Mr Cottee hopes the ambitious trip from Sydney to Perth will result in cutt-ing edge technology to allow others with a disability to undertake their own adventures.

He hopes to cover 80km a day and also attempt a Guinness World Record for the largest number of kilometres travelled in a wheelchair in a 24-hour period.

Mr Cottee will not be travelling the shortest possible route but will also take in Adelaide and Melbourne and as many places as possible in between.

He wants to visit schools and communities along the way.

Mr Cottee said he would allow around five months to complete the journey, adding that the biggest challenge will be raising the money necessary to develop the chair and fund the expedition.

“No-one has done anything like this before,” he said.

“This is about disability awareness, adventure, access issues and solar energy.

“I don’t want my arrival in Perth to be an end, but the start of a whole new thing.

“This is about creating opportunities for all people with a disability. We want to get people out in the community, not as a spectator but as a participant.

“My disability has opened doors for me and allowed me to develop skills in my life that I otherwise wouldn’t have had.”

Mr Cottee is already getting a lot of support from his mates Charlie Biddle and Dale Stapleton.

Mr Stapleton is the publican of the Farmer’s Arms, which will become the headquarters for Mr Cottee’s great adventure.

Mr Cottee will be fitted with wheelchair cam and the footage of his journey will be streamed live into the pub so people can follow his extraordinary ride.

Mr Biddle has been in touch with the producers of Australian Story to see if they are interested in making a documentary.

“I might be the driver, but I have a whole team behind me,” Mr Cottee said.

“We are all local and we really need our local community to support us.”

Mr Stapleton added that everyone was inspired by what solo round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson did.

“I think we need to see more stories like that,” he added.

Mr Cottee said Bathurst Regional Council is behind him all the way.

He has set up a Facebook page, Lindsay Cottee – Sydney 2 Perth, where he can answer questions and people can find out about making donations.

He also has a web page, http://

www.lindsaycotteefoundation.org, and would welcome donations through this site.

Donations can also be made at the Farmer’s Arms, the Commonwealth Bank, and Belinda’s Business Centre.

Mr Cottee believes his journey will capture Australia’s imagination.

“No-one will ever have seen Australia from the angle I’ll be seeing it,” he said.