Fun in hilly country towns

 

A few days before the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised when Alexandria and Dexter invited me to visit his parents and go for a drive to visit country towns close to the Blue Mountains.

 

Alex and Dex invited me on a visit to Leura

Alex and Dex were fitting out their recently renovated house and were seeking suitable vintage items that will match with their home décor. They knew that I was keen on visiting country towns to browse in the small shops so they graciously invited me on this outing.

 

That morning, the drive to Blacktown was about 30km with a stretch on the motorway to reach his family home.

 

As we alighted from the car, we were enveloped by the aroma of fragrant spices from someone’s kitchen. When the front entrance opened and we were welcomed in by Letitia, Dex’s mother, it was confirmed that the aroma was coming from their kitchen.

 

Freshly cooked Lamb Biryani [Left]

Dex’s father, Anthony, came out to be introduced and quickly returned to the kitchen to put the final touches to the Lamb Biryani as he was the chief cook.

 

His reputation as a good cook preceded him because I was duly informed ahead of our visit. I was pleased when he announced, “Another 20 minutes.”

 

Yummy! This meant that we should have the privilege to savour his freshly cooked Lamb Biryani in a short while.

 

A serving of Lamb Biryani
to be topped with a dollop of yogurt

Meanwhile it was a pleasure to get acquainted with Letitia, fondly called Letty, as she shared about the culture and heritage of their family with its origins in Goa, India.

 

Alex and Dex had invited Letty to join us on the outing to the country towns so after enjoying an early lunch of Lamb Biryani, dotted with tender pieces of lamb, drizzled in yogurt, we set off on a drive into the hills.

 

After a brief discussion between Alex and Dex, they decided that we should go to Leura, a charming town in the Blue Mountains, located about 100km West of Sydney.

 

Charming old buildings in Leura

Dubbed, “The Garden Village” and the “Jewel in the Mountains Crown,” this destination is famous for its boutique shopping streets that offers a quieter, more scenic alternative to neighbouring Katoomba.

 

Even though Leura is located about 985 meters above sea level and the weather should be cooler, on that bright summer’s day of our visit, the temperature soared to above 40 sweltering degrees. Whew!

 

While it may only take a few minutes to walk from one end of the main street to the other, the scorching heat and the steep gradient combined to encourage visitors to pause at the ice-cream shop to get their icy treats.

 

Down the main street in Leura

From the number of crowds milling about, it was clear that such touristy mountain towns with shops for antiques, vintage and preloved items, are a magnet for visitors, especially on weekends.

 

I observed that visitors – many like us – escaped into the interior of the shops for a brief, cool respite from the heat outdoors. Whew!

 

As we browsed around, the merchants cannot help but noticed our sweaty (Read: wilting) looks. And one even welcomed me to move closer to the air-conditioner blower to cool down for a bit.

 

The Post Office shop in Katoomba

While we were in Leura, Alex and Dex decided that we should also visit nearby Katoomba, renowned as the most visited town in the Blue Mountains.

 

So Dex drove us to Katoomba where we explored the charming shops in search of some vintage treasure.

 

We followed the sign into the Katoomba Post Office building which housed an eclectic array of vintage collectibles and memorabilia.

 

A sign seen inside the
Wayzgoose Cafe in Leura

Outside, a poster reminded visitors to look out for the Vintage Post Mistress. And there she was, seated behind one of the counters, all dressed up, accessorized and wigged in 50’s vintage glamour.

 

She probably took pity on my wilted looks and invited me to take a seat close to the vintage vinyl record player – playing a vintage rock ‘n roll song – and rest for a bit!

 

Shopping and browsing in such intense warm weather, was very exhausting and when it was time to pause for some refreshments, we discovered that most of the cafés were nearing closing time or already closed.

 

So we headed back to Leura and went to the Wayzgoose Café for drinks and pastries.

 

It was good to sit down after exploring the country towns. I did not realise how parched I was until I tasted my fresh juice and almost finished it in one gulp.

 

Inside this cosy café, I spotted some clever but sarcastic signs put up as part of the décor and was amused by them.

 

Look! Its Sticky Date Pudding again!

After our refreshment break, we enjoyed a smooth drive back to Blacktown to drop Letty home. She graciously asked us to bring some takeaway Lamb Biryani back for Malcolm and Yeen to enjoy. [I was pleased that the takeaway portion was enough to share with us at dinner!]

