“For some reason I've always been predisposed to a physical challenge so initially I entertained the idea of cycling back in record time,” he says. “But the more I thought about it and asked myself what I wanted to get out of the trip, I decided to not worry about time and let it all run its course. “And I'm so glad I did as it allowed me the time to explore my goals for the journey which were to simply explore this beautiful world, experience its humanity and the wonderful people that occupy it and to hopefully find a new direction/path for my life by the end of it all.” Ashley decided he would dedicate his ride to raising awareness of a rare cancer that took the life of his dear friend Joanna Cash, who was diagnosed with alveolar sarcoma and died in 2015. “Being the incredible person that she was; beaming with life, loving, kind, considerate and always putting others first, I definitely called on her wonderful attributes during the trip,” Ashley says.

“This helped me to mentally get through some tough times, and even to be grateful and appreciate the good times too.” Ashley Doncon wanted to raise awareness of a little-known cancer that took the life of his friend Joanna Cash. Ashley chose to deviate from a path that might attract the average tourist, with Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Serbia, Kosovo and Bulgaria featuring on his itinerary. With a budget that didn’t stretch to delivering the comfort of hotels and hostels, Ashley instead camped outside temples mosques, churches, in abandoned buildings, animal barns, and cheekily sleeping just off the Cinque Terre path in the Italian tourist favourite under the stars with just a sleeping mat and sleeping bag. “Let's just say that my personal hygiene and accommodation standards have significantly lowered over the course of the trip,” Ashley says. “At times I’ve been sharing my bed with rats, mice, cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes and countless other creepy crawlies.

“Normally one to enjoy a warm shower at the end of the day and to put on a nice clean pair of clothes in the morning, I never thought I'd go 12 days without a shower or put on a pair of shorts that could stand on its own because of all the build up of sweat and grime.” Ashley has not cut what he refers to as his now “luscious locks” during the trip, and will chop the lot at a welcome home event in Perth on Saturday August 11 to raise money for the organisation Sock it to Sarcoma!. The view from his tent while in Thailand. Credit:Ashley Doncon He’s made choices that worried friends and family along the way but arrived safe in Broome on July 8 and has been pedalling his way south ever since. “I have to admit in being someone that doesn't do a whole lot of research into potential dangers or political instability of certain areas,” he says.

“Instead following my gut, and making some decisions en route about which countries to visit from word of mouth and the accounts of other travellers I meet on the road. In Pakistan for example I cycled through the politically sensitive state of Kohistan and had to have a police escort for over 10 days accompany me 24/7.” Sock it to Sarcoma coordinator Mandy Basson said Ashley's journey was inspiring. “We are so amazed and appreciative of Ashley’s incredible travels, bringing awareness to this rare and relatively unknown cancer," she said. "It's so important to get lumps, bumps, aches and pains checked. Early diagnosis and correct treatment saves lives.” Ashley says he's experienced the best of humanity on his travels.