go wrong.

I hope this trip will help me find closure and understanding, and I hope that I can get the word out that it is ok to talk about male depression by exploring ‘manliness’ in other cultures. 

The trip kicks off shortly. Please read the blog, email me to chat, or donate to the cause (all money raised goes to beyondblue, an organisation which addresses and supports people, friends and families effected by depression and anxiety.)