A FATHER-of-four dodged kangaroos and battled temperatures of 40C to cycle from the top to the bottom of Australia.

John Vaughan-Fowler, from Merton, near Bicester, spent 23 days in the saddle, riding 2,459 miles through the heart of the Outback to mark his 50th birthday and raise £25,000 for charity.

The financial adviser started his mammoth journey in Darwin, on Australia’s north coast, on November 17, and finished in Federation Square, Melbourne, on December 19, his birthday – allowing himself just nine rest days.

In between, Mr Vaughan-Fowler faced riding through some of the harshest terrain on the planet, which challenged him both physically and emotionally.

Eventually, in a bid to beat the heat, he rode at night, most days climbing into the saddle between 2 and 3am.

Early on he abandoned a specially-made trailer for his supplies in favour of vehicle back-up by two friends and then his wife Kate.

Mr Vaughan-Fowler described the journey as a rollercoaster ride, from missing his family to the after-effects of being in the saddle for many hours.

An extract from his online blog reads: “This magical time of sometimes feeling that I was the only person for miles around to witness such superb sunrises was about to come to an abrupt end. As if on cue, the sky was lit up by three amazing shooting stars, one so bright that I had to stop to take in what I had just seen.

“I carried on for a few more kilometres and stopped just before sunrise – not for a stretch or a bite to eat, but just to take in the peace and quiet of the moment – one that I will remember for a long time.”

During the trip he became the talk of some small towns. He was interviewed by journalists and on another occasion gave a talk to schoolchildren about his ride.

He said: “I gave a talk based on how I was just an ordinary guy who had set out to do something a little bit different.

“I told them what a scary feeling it is to step out of your comfort-zone, but what an amazing feeling of achievement it is to step out and achieve what you set your sights on.”

More than four weeks after leaving home, Mr Vaughan-Fowler cycled across the finish line to cheers from family and friends.

He said: “As I got off my bike Kate came forward and gave me a huge kiss and hug. Thank goodness I had my sunglasses on, so no-one could see the tears.”

The money raised will be donated to the Parkinson’s Disease Society and the Roald Dahl Foundation.

* For more information about the journey, see top2bottomdownunder