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Indonesian rider completes around-the-world solo journey
Indonesian globe-trotter Jeffrey Polnaja, 53, has arrived in his final destination of Timor Leste last weekend after a four-month solo motorbike ride along Australia and New Zealand as part of his Ride for Peace (RFP) mission
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ndonesian globe-trotter Jeffrey Polnaja, 53, has arrived in his final destination of Timor Leste last weekend after a four-month solo motorbike ride along Australia and New Zealand as part of his Ride for Peace (RFP) mission.
Having completed the last part of his journey around the world, Jeffrey, who is commonly known as 'Kang JJ', said that his exploration across the Australian continent was the best part of his second-round RFP mission.
'I was blessed that I still had the power to complete this Ride for Peace mission. Despite being located very close to my home country Indonesia, Australia has given my life a whole new meaning,' he stated.
The Bandung-born rider said that extreme terrain and unpredictable weather were his main challenges when traveling around Australia. 'This continent has its own natural as well as cultural challenges,' he explained.
For his world journey, Kang JJ rode a BMW R 1150 GS motorbike.
Riding a motorbike around Australia requires more than just excellent stamina. 'A few friends advised me to learn more about local Aboriginal culture and customs so I would not get into trouble during my journey,' he said.
On the first part of his around-the-world journey, Kang JJ first visited Singapore and continued his motorbike ride all the way through South-East Asian countries, Africa, West and then East Europe.
Kang JJ started the Australia leg of his expedition after he completed the second half of his journey in the Americas. Travelling from North America to the southernmost city in the world in Ushuaia, Argentina, he then continued to travel to Australia and New Zealand before arriving in Timor-Leste.
The completion of the RFP mission also put Kang JJ in the runner-up position for the longest motorcycle ride in history after Emilio Scotto from Argentina. Kang JJ has traveled to 97 countries covering a total of 420,000 kilometers. (nov/kes)(+++++)