 

On the return drive, there was the usual weekend traffic and when we reached home, Yeen was busy in the kitchen, not only preparing dinner but also making another Sticky Date Pudding!

 

Then after dinner, she announced that the pudding was ready and we should eat it while it was warm. This was enough of an invitation to help ourselves to a portion each, drizzled with butterscotch sauce, a fitting end to an eventful day visiting hilly country towns.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesJanuary2026

Taste of Dutch in WA

  

The landmark windmill at The Lily with
the Stirling Range in background

On the drive South from Perth on the Albany Highway, I’m taking in the scenic views and reading signboards.  

I read William, Arthur River, Kojonup and start to notice a curious pattern of how names of surrounding towns like Muradup, Tambellup and Kendenup – all end with the letters, “u p.”  

After leaving the city suburbs, the terrain changes from bush to rolling hills and then to a mosaic of fields upon fields of gold and green created by tiny blossoms of yellow canola flowers waving in the wind.

My nephew Andrew and his wife Val, who planned this trip, reminded his mother and me to wear good walking shoes because we are going bush walking in the Stirling Range National Park to scale the 1095-metre Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in the southern half of West Australia.  

I’m geared up for adventure and new experiences and I’m feeling more relaxed as we cruise along the scenic route.  After about 5 hours drive with several stops in between, I see in the distance dark silhouettes of mountains and we start to look for the sign to our accommodation booked with The Lily.

Tennis ball [Left] wet with Ted's
saliva from our game of Fetch!

I have no idea what it is but I’m guessing it’s probably a bed and breakfast stay in a farmhouse. As I join them to look for that sign, I overhear them talking about a windmill.  

“What?”  I wonder in disbelief, thinking I must have misheard their words. After driving a few more kilometers, we almost miss the turn into The Lily because our eyes are glued to a towering windmill, standing majestically in the rural plains! 

As we walk to the reception, I’m still staring at the stunning sight of the windmill when the door opens and a bundle of fur bounds towards me and I soon realise it’s a border collie.  

When it stops in front of me, a tennis ball held in its mouth drops to the ground and I understand that it wants me to throw the ball for it to fetch.  

I’m absolutely charmed by the adorable dog and when I throw the ball, the dog races to fetch it, only to bring it back and drop it at my feet again – and we have much fun repeating this in an exhilarating game of Fetch! 

Country Comfort

Our cosy room with wrought
iron beds and handmade quilts
 

At the reception we meet the Dutch couple, Pleun Hitzert and his wife, Hennie who created The Lily with self-contained cottage accommodation and are formally introduced to Ted, the world’s friendliest border collie.  

Escorted by Hennie and Ted, we walk a short distance to the Miller’s Quarters and when the door opens, I hear the subtle strains of saxophone playing softly within.  

Later I discover that Pleun is not only a designer, builder, restaurateur and photographer but also a composer and musician, as he recorded this CD of jazzy tunes in the upstairs room of this very cottage in 1995!

Façade of the Miller's Quarters
that has a workshop at rear
 

As Hennie shows us around the cosy cottage designed in a farm building with a front hall linked to a kitchen-dining area and bathroom downstairs, she told us the Miller’s Quarters was their home for nine years since 1988 while the windmill was being built.  

The two rooms upstairs overlook a workshop in the rear and I can imagine how Pleun used to tinker around here, maybe to assemble the sails for the windmill.  

In the corner of the hall I spot a supply of logs and kindle next to a little wood-burning stove and am reassured that its warmth will keep us in toasty comfort during such wintry weather.

Our breakfast packed in a wicker basket
[Left] a brown paper wrapped loaf of bread
made by Pleun, from The Lily's spelt flour

 

The white-washed attic rooms, slanting ceilings, muted lighting and bright designs of the handmade quilts on the wrought iron beds all add up to the comfort in the country cottage and I can’t wait to snuggle down to sleep tonight.  

That evening, Pleun sent over a wicker basket with our breakfast – fresh eggs, cereal, yoghurt, milk, juice, spreads and a loaf of bread wrapped in a brown paper bag – ready for us to enjoy at our convenience tomorrow.  

The fairy tale charm of this basket is simply captivating and as I think about how the bread ingredients are grown, harvested, milled and baked here, I wish for morning to come quickly so that I can taste a slice of West Australian sunshine!

