From Bondi to the Galilee: riding for Matilda

For long stretches along the Lebanese border, the only sound was our tyres over rocks.

Over four days, David and I rode 300 kilometres through the western Galilee, climbing more than 3000 metres across rocky tracks and flowing singletrack. Around us were hills, villages and hundreds of riders moving across the land in a rush of colour.

This was the Epic Israel’s “Back to the North” edition. The race returned to a region where war had disrupted daily life, emptied homes and closed trails. To ride there again, in peace, felt like a privilege. The quiet was not something we took for granted.

KKL-JNF had prepared the trails with care, taking us through forests and rocky terrain into some of Israel’s most beautiful landscapes. Their work reflects a deep commitment to the land and the people who live there. This year, the race’s return to the Galilee carried meaning beyond the route: it brought visitors and renewed energy to communities emerging from years of isolation.

David and I had trained on opposite sides of the world. I rode through Melbourne’s brutal winter; he trained in Israel’s sweltering summer. We spoke regularly by phone. At first, we compared training and talked tactics. Then we shared the harder things: the doubts, the challenges, what kept us going. By the time we reached the start line, we were more than riding partners. We had built a deep bond, one conversation at a time.