Epic Scooter Journey a Life Lesson for Uni

Melbourne, Victoria

E-Scooters might be celebrated as a leading player in the micromobility revolution, but a Japanese adventurer is choosing a kick scooter to travel from Melbourne to Cairns.

The 23-year-old – who identifies himself only by his first name, Uni – is building a network of fans in regional Australia as he undertakes the 3,000km journey entirely on his Hudora Big Wheel scooter.

He expects the journey will take him about six months, averaging around six hours a day aboard the scooter as he travels through Wagga to Sydney and north along the coast.

Speaking via his Instagram account and its translation function, Uni says he chose an analogue scooter for the adventure because he wanted to “run” with his legs and a scooter just seemed the most interesting mode of transport.

While he set out on the journey to challenge and improve himself, he has been embraced by many locals who have provided him with food, drink and even a place to sleep in their homes.

One by one, they are joining the growing legion of people following Uni’s journey through his Instagram account, @uni.kick

It’s only a matter of months since his previous epic scooter journey, when he took 10 months to travel 8,000km around Japan in 2022.