Matt’s a film maker with spirit, and friend of Bellroy. 16 months ago he set off from the northernmost tip of the Americas, solo, on a motorbike. His goal — travel north to south in search of waves, and clarity.
You’ve got five words, describe yourself.
Curious, creative, determined, dreamer, dirtbag.
Why the route you’ve chosen, and why now?
This trip was about the surf. I considered Indonesia and the world’s most perfect waves, but I’ve lived for six years over there and thought maybe I should go somewhere I don’t have any familiarity. Maybe I should go somewhere I don’t know the culture.
Waves were a big priority, and for that reason I wanted a western facing coastline. Due to the Coriolis effect, and lots of other reasons, the western facing coastlines tend to have better surf. I think this is probably one of the largest western coastlines in the world. I’ve pretty much started at the top and am heading to the bottom, a simple idea.
How have you made this trip possible?
I worked very hard for two and half to three years doing the 9–5. I guess I was reasonably, I dunno frugal’s not the right word, but I don’t really buy new clothes or anything. So after two and a half years I had savings.
And I had a choice, either I go back to Indonesia or set off on a big adventure. That was probably the hardest thing for me, the decision to commit. I was 30 at the time, and thought was this a ridiculous idea, societal pressures got to me a bit. That was the most difficult thing, you know, really committing. But after that happened it all fell into place naturally.
I started looking at which swell seasons were best for different parts of the Americas, and from there I just planned the trip. There’s not really an itinerary, just trying not to get caught in Alaskan winters.
How long did you imagine it was going to take you?
I thought it was going to take a year and a half, I’m a little bit behind schedule. I’m pretty happy with the pace, and by the time I get down to Patagonia it might be snowing, but it’ll make a good finish, an adventurous finish.
What do you want out of this experience, did you set yourself any goals before you set off?
It’s definitely more than just seeing the landscapes and trying to experience culture and waves.
The reason I did it, I was pretty confused about how I wanted to live my life. I mean I wasn’t unhappy, don’t get me wrong, I had heaps of mates, got to go camping in my camper van every weekend.
What I was missing was the state of clarity that I had, looking back at when I was 22 and set off on travels for four years. During that time I was living in Indonesia and Europe, and I had a really strong sense of who I was and where I wanted to take my life.
Then I came back and, sort of, injected myself into the 9–5 and found myself, I dunno, a little bit, what’s the word? I started feeling the pressures of growing older and that I was meant to become something and maybe I didn’t fit that box so much. So this trip was about trying rediscover that sense of clarity in my mind, what I wanted to do with my life and where I wanted to take it.
Do you feel like you’re on the way to finding that clarity?
I don’t want to say I’m buddha, I haven’t reached Zen or anything, but I don’t feel that sense of confusion anymore. I do feel I’ve reaffirmed in my mind where I want to take my life; this journey’s put me on a completely different trajectory. I’m looking forward to following through with it.
Everyone’s different, I’m not trying to say I’m better at all. A lot of my friends are married with kids, a nice home, and it makes me really happy to see them living life the way they want. But at this point in my life I need something different.
How do you keep yourself grounded when you’re moving so much? Do you have a routine you follow every day?
Packing and unpacking the tent is very ritualistic. When I started it was something I considered a chore and took so much energy. But now it’s become something that’s just part of life and that’s my daily routine.
And, there’s my morning ritual — porridge, raisins, chia seeds, granola, cinnamon apples, peanuts and coffee. Keeps ya goin.
Have you traveled solo the whole time?
I travelled solo for 7 months, and then some friends and my girlfriend Heather, who I met in Vancouver Island, joined me in Mexico for a few months.
Heather’s still traveling with me.
Tell us about a high and low moment.
There’s been so many of them, it’s so hard to pick a good one. I’ll start with the low.
Probably the worst thing that’s happened to me on this journey was having my bike stolen in Mexico. That was a really big hit. I mean I had my whole life in there. It was a beautiful bike as well, custom made and it was actually something I’d grown to love. And so that was really hard to work my way through and it put me in a bit of despair for a bit.
But this journey’s shown me so many different things and when you work your way out of holes like that, and you realise it’s not really all that bad, you can afford a cheaper second hand bike and continue the journey. On the scale of problems. it’s a very small problem. Yup, that was a shell shocker but at the same time it taught me a little bit.
And then probably a high point, there’s been so many, a really great high point for me was when my friends and I got together and we were all on motorbikes, riding through the Mexican desert, chasing waves, camping, and setting out the bonfire for months on end. There were seven of us, a bit of a motorcycle gang.
So that was a huge highlight for me, that sense of camaraderie with friends and teamwork and sharing stories, and sharing the burdens of cooking and all of that.
It’s not necessarily easier to travel in a group, you’ve got to manage group dynamics and all of that but it was a great adventure and it’s been a great privilege to be able to share this with friends. Especially as I get older, and all that. A lot people have big commitments in their lives so it was amazing to be able to do something like that.
How have you changed since you hit the road, if at all?
I think I’ve ridded myself of a lot of uncertainty. I was never a very stressed out or worried person, but I was at a point where I wasn’t sure where I was going or even my own identity whilst living in the city, especially after those years of living in the jungle, in really remote places.
