WHEELS ON THE HENRO: A Shikoku riding poem

A belated post from our April 2026 Shikoku & the Shimanami Kaido cycle tour. Thank you to Tanya for sharing this beautiful poem she wrote for our final night celebrations and speeches. It really captures the feeling on the road as we pedalled along, the group members and friends we have made. Memories we will never forget with a fun, friendly and caring group. Big thanks to Takashi-San, our Japanese guide for always helping us understand each other’s cultures and Mal our mechanic for keeping us rolling. Thank you also to the wonderful photographers on the Tour, whose photos they have kindly shared. Please enjoy the Photo album at the bottom of the page and see our Instagram story for more!

Wheels on the Henro: A Shikoku Riding Poem
By Tania Burstin, April 2026

Sixteen on the Mountain Road
From the land of the Rising Sun we came to ride,
Sixteen adventurers, wheel to wheel, side by side,
Through cedar valleys, mountain passes, onsen steam,
Clare led us onwards, living out the dream.
We followed the Henro — the ancient pilgrim way,
Where white-robed walkers tread the 88 sacred temples on the trail,
We passed and paused at a few, each one a gift, each one a tale.
Then out across the Shimanami Kaidō we flew,
Six islands, seven bridges, the Inland Sea below,
Seventy kilometres of cycling heaven spun in blue,
The greatest cycling road the world has come to know.

Tony, the eldest silver fox — even Taka rides his shadow on the road,
At seventy-five and more he carries quite the lightest load.
Tour de Brisbane silver medal, proud grandfather with Remy on the track,
With stretching mat and spiky ball, this legend is never looking back.

Wolf, the town planner, with German roots from Sudetenland,
He finds his zone and stays there — well, everything’s as planned.
Silver hair and beard beside his mates upon the road,
His wife awaits at home while he rides Shikoku’s ancient road.

Liz and Peter, the couple, riding side by side,
They’ve locked the Richmond flat again and headed for the ride.
They hike the world, they cycle it — their life is one long trail,
And Liz has stood on Mont Blanc — now that’s an epic tale!

Cathy fuels on gluten-free gold, her own secret stash,
The engine needs its fuel — and it needs it in a flash.
She rides the peloton with grace, a Roaming Fox of class,
And after all those kilometres? A crisp white wine — or sake’s fine to pass.

Poor Steve and all his punctures — how many now, we’ve lost count!
Perhaps it’s time for tubeless, Steve, before the tyres mount!
From cop to finance, coastguard now — he’s worn a lot of hats,
He splits his time on Philip Island, managing Facebook chats.

Alex, cheering Netball dad — apparently quite loud —
He rides with Steve on Philip Island, easy in the crowd.
But Japan is brand new territory, multi-days as well,
His wife is home, he’s here celebrating 60 with us.

Laurie — Northern Italian, that’s Venezia not Sicily and don’t you dare get that wrong!
Retired now, he cooks at home and sings a cheerful song.
He hits the onsen morning, night, that’s dedication true,
The friendliest of faces on this whole Shikoku crew.

Sophie, fair and fearless, QOM** upon the road,
On her rented alloy bike she carries quite the load —
Of speed! The fastest rider here, from hilly Viewbank’s slopes,
No ebi on her chopsticks, but new tastes found along the way.
And when a tool fell off a ledge? She stretched right out to save it —
Fearless doesn’t cover it — this woman’s made of something rare.

Carly ABC* is a dark horse — do not underestimate her speed,
She’ll kindly wait at corners, let you sit her wheel and lead.
At home are Ruby, Bailey — two good dogs who hold the fort,
While Carly quietly destroys you on the road. Just sport.

Karen — KBo to her mates — is fishing every week,
That Euro-style, meditative calm is what she seeks.
Unless a carp decides to fight — then calm goes out the door!
She rooms with Carly, loves an onsen morning noon and night,
She is the mochi queen of Shikoku, every bite a delight.

Tania, curls flying free in the wind,
Who came straight from her son’s wedding, jet-lagged but undeterred.
Slow and steady, six days in — and now she’s finally fit!
Her husband’s off in Tokyo golfing — so close, yet so far.
“Sukoshi nihongo onegaishimasu” — a little Japanese if you please,
She roams Japan with Cathy — two Foxy Ladies on the breeze.

Taka-san, he lives in Brisbane but still carries the soul of this Japanese land. 
Bent low and arrow-fast, the aero warrior flies,
Yet off the bike — pure stillness, calm and Buddha-wise.
The soul of a monk, the engine of a racer, serenity sets the pace.
He translates us our lunch order — the most important hand.

Mal is on the staff and what a legend that man is —
The mechanics, the van, the long and winding road all his.
With his camera he captures the light on every face,
A cedar temple half in mist, a peloton mid-race,
The quiet magic of a moment, gone before you knew —
No Mal, no mission — simple as that, it’s true,
Every great adventure needs a Mal or two.

Clare, our brilliant organiser, energy untamed,
The routes, the hotels, hidden stops — each perfect, each acclaimed.
Her Instagram stories daily — keeping everyone in the loop,
What a host, what a guide — she holds together this whole group.

What a group. What a ride. What a road.
Shikoku will remember you — every hill, every ode. 

*Australian Born Chinese (as Carly calls herself)

** Queen of the  Mountain