Thirty-nine breast cancer survivors from all over the world took part in the ride from Brisbane to Sydney, stopping in for lunch at the tavern on the Newcastle-Wiseman’s Ferry leg of their journey.

“We’ve had quite an adventure,” said ride organiser Meredith Campbell, who founded the ride, originally known as Changing Gears, with Megan Dwyer in 2004.

Starting in Brisbane on May 22 and travelling via Warwick, Lennox Head, Coffs Harbour, Walcha and Newcastle, the riders encountered many detours around flood-affected areas along the way.

After leaving Wollombi they set off for Wiseman’s Ferry, rode to Katoomba the next day and to their final destination of Sydney on Friday.

Breast cancer survivors from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Hong Kong took part in the expedition, the fourth time the ride has been held in Australia and the 11th worldwide.

Harley-Davidson provided a leather riding jacket for each participant and loaned the group 20 brand new motorcycles, while seven women rode their own bikes, four rented bikes and eight travelled in support vans.

Meredith said more than 200 women have taken part in Amazon Heart Thunder rides since its inception, and many of them have learned to ride a motorcycle just to take part.

Meredith and Megan were among 20 young breast cancer survivors who took part in the first Changing Gears, riding 1000 miles from San Diego to San Francisco, California, in 2004.

The event expanded to the United Kingdom and Australia in 2005 and became Amazon Heart Thunder the next year.

It has raised about $1 million for breast cancer along the way, including more than $90,000 on the most recent journey.

As well as motorcycle rides, Amazon Heart has also taken groups mountain climbing in New Zealand, on a desert trek in Arizona and to villages in India and Sri Lanka to help underprivileged communities.