I felt very lost in the city, even though I had lots of friends, I couldn’t really do the things I wanted. I couldn’t go spear fishing and catch my own lunch, a daily ritual I’d been doing for years when I was living in Sumatra. And so it was small things like that, I found myself a fish out of water.
And now to be back in an environment where I can live the life I want, with a very outdoors focus, it’s reminded me this is what I want, this is what I need — mountains and ocean. And I’m going to change my life in future to make sure it’s included. I’ve got a bit more confidence to live life how I want to live it and I’ve become a lot more independent and more sure of myself.
How do you know when it’s the right time to move on?
The swell is the dictator. And gut feeling.
Best wave, longest wave, most memorable wave?
Best — Baja, a long intense barrel that blew my mind. A wave I’ve not had outside of Indonesia. I was deep inside the barrel, a really long and crazy freak of a wave. And then to have it out in the desert when you’re so far from civilization, it adds a kind of special nature to it. The sunset was incredible and the wind was perfect and all the elements came together for a really fickle spot to just turn on.
Longest — in Peru, there’s a couple that are super super long. There was a place just outside of Chicama that probably went on for about two minutes, yeh super long.
Memorable — probably Mavericks which is such a famous and dangerous wave. To get that spot, that was a milestone for me. Five to six times as tall as me on the really big waves. It wasn’t out of control but still they were the kind of waves you don’t want to get in the wrong place for. And it was kind of magic because the guy that actually found the spot, I bumped into that guy and he lent me his board. It was like one of those magical coincidences that leaves you stunned, and afterwards you wonder whether it really happened.
Tell us about a character you’ve met along the way.
There was this one guy called Bobby, I met him in Colombia. He was 78 years old, and he’s a real classic guy. His best mate had just died and left him $16,000, his entire life savings.
Bobby was honouring his friend by riding from Arizona to Patagonia over a year and a half. I guess he was just a huge character to do that journey on his own at 78.
He would never stay in hostels, ever, even in the rain he would sleep outside. He didn’t have a tent, just a tarpaulin that he’d just drape over his bike. He had a nice bike. And he’d play the harmonica and serenade himself to sleep every single night. And all these funny little things, he’d carry a pebble under his tongue because someone had shown him that it lessens the need for water, or so he believed. So all day, every day, he had a little pebble under his tongue.
He told so many stories, but one’s really stuck in my mind. He was riding his motorcycle a few years ago and a lady in a car hit him and there was quite a big accident and he ended up breaking both of his wrists. And the doctors at the hospital told him he needed to rest and do some professional rehab, but he wandered off in the Arizona desert. He walked from one end of the desert to the other, completely unassisted, with a pebble under his tongue, both arms in casks. Going along his own little journey that way.
And, I dunno, he’s just an average Joe, that’s why I find it inspiring. People like him are not big adventurers being paid to do anything, they’re just people out there living quirky lives. He was so full of positive energy. Whoever he met, or hung around with just took that on, he had so much spirit for life.
What hacks have you learnt on the way? Have you found a Better Way of doing something?
I figured if there’s was something that I’d like someone to take away from reading the interview, it’s that most of the time our dreams are possible, and that it’s just a matter of biting the bullet and making it happen.
So, I thought back to one of the most difficult parts of the process for me, which was actually committing to the journey and project, and not just letting it remain a dream inside my head during slow moments at the office.
I think when we’re looking at embarking on something big in our lives (not necessarily an adventure), our minds swirl with all the possibilities, both good and bad — and it can be overwhelming and confusing when you leave it in your head. I found it really useful to pour all of those thoughts, doubts, excitements and opportunities onto a big piece of paper, scrawling all over it with a pen, not a computer. I even did a Pros and Cons list to better understand that big choice in life I was making. And then after having critically analysed all the data in a logical way, I burnt the piece of paper and went with my gut instinct.
Obviously thats just a first step, but, for me, it was an important one.
How did you decide what to pack? And what have you packed?
Well, it’s a minimalist approach with the motorbike. You’ve got to be very careful about what you take. There are two facets to this trip — the essentials and the things that I wouldn’t be doing this trip if I didn’t have — the surf and photography, so:
Two surfboards
Photographic equipment
Spearfishing equipment
Wetsuits and stuff like that, a plethora of small items
Tools and spare parts. (You know if you’re in the Atacama desert and you’ve got a flat tyre, no one’s coming to help you, so you need the tools to fix it.)
First aid
Ripped jeans and the same old singlet that I wear all day, every day
My important documents, in a Bellroy Elements Travel Wallet
And, tell us, what do you carry around with you every day?
Over the last 1.5 years of being on the road I’ve simplified my life, but at the same time have to be ready for different scenarios that inevitably crop up, here’s what I carry on a daily basis.
Camera and mic
Spare batteries
Piece of fruit, length of rope, scrap of surf wax
Bellroy Elements Travel
Bellroy Slim Sleeve
GPS
Knife and compass
Keys
Bellroy Phone Pocket
Helmet
Gloves
Watch and harmonica
Matt’s audacious spirit inspired the Adventurer in Bellroy’s Carry Collections.
