Lawson newsagent Noel Pope "wants to shine a light on a dark malady" and he'll do just about anything to get his point across. That includes posing in a skimpy blue bikini on his Facebook fundraising page, riding his bike in a clown suit, or manning his newsagency this Friday in an electric blue wig, skirt and hot pants - an outfit that would look more at home on the stage of a little girl's jazz dancing concert.
The tight-knit Lawson community is used to his unusual fundraising techniques. When asked why he does it, his answer was simple "why not?"
At 56, he has set himself an incredible challenge - to cycle from Brisbane to Sydney, clocking up 125km daily and along the way raising $10,000 for beyondblue, the not-for-profit organisation which works to raise awareness and understanding of depression. He leaves on Saturday and will be wearing the same eye-catching outfit from this Friday on the long ride down the Pacific Highway. No support crew - just his bike, a tent, some supplies and a phone.
"I'm not afraid of the highway but I might get some unusual looks," he said.
"I normally wear some kind of outfit [on rides]. I love riding my bike and at first I did it as a bit of a joke. [My wife] Debbie and I said if we raised a certain amount I would wear a dress and then a customer put $100 down and said I'd like to see that ... that's how it started."
In recent years he's raised $16,000 for Careflight and $5000 for the Cancer Council. By last week he had already raised $8000 for beyondblue. Along the way he's been Marilyn Monroe, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, much to Debbie and their daughter Zoe's amusement.
"The whole community has always got behind me, they follow me on these stupid adventures."
Lawson seamstress Toni Rankins has been making (and donating) these eye-catching outfits for Mr Pope for three years.
"I think what he does is fantastic," Mrs Rankins said.
"It's not just one charity, he shares it around. I love the outfits that he chooses for me to make. It makes him stand out more and it is fun!"
Mr Pope, who has suffered from depression, as has his daughter Zoe, said "the more people that know about beyondblue, the greater their impact".
"It's a modern malady, we all suffer from some sort of anxiety and we want to take away the stigma associated with it."
Beyondblue statistics show one in five Australian women and one in eight Australian men will experience depression. The rates for anxiety are higher, with one in three women and one in five men affected.
To keep costs down, Mr Pope has asked for help via social media for "backyards to pitch a tent in" on his journey down the east coast.
Donations are currently being accepted inside the newsagency or at the beyondblue Everyday Hero page: https://give.everydayhero. com/au/beyondthebluemountains.
