Retiree to clock up achievement
TILMANN Waldthaler has spent more than 40 years on a bike and has no plans to give up at the age of 76.
In fact, the Earlville retiree hopes to clock up 500,000 kilometres on a bike by September next year.
The former pastry chef, professional bike tester and photojournalist still bikes up to 80km daily with 68-year-old wife Renate from their home at Aveo The Parks, continuing a shared interest which began when they met while riding through the Sahara desert.
“I’m hoping to reach the 500,000km by September 11 next year,” Tilmann says.
“September 11 is my wife’s birthday and September 11, 2016 is the day we both decided to retire. I’m up to 493,225km, so it should be achievable. I have less than 10,000km to do and we do roughly 1000km a month.”
The German-born globetrotter began his long journey on two wheels in 1977 while living and working in Australia.
“I met a Belgian cyclist in the Australian desert during his bicycle trip around the world. I thought it would be a crazy thing to do. But I was fascinated by his stories.”
Tilmann started creating stories of his own by pedalling 17,000km around Australia, biking from Antarctica to the Arctic and riding from Europe to South Africa.
“I never aimed to do it. It just happened. When you do something you love, then you just continue doing it.”
His travels were initially financed by his career as a pastry chef, but later became a job as bike companies and camping specialists asked him to test their equipment.
He’s also written 17 books on his travels. MOVIES: The newly formed Tablelands Cinema Club is holding a special screening of Bruce Beresford’s new film, Ladies in Black, at the Majestic Theatre, Malanda, at 12.30pm, October 20. A comedy drama set in Sydney in 1959, it costs $9.50. Afternoon tea included.