For Cobar local Trudy Griffiths, clearing the dust off the bike to join the 2024 Tour de OROC was a no brainer, with personal insight into just how impactful Macquarie Home Stay is for the region. 

After participating in the 2022 tour, Trudy joined the team for a second cycle around the Western Plains.  

“I rode three out of six days on the last Tour de OROC and I don’t think we had any tailwind whatsoever.” Trudy said.  

“It was a bit soul destroying, let me tell you.” 

Despite a tough go the first time around, Trudy wasted no time rallying her Cobar community to get behind the cause.  

“When you live out in the western regions, you see the struggle that people have, like they go to Dubbo waiting for a baby and they’ve got to pay for motel accommodation for two weeks…I had to do that myself 14 years ago.” 

Early morning departures are necessary to beat the heat.

“When you’ve got to be away from home, if you can have as homely an environment as possible without the financial burden, then it helps,” Trudy said.  

As a business owner in Cobar, Trudy has taken every opportunity to raise funds where she can.  

“My community has been amazing, we’ve raised a really decent amount of money so far, a shade over $10,000.” 

“I’ve been able to raise a lot more because people are more aware of it now that it’s my second time around.” 

Despite the draws of riding through the countryside, Trudy reflected that you can’t afford to be distracted by the scenery. 

“It’s tough. You’re riding very close to the person in front of you. You’ve got to watch their wheel if they’re slowing down or if there’s holes in the roads.” 

“If you take your eyes off it for a minute and you clip their wheel, you cause a massive accident. So that can be quite tiring.” 

With the tour’s route having changed this year, Trudy will cross the finish line when she arrives back to her hometown in Cobar. 

“I sort of can’t wait, I’m telling myself not to get emotional but I’m sure that I will.” 

“There’s so much relief obviously, when you finish that ride you’re just so glad it's done, but to actually come into your home crowd and you know you’ve had this amazing amount of support behind you…it’s pretty special.”