Paul Nichol

Swinburne outdoor recreation graduate, Paul Nichol, recently embarked on an unsupported cycling tour around Australia to promote awareness and raise money for sustainable living.

Starting his journey at Melbourne’s Sustainable Living Festival, Paul’s 14,000 kilometre adventure is taking him to all corners of the country. Over 179 days Paul is visiting schools, fundraising and trying to inspire others to think about the way they use resources.

“In recent years I have learnt a lot about climate change and I want to encourage people to make changes in their lives. This trip is a way to catch people’s attention. I really want to create awareness and the more things that are out there, the more aware people become,” he said.

Throughout his journey Paul is hauling 30 kilograms of supplies on a trailer attached to his bike. And while he has organised a few family and friends to stay with, he is spending the majority of his evenings camping.

“I’m pretty much living in a tent and will stay in a caravan park about once a week. I’ve also lined up about 20 people to stay with including friends, family and members of the Outdoor Education Group.”

As well as pushing the sustainability message, Paul hopes to raise money for the Melbourne-based Sustainable Living Foundation (SLF). SLF aims to enable people and organisations to pursue social and ecological sustainability.

“I hope to raise at least $10,000 for SLF by promoting the organisation through my website and fundraising throughout my journey.”

While Paul has always been passionate about the environment, he started to think seriously about how he could make a difference when studying Swinburne’s Diploma of Outdoor Recreation.

“It’s pretty amazing the way your cards get dealt in life. Studying the Diploma of Outdoor Recreation started everything for me. I found being around like-minded people and the environment to not only be extremely rewarding and fulfilling, but it really got me thinking.”