“Indian Crusader” Paul Bourke reaches Albany on motorbike mission, raising money for outback kids’ footy boots

A good Samaritan who has turned his cross-country motorbike ride into a charitable mission is astounded at the juggernaut his trip has become, raising thousands of dollars to buy footy boots for kids in the outback.

Paul Bourke, who hails from Geelong, has raised $16,000 so far for boots and sporting equipment for remote communities, having been inspired when he saw the bare feet of the children he was kicking a footy with in Katherine.

“This started out as a bit of fun doing a lap of the country on an Indian motorbike,” he said.

“When I was in Cairns I thought it would be fun to buy a footy and kick a goal at every oval I could find around the country.

“I have been riding with a footy strapped to the back of my bike and when I met some local kids in Katherine at a footy oval, we all had a shot at goal and a bit of a laugh.

“I found out the lads share a box of footy boots across their footy team. That didn’t sit well with me, and I wanted to make a difference in their lives.”

Needing to return home for work after his ride from Victoria to the Northern Territory, Mr Bourke started the second leg of his journey on Saturday, reaching Albany on Sunday before heading across the Nullabor.

He said he would finish his ride in Geelong by the end of August and hand-deliver the footy boots to communities across the Northern Territory in mid-September.

“I’m doing this as an Aussie helping out other Aussies,” he said.

“It comes with no activism or political message — I’m just a guy on a motorbike wanting to help out.

“It may seem small, but a new pair of boots gives these kids so much happiness.”

Mr Bourke is documenting his trip on his YouTube channel The Indian Crusader.

Donations can be made via his GoFundMe — Boots for the Outback.