The Windmill

The Lily is a labour of love
for Pleun and Hennie Hitzert

The Lily, the windmill Pleun single-handedly built, is named after its identical windmill De Lilie, the local windmill that used to supply flour to the villagers for centuries in Puttershoek, a small village in south-west Holland where he was born.  

In West Australia, the Hitzerts grow spelt, an ancient grain with a distinct nutty flavour that has a broader spectrum of nutrients than wheat, to offer customers and guests a healthier choice of flour and bread.  

To pick up the finer points of milling, Pleun returned to Holland to work alongside flour millers and now at The Lily, he even sells their own brand of stone-ground wholemeal spelt flour. 

Pleun showing us the inside
of his working windmill

Building The Lily is a labour of love for this Dutch couple and while Pleun researched the project and started to lay the windmill’s foundation in 1992, Hennie worked at the Albany hospital to support their project.  

Pleun roamed the countryside to find recycled material to build the 5-level windmill and found beams from Albany’s old deep-water jetty that was demolished in 1994 that he used to support the top floor while recycled telephone poles were used to construct the floors. 

 

He salvaged bricks, handmade locally by Samuel Taylor of Tambellup about 100 years ago, from the Co-Op building in Broomehill after it was destroyed by fire in 1991 but they had to be cleaned before use. Pleun carefully hand-cleaned each brick and used them to build the sloping sides of the windmill.

When Pleun takes us on a tour of the windmill, I carefully climb the steep stairs that link the various levels within the windmill because they are virtually wooden step ladders.  

He said before its internal machinery and grinding mechanisms were installed, The Lily was first opened as a restaurant in 1997 and shows us the basement which Hennie turned into her kitchen.  

When the first two levels were used as a unique restaurant inside a windmill, Pleun would help to serve meals. As I gingerly pick my way from one step to the next, I wonder how they could climb up and down, holding trays heavy with porcelain plates but 66-year old Pleun gamely gives us a demo on how he glides hands-free, up and down the stairs in perfect balance!

Useful Restoration

The former railway station
is now rebuilt at The Lily

 

As the restaurant in the windmill gained a reputation for good food in a novel site, the Hitzerts thought about replacing it with a bigger place.  

When they saw the 1924 Gnowangerup Railway Station that was idle for many years, looking derelict and ready for demolition, they also saw its potential to be restored and used as their Railway Restaurant.  

 

Pleun decided to rebuild it at The Lily but before the building was dismantled, he took photographs and measured and numbered the main structural components so that he could rebuild it precisely.

Stone-ground spelt flour grown
and produced at The Lily
 

While Pluen replaced the station’s ceilings and added a fireplace, The Lily’s reception desk and a lounge are set up within and their living quarters is linked to the rear of the ex-railway station. 

When the restaurant opened, diners enjoyed splendid views of the Stirling Range while dining on the station platform shelter which is comfortably enclosed in glass walls.  

Their restaurant is now closed but Hennie says she will cook in the weekends and for special events hosted at The Lily and sometimes, if the mood is right, Pleun may even play his saxophone to provide live music entertainment!
 

The insides of this DC-3 Dakota warplane is being
refurbished as guest accommodation at The Lily!
 

Before leaving, I walk round to the Hitzerts’ living quarters to bid farewell to Ted and I’m pleasantly surprised to see a 1943-built DC-3 Dakota warplane resting in the backyard.  

Curiosity brought me to the foot of a ladder leaning against an open door and I hear Pluen inside, working on his project to refurbish the fuselage into guest accommodation. 

 

Pluen, an aviation enthusiast, tells me that the vintage plane was once owned by the Dutch East India Company and with the plumbing done, it should be ready for her first guests in a few months.  

With two runways, The Lily is the perfect stopover for pilots but I’m sure non-pilots will also get a kick out of staying inside a plane. And then Pleun tells me that he already has advance bookings for his unique suite in the plane!

Fast Facts

The Lily Dutch Windmill is located on Chester Pass Road, 90km north of Albany between the Stirling Range and Borden in West Australia. Self-contained accommodation is offered in four cottages tastefully furnished with décor items in Rooster, Elephant, Frog and Pig themes. 

