Fox’s Way: A Cycling Journey of Nature, People and Purpose

Written by Ronald Vos aka Fox

Back in 2017 I decided to not just trade office walls for open skies but to make nature and people my direct surroundings. After following the expected career path, I decided to leave everything behind and explore the world by bicycle.

My first trip started in Noosa and finished with a loop around Tasmania. Those months on the bike here in Australia turned out to be life changing.

For me riding my bicycle is the purest way to connect to countries, cultures and communities. It brings me closest to all the essences and elements nature has to offer in a sustainable, caring and sometimes challenging way. I love this pace of life, and it allows me to reach places that are otherwise inaccessible.

I kept riding my bike through Europe, from Portugal to The Netherlands, multiple times and in different ways.

2019 was a year that deeply shaped my cycling lifestyle. Together with two friends we decided to cycle from Mumbai, India to Bangkok, Thailand, crossing the beautiful Himalaya mountain ranges in Nepal.

Cycling a distance equal to the Earth’s circumference, I experienced a harsh reality. What is taken for granted in the first world remains out of reach for many, and sometimes the other way around. I will give you two examples.

One day in Nepal my two friends and I decided to camp alongside a river. When the local community realised we were setting up camp for the night, more and more people came to see us. We could not communicate verbally because we did not speak each other’s languages. We communicated with signs and smiles.

There was one old man. Picture a typical old Nepali man. Bald, with a long grey beard. Lean and flexible, proven by his cross-legged sitting position. He kept pointing at one of my friends, who was wearing thick glasses. Eventually my friend realised that the man wanted to try them on, so he handed them over. The old man placed the glasses on his face and something amazing happened. His mouth fell open, his eyes sparkled and he broke into a big smile.

I realised that this man had probably lived his entire life in a blur, and this was a moment where he could see the leaves on the trees and the snow on the mountain peaks in the background. According to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 800 million people struggle with everyday activities because they lack access to a pair of glasses.

The second example brings you closer to nature. Of course there are big cities like Mumbai, Kathmandu, Bangkok and Adelaide. Many people live in urbanised environments. Concrete buildings, skyscrapers, paved roads and artificial light. Moving away from these areas feels like stepping into a different world. You reach places with silence, the smell of nature and communities that show more connection to their local flora and fauna. From the turquoise lakes of Switzerland to the Himalaya mountains and the coastline of South Australia, nature’s beauty is everywhere. And then you have Kangaroo Island.

I arrived on Kangaroo Island after the big cycling trip through Central Asia. I needed to work on my savings again for future cycling trips. I feel very lucky that Little Sahara Adventure Centre and Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action became my employer, where I took on an Eco Adventure Guiding position.

The reason is simple. Its natural beauty. I have cycled close to 40,000 kilometres to experience many different natural environments. On Kangaroo Island, and Little Sahara specifically, you experience pure nature in a 110 minute guided Electric Fatbike tour. You see multiple types of landscapes, from tea tree forest to 500 year old gum trees, river land and of course the magnificent inland sand dune system. It is truly the closest way to connect with nature. Have you often spotted koalas in the wild? Here we guarantee to see them on tour, along with many other incredible species, both up close and far away.

The reality is that billions of people live in urbanised environments, disconnected from nature. The good news is that nature is just around the corner. Wherever you live, create time to connect with it.

Providing prescription glasses to people in remote communities in developing countries may seem like a big mission, but it is easier to help than you might think. I recently started a fundraiser to raise awareness and donations in first world countries. When I have the equivalent of 1000 pairs of glasses, I will jump on my bike and travel to communities in need. For my first project I feel drawn to return to the community of the old man I wrote about earlier. To go back to where it all started for me.

This is a mission that will change the lives of so many people, young and old. For less than the price of a movie ticket, you can make a huge impact in fighting the global vision epidemic. It costs only $13 to become a life changer.

You can read more on my GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/eye-care-I-care. My website eyecare-icare.com is not ready yet but will be live soon. Meanwhile come and see me and let’s connect with nature and explore Little Sahara by bike.