General News
24 July, 2026
Kate and Nickola to take on Digital Live Ride
Kate Ashton and Nickola Allan will take on the 1000 km Digital Life Ride in October.
Kate Ashton will take on the 1000 km Digital Life Ride in October, this time alongside Maryborough local and former MDHS CEO Nickola Allan to give kids “a life of choice”.
Ask most people what a trip to Thailand sounds like and they’ll picture cocktails by the pool, warm weather and not much to do but relax.
But Ms Ashton and Ms Allan have other ideas.
Last year, Ms Ashton told her close friends and family that six rides was “probably enough”.
By the time she’d finished riding, the next two were already booked before she’d even left Thailand.
There might be a cocktail or beer before they ride out, just to settle the nerves, and probably a few more waiting for them when they get home, but in between, there’s 1000 kilometres of cycling to get through first.
This October, Ms Ashton will join Digital Live Ride 2026, cycling both the north and south legs of her journey, for the combined 1000 kilometers across Thailand over ten days, roughly 100km a day, through 40 degree heat, humidity sitting at nearly 90 percent, rough roads, potholes and stretches that aren’t really roads at all.
The bikes are supplied, along with a support crew, mechanics and local guides, so it’s not quite a backyard pedal. But anyone picturing a relaxing cruise through rice paddies and quiet villages should know there’s more to it than scenery. This is riding with a purpose.
It will be the seventh time Ms Ashton has taken on this ride, but the cause hasn’t changed.
Hands Across the Water began in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.
Its founder, Peter Baines was a police officer sent to Thailand to help with the identification efforts after the disaster. While there, he met a group of children living in a tent near Khao Lak who had lost their parents, their homes, and almost everything else.
He set out to build them somewhere safe to live.
More than 20 years on, that one home has grown into a charity supporting children across five homes throughout Thailand, providing health care, education, a safe place to sleep and, as the charity describes it, a life of choice rather than chance.
Many of the children are orphans, some have been displaced or simply can’t live with their families.
Ms Ashton is taking part in Digital Live Ride, an initiative led by the real estate industry that has raised millions of dollars for Hands Across the Water since it began.
Most of the riders work in real estate, but the ride has always welcomed others. That includes a small group of friends with big hearts who couldn’t say no to an adventure, and the chance to be part of something life changing.
This year, Ms Ashton will be joined by Ms Allan, cycling 500 km on the Home Hug leg of the ride, a route that ends at one of the homes Hands Across the Water supports, where riders get to meet the children in person.
Ms Ashton said she couldn’t be more excited to have Ms Allan joining her this year.
“Watching her commit to this the way she has, has been brilliant,” she said.
“We’ve both been training inside and outside for the past seven months to be ready.
“Every kilometre has a purpose ... I know now from my experience, this is life changing.”
Ms Allan said watching Ms Ashton take on the ride year after year convinced her to sign up.
“I’ve seen what it’s done for Kate, not just the physical challenge, but the connections she’s made and the difference it’s made for the kids,” she said.
“It made me realise I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself.”
Ms Allan said the training has meant early mornings, long rides, and more than a few sore legs, but the goal keeps it all in perspective.
“Every kilometre is a reminder that this isn’t really about the cycling,” she said.
“It’s about giving these kids a bit of a hope and a brighter future.”
With the pair out and training on local roads in the lead-up to October, it’s a timely reminder of a few simple rules that keep cyclists safe closer to home.
According to the Transport and Accident Commission, drivers must leave at least one metre when passing a cyclist in zones up to 60km/h, and 1.5 metres in zones over 60km/h. Cyclists are legally allowed to ride two abreast, no more than 1.5 metres apart. Drivers may briefly cross centre lines to safely pass a cyclist, but only when they have a clear view ahead.
The pair said they’re keen to share more cyclist and driver education like this in the months ahead, hoping to keep not just themselves but all local cyclists safer on the roads. Too many drivers, they said, simply aren’t aware of some basic etiquette around bikes. Both riders fit front and rear cameras during training, and say any footage of dangerous driving will be passed on to police.
This is the first in what will be a series of short road safety reminders in the lead-up to the ride.
This year, Ms Ashton has an aim of raising at least $10,000, while Ms Allan’s target is at least $5000. Like all Digital Live Ride participants, the pair are covering their own flights, accommodation and other costs themselves, with every dollar raised going straight to charity.
Home Hug, the home at the end of Ms Allan’s leg of the ride, shows just how far that support can go.
Before Hands Across the Water got involved in 2010, the children there, many living with HIV, were regularly dying from a lack of basic medication and healthcare. Since the charity stepped in, not one child has died at Home Hug. They now get the medication, food and care they need to grow up, go to school and build a future.
There are four months to go until the riders set off, the pair are hoping the local community will get behind them and show just how generous the community can be.
“It’s a tough ride, and not glamorous, but it’s nothing compared to what these kids have been though,” Ms Ashton said.
“Every bit of support, no matter the size, makes a real difference to their lives.”
To donate to Ms Ashton’s ride: www.handsacrossthewater.org.au/fundraisers/KateAshton/digital-live-coastal-2026
To donate to Ms Allan’s ride: www.handsacrossthewater.org.au/fundraisers/nickolaallan/digital-live-home-hug-ride-2026