Pleun with Andrew and Val at the reception of The Lily -
Note Pluen's CDs of jazzy music on the counter
 

THE LILY STIRLING RANGE - DUTCH WINDMILL - WESTERN  AUSTRALIA
Accommodation - Private Airfield - Stone Ground Spelt Flour - Restaurant - Wines
9793 Chester Pass Road  -  Amelup - (Stirling Range National Park) WA 6338  Western Australia
Ph: (+61) 08 9827 9205  Fax: (+61) 08 9827 9206  Mob Pleun: 0427 279 206 Hennie: 0427 279 205

RESERVATION FREECALL 1800 980 002  (Australian land-lines only)

Web: www.thelily.com.au  Email: thelilydutchwindmill@bigpond.com

AIRFIELD INFO: position 34 deg. 13' 25" South, 118 deg. 12' 57" East
Strip directions 14-32 (650m) and 09-27 (900m) grass, check condition on 0427 279 206

The Lily has been selected as one of the 10 best self-contained accommodations in
FOOTPRINT WEST COAST AUSTRALIA HANDBOOK
Western Australian Regional Achievers Award Winner
 

A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Life & Times on 2 January 2014

Thanks for the gift of a comma

 

Readers of My Johor Stories are aware that I have been away from Johor as I have not been posting pieces on Johor for a while. Instead, I shared a series of stories in my Travelogue that took readers on a virtual trip with me in and around Sydney, Australia.

 

This time away to me, was the comma, a long-awaited pause in my sentence. A gift presented to me by my siblings, for me to have a change in my daily routine.

 

[The comma is a punctuation mark used to separate parts of a sentence to clarify meaning and adds a pause or ‘breathing space’ to make a complex sentence more readable.]

 

This time-out was a timely break from my regular routine of work and family commitments. Just time away to do something different. After all, I did have a very eventful 2025, and that January 2026 marked exactly 10 years since dad left us.

 

Time away has let me take stock of the past five years where I completed a total of six book projects, leading Heritage Walks, giving talks and promoting My Johor Stories in my pop-up book stores while juggling family and domestic responsibilities.

 

There were three books in the trilogy of My Johor Stories where the first book went to the Number One spot in the MPH Non-Fiction Bestsellers list in the first week of its launch and was counted among the Best of MPH at the end of 2017.

 

Following the success of My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, I worked on its sequel, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, published in 2018.

 

Then came the global pandemic which delayed the publication of the third and final instalment of My Johor Stories. With the support of MPH Publishing Kuala Lumpur, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, was finally published in 2022.

 

I am grateful for the support of hotels and resorts who bought My Johor Stories books and placed them in their better rooms, suites and villas for guests’ reading pleasure.

 

It was a wonderful way for guests to read about Johor and then go out to explore more of Johor. And it was through reading my book in a resort that started me on my next book project.

 

Soon as the borders were reopened and people were able to travel again after the pandemic, families took the opportunity to spend time at resorts in Johor’s beautiful Desaru Coast.

 

While relaxing in a resort in Desaru Coast, a member of the Tan family read My Johor Stories, and recognized names of people documented in my book. They were the same as what her father, a retired lawyer in Johor Bahru, wrote in his memoirs.

 

After his retirement, he moved to Singapore and was encouraged to write about his most memorable court cases. His daughter, who read my book then had the idea to document her father’s story along with his memoirs in a book as a tribute to him for the benefit of his family and grandchildren. And she reached out to me.

 

This, I was later told, was because his oncologist said that he did not have much time left. This info was the impetus which compelled me to work with the Tan family to write this tribute book without any delay.

 

I did not meet the members of the Tan family but only communicated by email and WhatsApp to exchange information, documents and photographs as we worked on this book project with a sense of urgency.

 

In addition to compiling, writing and proofreading, I also connected them with the printer to help with the printing of this book for private distribution within their family.

 

It was good to finally meet the Tan family members when they came to collect the books, as I already got to know them from their names and writing about this family.

 

We were sad that her father did not live to see the book titled, Tan Kiah Teck – A Kampung Boy’s Search for Truth and Justice. It meant a great deal to this family to have his words documented for future generations to hear his voice through this book.

 

In a Tan family gathering on Christmas eve 2023, this book was presented to family members and a copy was placed in the niche where his remains were interred.

 

Then in March 2024, I received a query about how to get a copy of a book that documented the life and ministry of Colleen Redit, a missionary in India whose ministry in Madras (now Chennai) India, started with rescuing women and children.

