We pushed a bit into the wind on the way towards Rockingham - even running early at our refuel stop. So we hung around for 2.5 minutes extra (according to MickyG) and then set off at a very leisurely pace for the North Fremantle PCYC. There, we were plied with coffee, biscuits, chocolates and a sausage sizzle. I did a quick speech about Youth Focus and the ride, answered a couple of questions and then we were headed into the heart of Fremantle for the finishing ceremony. Micky grabbed the Poona jersey from me just before departure so I could look neat and tidy at the finish line.
We did a nice, slow loop of the city centre and ended up in King's Square to a very receptive crowd of a few hundred people. There, we were welcomed by the Mayor of Fremantle and an elder from the local Noongar tribe (not sure if I've spelt that right). We handed over the message stick we had received so long ago in Albany.
Some speeches followed with jersey presentations, photos and the cheque for our fundraising efforts so far - about $460,000. But fundraising doesn't actually end until June 30th so if you didn't donate and you want to you still can by hitting the "Donate Now!" button on the Ride for Youth homepage.
After this we headed to the lunch where the food was good, families and friends were in attendance and the riders (us!) were presented with a plaque and a goodies bag. Presentations were also made to our long-suffering and highly deserving support crew who got us through the week safely.
Finally, the Poona jersey (signed by the Poona wearers) was auctioned off. Peter Trench ended up with the prize although there was significant competition during the auction.
All up, I had a ball this week. It was good to be out on the road and even better to be out there for a good cause. Thanks muchly to everyone who donated to me or the ride in general - we and Youth Focus really appreciate it.