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SOONER OR LATER ...
A coming-of-age story that spans well over forty years . Chris Donaldson got back on his bike and finally reached his destination , Australia .
The 1970s were tumultuous time for international politics , South-East Asia was still reeling from conflict in Vietnam that had spilled into neighbouring countries , the Middle East was seeing the uprising of militia led by religious zealots and Ireland too was reaching a crescendo of religious and political battles that became known as the ‘ troubles ’.
A twenty-one-year-old Chris Donaldson , a keen motorcyclist having grown up on BSA ’ s and BMW ’ s , was becoming disenchanted with the ‘ troubles ’ affecting his homeland . A chance encounter with an Italian beauty spawned change , at least for a young man who needed to discover something better . Working hard to win the favour of the Italian , Chris eventually purchased the Moto Guzzi Le Mans and an adventure with an Italian began .
“ It was the coolest bike in town ,” he laughed when we caught up with Chris over a Zoom meeting not long after reaching his destination . “ I just had to have it , so set about working extra so that I could afford it .”
It was this bike that cemented the idea of riding to Australia when Chris thought back to his earlier years when he had read about a woman riding around the world on a similar BSA to which he had learned to ride .
“ Yeah , a girl did it the early 70 ’ s on a BSA Bantam , so I had to as well ,” Chris recounts . The rider was Mary Sievier , from 1967 to 1976 she rode from England to India , then onto Africa , Australia , New Zealand , and the United States . It was the inspiration that drove a young Irishman to want the adventure himself .
September 1979 saw Chris ride from his home of Belfast to London , a destination that almost saw everything come undone . A month later and with all visas , permits and a basic route planned , Chris ’ adventure was almost curtailed for Iran was having its own religious and political problems as the Islamic Revolution took place on the eve of his departure .
The Islamic Revolution was a taking over of the Imperial State of Iran that was twenty six years in the making , and in just a few short days Chris was forced to give up plans of reaching India , instead heading for South Africa .
“ That ’ s where the name of the book came from ,” he laughs again . “ Too many people said I was ‘ going the wrong way ’ to reach Australia .”
Those people were perhaps the same people who said he ’ d never make it in the first place , especially aboard a Moto Guzzi , an Italian bike notorious for varying reliability
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