 

Over the years, the scope of her mission work expanded and I had the privilege to document her life story and work in a book, titled, Realising a Vision through Faith: The Autobiography of Colleen M. Redit, published in 2013. [This book was distributed among the churches and now available online through amazon.com]

 

As I was reminded about this – which was in fact, my very first book project – I decided to put into action, the plan to compile and document the story of our own assembly and its work in Johor Bahru, that was planted more than 50 years ago.

 

Cockatoos that come to rest on trees
close to the balcony at Concord, Sydney NSW

From reading through old record books in chronological order, I was able to get a sense of the work of the assembly since the early years and I took time to list out the names of the guest speakers, invited to share in the pulpit ministry.

 

Over the next few months, the manuscript was slowly stitched together, the cover design completed and the book given a title, Milestones on our Journey in Faith – Johor Bahru Gospel Chapel. By the end of June 2025, this book was ready for distribution among assembly members, both past and present.

 

Meanwhile back in 2024, there was talk about the Centennial Celebrations of our alma mater, the Johor Bahru Convent – the only Convent School in this city – planned for August 2025. Among the ideas proposed for the year-long celebration were a fund-raising dinner, a Convent Fun Run, Centenary Celebration T-shirts and the publication of a 100-Year Anniversary Souvenir Book.

 

Spotted My Johor Stories books in the book
case in Malcolm's house; Book One is missing
because it was a Bestseller and already sold-out!

I was invited to join online meetings with the Fund-Raising Committee to learn more about their proposed plans and ideas where all proceeds will be channeled to the school fund for building maintenance projects.

 

I saw the urgent need to work on this book project for the school, especially with the fund-raising activities in view and the desperately limited time ahead. And if this book should be ready for the Fun Run and dinner celebration in August, we had to start on the project like – yesterday!

 

Working with a small but dynamic Book Team, we met regularly online and through our discussions, agreed to keep production costs low and create a book that will celebrate the school’s work over the decades through the successes and achievement of the alumni.

 

On the way to Burwood, 
Sydney NSW

The Team worked in tandem to carry out various tasks and because this Souvenir Book will be sold to alumni and distributed widely, we also applied for the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and got it approved for the book.

 

Keeping to strict deadlines and working closely with the printer, this Book Team managed to get the books ready for the Fun Run, held a week ahead of the dinner celebration at end August 2025.

 

The work was not over yet as the Team coordinated the sale and distribution of these Limited Edition books to alumni who preordered and required delivery by courier to destinations locally and abroad.

 

Dinner with Uncle, Auntie, Gillian,
Michael, Malcolm and Yeen at 
La Cocina Spanish Restaurant
Crows Nest, Sydney NSW

So here I am, having completed six book projects in the past five years. It was a great deal of work but it was worth the effort.

 

I am pleased with how these books have benefited others and even today, I am delighted to receive an email with a query, asking me where he can get My Johor Stories books! [From MPH bookstores nationwide or online from mphonline]

 

I was more than due for a pleasant change, a comma in my sentence, in a different place, with another arm of our widespread family located around the globe.

 

“Good to see you on this side of the world,” said Eva. “I hope you had a fabulous time,” she added. I replied, “Yes, I did, thank you.”

 

I did so with the help of cousin Malcolm, my very able tour guide, who gave me various experiences at different destinations in and around Sydney.

 

Gelato treat after dinner together;
Crows Nest, Sydney NSW

I was pleased to share my experiences documented in a Travelogue (for me to recall and reminisce!) and by reading it, I took my readers who included relatives and friends, on a virtual tour.

 

One of the comments I received from a school friend went like this: “Such interesting experiences, Peggy! Can I engage Malcolm and Auntie Polly to be my guides if ever I go down to Sydney?”

 

Another friend who visits Sydney regularly said: “It is good you can share all these experiences and places with me. There are still many places I have not been to in Australia.”

 

Yet another said: “Thanks for your stories filled with so much fun and excitement. Above all, precious time with your cousins, Auntie Polly and Uncle Steven… Am sure you will bring back with you, treasured and enriching memories!”

 

Dinner with Malcolm, Yeen and family
at Delhi Palace, Strathfield, Sydney NSW

Indeed! My stay happened to coincide with the Chinese New Year season so it was a different experience for me where family still gathered for feasting but with the (thankfully!) absence of “bombing” explosions from firecrackers and fireworks.

