Tasmania - the final frontier. A strange Antipodean world inhabited by swirling dust devils where guys like us are known as "bikies" (eurgh). In our ongoing mission to bring you news from all over the globe we despatched Chappy from the Bridge Rats MCC to go where no Yorkshireman has gone before in a selfless mission to probe for signs of sentient life in this far flung wasteland. (OK, he was going there on holiday anyway...)

And what did our intrepid traveller find? Not only an advanced civilisation but a bikers charity toy run on a scale not yet seen on these shores. The MRA Toy Run is an annual event bringing bikers together from all over Tasmania. Now in it's 20th year the event attracts in excess of 4500 bikes, with an estimated total turnout of 7500 riders and pillions. On December 11th last year, the bikes began to converge southwards from Smithton on the northern shores of the island, gathering numbers as they rolled southwards through Launceston and finally converging on Salamanca Market in downtown Hobart where huge garbage bags of donated toys were given to the Salvation Army for distribution to underpriveliged kids just in time for Christmas.

Judging from the press clippings Chappy brought back the locals were well impressed. As President of the Bridge Rats MCC Chappy is no stranger to large biker gatherings, but says he's never seen bikes turned out in numbers like this before. And his day was made when he finally found a V-Max to pose with amongst the rows of parked bikes. Chappy just wouldn't be Chappy without a V-Max...

Pics-Chappy/Words-Dr.Rod