Four friends take on the largest sand dune desert in the world.

CHRIS ROLLINGS PHOTOGRAPHY BENNY LITTLEJOHN

It’s not very often a man looks you dead in the eyes and says that what you’re about to do could kill you. That man was the owner of the Mount Dare Hotel, the last bastion of hope before entering the world’s largest sand dune desert.

We’d already had the ranger try to talk us out of it, found alternatives to our leaking water containers, the crows had got to our food supply, and based on the ranger’s advice we’d decided to change route, adding a few hundred kilometres to our journey. And this was meant to be our rest day…

Ranger Frank, the frank ranger.

OK, let’s back up a little and start with Tim ‘Adventure’ Bondi. I should add this is how Tim is saved on my phone and for good reason. Tim lives for adventure and instigates the most daring trips we go on. He’s full of beans, hard as nails and insanely optimistic. If Tim gives you an estimated distance, double it. Tim is the guy responsible for this trip and the driving force behind making it happen.

The logical and detail-oriented side of Tim’s brain comes in the form of Benny, who we joke keeps us alive. He really does keep us alive (thanks Benny), and is a dead set legend. When Benny’s not working for our charity, Act for Peace, he’s taking photos (like those in this article), which I think you’ll agree aren’t too shabby.

Anti-faff enforcer and sun cream junkie Keith makes up the third member, as dry as they come and as a direct as his pointy gnome-like beard. Keith used his skills to make custom axles for our bikes that had to stand up to 60kgs of gear, water and food.