Willy's passion for both wool and wheels

AS QUALITY Wool's man on the ground in Gulargambone, NSW, Willy Redington is all too familiar with the roads around Coonamble Shire ‑ the only question is whether he's on four wheels or two.

While Willy's 'wool wagon' is his mode of transport during business hours, a passion for motorcycles developed during his teenage years means he also hits the highway on his Harley‑Davidson every chance he gets.

Ironically, his love for motorcycles was initially born out of an allergic sensitivity which dictated he seek an alternative to horseback riding on the farm.

"As my father preferred horses to motor vehicles and I’m allergic to horses, two wheels became my passion," Willy said.

"It started with bicycles first, and then motorcycles from about 16 years old.

"Since then, I’ve owned about 14 different types of bikes and travelled a few hundred thousand kilometres on all sorts of roads and in everything from dust storms to even snow".

Willy's current 'ride' is a 2008 model Harley‑Davidson Super Glide, the third Harley he has owned during his time riding.

And his love of two‑wheelers hasn't gone unnoticed by locals, leading to him being offered an important community role during the most recent festive season.

"Last year I got a couple of requests to do Santa on the bike at Christmas, which was very enjoyable work," Willy said.

Born and raised in Gulargambone, Willy attended boarding school in Sydney before returning to his hometown where he still resides.

He joined Quality Wool in January 2015 after the acquisition of Western Wool Marketing, and services clients throughout central and western New South Wales and south west Queensland.

Willy has also been instrumental in helping Quality Wool plug into his community by establishing links with local grassroots organisations, facilitating the company's long‑term sponsorship of events like the Coonamble and Gilgandra Agricultural Shows.