Rob’s friend and Dakar support team member John Bouwknegt said Rob had done Australia proud, “Especially for taking time out during the competitive stage one day to assist an injured rider when no-one else did,” he said.

“He really is a special guy with immense natural talent on a motorcycle.

“For a farm lad from Merredin, he has shown the world what is possible and there are literally people all over the globe that have now heard of him.”

Rob said some of the stages of the race were up to 600 kilomres, and competitors would begin riding as early as 4.30am and continue to as late as 5.30 at night.

“I lost eight kilos during the race, and hardly slept for two weeks as the campsite was too noisy and dusty each night with 500 vehicles being worked on,” he said.

He said the terrain was some of the most varied and difficult he had ridden on.

“On the second day we were racing through clouds and pouring rain on a mountain, and on the third day it was 48 degrees (Celsius) and we were racing through the Atacama Desert.

“That desert was the deepest sand I’ve ever ridden in, and a lot of people got stuck – some got stuck for hours.”

Rob credited his success partly to his support crew, who met him at the campsite at the end of each big day and serviced his KCM 690 bike.

The crew included his wife, Alana, and his good friend and mechanic Kevin Elms, who also grew up in Merredin.

“The quality of your support crew makes a big difference, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” said Rob.

He said it had taken him 15 years of planning, training and saving money to prepare for the Dakar race, and now his dream had been fulfilled.

“It’s very expensive – some people raise enough money to go back more than once, but I’m totally happy with just doing it once,” he said.

He said he did a whole year of training to physically prepare for the event, including doing running, rowing, cycling, lifting weights, and of course riding.

“It is a really physical sport, particularly if you drop your bike in sand dunes and have to pick it up, my bike is over 200kg full of fuel, and to pick that up a few times a day it really tires you out,” he said.

His plans to compete in last year’s Dakar rally were foiled when he injured himself in a fall from his bike in the Australian Safari rally.

“I had a serious accident and knocked myself out, broke my hand and broke my femur in three places, so I had to put off going to Dakar to recover from that properly,” he said.

In previous years Rob has won three WA State Enduro Championships, competed in the Australia safari four times and finished three times, and brought home a silver medal from the International Enduro race in New Zealand in 2006.

He said his love of motorbike riding went back to his days in the country.

“I learnt how to ride out in Merredin, and I’ve been riding motorbikes pretty much all my life,” he said.

“One thing you learn from growing up in the country is to look after yourself, which helps when you need to ride through a desert totally on your own with no one around to help you.”

Rob arrived home safely in Perth on Thursday, January 21, much to the relief of his mother Val.

She said she was proud of him for completing “14 days of unbelievable endurance and determination.”

Asked how it had felt to finally cross the finish line, Rob said: “It was a big relief because by the end of the two weeks you’re totally shattered. You’re worn out, you’re tired, and pretty sore, so I was glad to get to the end.”

Rob lives in Perth with his wife and works for a drilling company.