A DARING motorcyclist has tackled everything from mountains to desert in a charity ride to help Dorset's only children's hospice.

Adrian Tamone from Chideock near Bridport has ridden across North Africa on his BMW motorbike to raise money for Julia's House.

Every day he has been posting a diary entry on his website - www.disparate.co.uk - sharing his experiences with supporters who are helping him to raise vital funds for the services that Julia's House provides for life-limited and life-threatened children across the county.

Adrian certainly had a bit of a culture shock when he arrived in Tangier with its modern high-rise buildings because just 10 miles away from the city centre it was clear he was still in a Third World country.

He added: "There were sights such as a man ploughing his field with a wooden plough pulled by a donkey."

Adrian also saw a different beast of burden... women carrying bundles of crops on their backs which he said were "as big as a Land Rover".

He left Fez in sunshine and had temperatures plunge as he crossed the Middle Atlas Mountains, moving in to the Sahara desert and seeing remote Bedouin and Berber nomad villages in an experience which left "sand in every bit of our bodies".

All the money Adrian and his helpers succeed in raising will go to Julia's House.

Most of the children that the hospice cares for are unlikely to live beyond 18 and in 2006 the charity provided more than 6,000 hours of care for Dorset's children. It will cost £1.2 million to run Julia's House in 2007 with all income currently being raised by the Dorset community.

Anyone who would like to support Adrian by making a donation to Julia's House can call Claire Oram on 01202 640402 or send a cheque made payable to Julia's House to Julia's House, 214D Lower Blandford Road, Broadstone, Poole, Dorset BH18 8DX.