 

I am deeply grateful and blessed by the generous hospitality of my hosts, Malcolm and Yeen, who let me share their home and to Gillian and Michael for my glamping stay with them at Dee Why. Words alone cannot express how much I appreciate it.

 

In addition to Auntie Polly and Uncle Steven who shared with me exciting experiences in Dee Why and nearby Collaroy, I also had the pleasure to explore country towns with Alex and Dex, and had the company of Ben who escorted me around Cockatoo Island and in climbing The Rocks. Whew!

 

So Thank You all, for this precious gift of a comma, a breathing space, before I continue writing my sentence.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026

JBAF solo cyclist

JBAF solo cyclist, Sahid Selamat
arriving at Dataran Bandaraya JB

The recently concluded 11^th Johor Baru Arts Festival (JBAF) held from Sept 5 to Oct 4 can add another feather to its cap with the successful completion of a grueling 43-day solo cycling ride throughout East and West Malaysia to spread awareness of the JBAF throughout the country.  

Solo cyclist, Sahid Selamat, 51, a member from the Happy Riders cycling community in Johor Baru, was flagged off from Bukit Timbalan on Aug 21 for a targeted 44-day journey but he pushed himself to complete a total of 4437km in just 43-days.  On Oct 3, Sahid arrived at Dataran Bandaraya to a rousing welcome from JB City Council chief whip, Datuk Yahya Haji Jaafar, Johor Police Chief, Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Haji Mohd Shariff, JBAF organizers, the public and Happy Riders supporters.

Accompanied by his family, Sahid joined the group including VIPs gathered there to play several percussion instruments with the Tugu Drum Circle, one of the events in the JBAF calendar, before he graciously posed for photos with his fans and supporters.  As the drumming reached a crescendo, the stage backdrop at Dataran Bandaraya screened a video clip of Sahid’s flag-off at Bukit Timbalan on Aug 21 and a Welcome Home message to him.  The spirit of camaraderie was palpable as Sahid’s supporters swarmed around him to congratulate, quiz and commend him for successfully completing his solo ride.

Sahid Selamat with his trusted Araya bicycle

On Aug 22, Sahid took a flight from JB to Tawau where he rode through East Malaysia for 22 days.  He paced himself to ride up to 120km a day on his Araya brand bicycle and even though some of the roads were narrow and dangerous, his was pleased that his bicycle never failed him.  

From Tawau, Sahid rode through towns like Semporna, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Rawas, Brunei, Miri, Sandakan, Telupid, Ranau, Kundasang, Kota Kinabalu, Beauford, Bintulu, Sibu, Sri Aman and Serian before leaving for Johor Baru from Kuching.  On Sept 12, he continued his solo ride from JB to Benut all the way to Perlis and back in the next 21 days to complete his solo ride in 43 days.

“The most challenging sector of my journey was the hilly terrain between Telupid and Ranau which was compounded by a downpour,” said Sahid who went on to describe the challenges he experienced when he rode from 6.30am to 8pm that day.  He said the weather was hot and it rained only 3 times throughout his 43-day journey.  “As a cyclist I’m exposed to many dangers but my bicycle’s side mirror was very helpful as it gave me a good view, especially of those trucks that were usually laden with timber or oil palm fruits,” he added.

Supporters of the JBAF solo cyclist include VIPs,
MBJB's Dato Yahya and Johor Police Chief, Dato Mokhtar

“Words cannot express the deep satisfaction I feel with the safe and successful completion of this solo ride,” said Sahid, a Customs officer who is attached to the JB Customs department in the Sultan Iskandar Building.  

Deeply tanned and weighing just 65kg, the wiry father of two who hails from Batu Pahat, said he ate very small meals but drank plenty of isotonic drinks throughout his journey.  “I just want to thank the JBAF organizers and Araya, my family and the Customs department, for their support and encouragement,” he added.

Wreathed in smiles and clad in a JBAF T-shirt, Sahid said that as people were curious about the print on his T-shirt, he had the opportunity to tell them about the JBAF which has just completed its 11^th year in JB.  He was simply proud to be able to spread the message of arts and culture in JB to others throughout the nation by his solo ride.  Sahid, who has riding experience through Southern Thailand and Bali in Indonesia, is looking forward to a new riding challenge but as a committed civil servant, he was back at work as usual the next Monday.

A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Streets Johor on 8 Oct 2014