The Reckoning
Before Hearts Across Australia, before the first marathon, and before running felt like mine, there was a public decision to change: one blog, one Facebook page, one weigh-in, and a set of numbers I could no longer dodge.
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128 entries
The First Small Steps
Running was not even a possibility yet, so the change began with early walks, Marble, water, food tracking, stairs, and the uncomfortable discovery that tiny choices could carry a frighteningly big goal.
The Lab Rat Starts Learning
The first walks had proved I could start. The next lessons were DJ Clubfit, Jetts, rowing, soreness, water, sleep, and Britt's feedback turning my body into something I had to listen to.
Twenty-One Kilometres Before Running
The rowing machine gave me a safer way to learn distance: two hours, eight minutes, twenty-eight seconds, one locked-up backside, and proof that endurance was becoming real.
The First Time I Ran In Public
The Fremantle 10km Fun Run took the work out of the gym and into public: a race bib, Steve beside me, no walking, 1:14:41, and the first finish-line proof that running might become mine.
The Boy Who Finally Finished
Four weeks before Perth Marathon, Joondalup Half Marathon stopped being just a training run. It became twenty-one kilometres with the old school cross-country voice, Kian near the finish, and proof that I could finish.
Six Hours, Forty-Seven Minutes
The Perth Marathon was supposed to be the impossible finish line. It became cold fog, Heartbreak Hill, help from Chris and Derryn, Kian near the finish, and 6:47 of proof that changed what I believed was possible.
42.2 km
The Longest Hangover Ever
The week after my first marathon was not a neat victory lap. It was sleep, flatness, itchy feet, a quiet identity shift, and the first clear feeling that no more mr fat guy needed to become something bigger than a running blog.
The Marathon Was Just A Vehicle
Five weeks after my first marathon, I sat down to write the post that scared me more than the race itself: the one where I admitted the marathon had only been the vehicle.
Running My Own Race
A year after my first public 10km, I went back to Fremantle with a sub-60 dream, friends around me, a Facebook community watching, and a lesson I still needed: run my own race.
10 km
A Dream With Other People In It
When Kate from Running In The Rain asked about my running dream, the answer was no longer just a marathon. It had become Uluru, London, other people's stories, and the first rough shape of something bigger.
Running For Those Who Can't
A loose, generous running club gave my running another direction: changing myself while running with other people, for people who would run if they could.
16 km
The Something That Clicked
Hearts Across Australia did not have a name, a route, a crew, or any sensible logistics yet, but three small sparks turned a restless mission into one ridiculous public idea: Perth to Brisbane on foot.
The First Trail Was Supposed To Be In Daylight
Shinno talked me into Moonshadow, and Graham's advice sent us onto Eagle Trail in daylight first, turning a reckless night-trail idea into one of the first practical lessons of the Perth-to-Brisbane build-up.
18.9 km
Where The Heart Belonged
People kept asking whether the Perth-to-Brisbane idea was for charity. The Heart Foundation gave that question an answer that fitted my own story: Grandpa, Dad, heart risk, London, and a cause that made sense.
The Course Had No Teeth
On Christmas Eve, back in Somerset, I ran the old school cross-country course with Steve. The fields were flooded, the old symbolism was heavy, and somehow the thing I had spent years turning into proof of quitting became wet, ridiculous, and fun.
I Am A London Marathoner
London did not create Hearts Across Australia. It happened because HAA had already pushed me toward the Heart Foundation, and it gave me a childhood dream, a family weekend, and one famous finish line to carry into what came next.
42.2 km
This Is Actually Happening
After London, Gold Coast, and months of talking about Perth to Brisbane, a six-hour morning walk made the impossible feel less like an idea and more like something already moving under my feet.
Time On Legs
The training stopped being about ordinary running goals and became something stranger: walking more, running less, learning fuel and feet, and teaching my body that repeated long days were going to become normal.
The Distance Became Normal
By early 2015, the mad distance had become routine: 3am walk-to-work starts, 50km ultras, overnight walking, 130km weekends, practical sponsor support, and one last big excuse falling away.
Walking Back From Bunbury
A month before departure, Bunbury became the final big rehearsal: a 50km PB, a stripped-down backpack, three days walking back toward Perth, and a practical education in feet, roads, logistics and help.
The Crew Became Real
Nineteen days before departure, the support crew stopped being an anxious blank space and became Ben and Ols: two school friends pulled into HAA through Saybubble, timing, and one Joondalup meal.
A Small Group Of Carb-Loaders
Eight days before I left Perth, Catalano's Vic Park filled with friends, supporters, pasta, laughter, fundraising, and one more reminder that HAA had people around it.
T-minus 8 days
One Last Half Before Departure
Six days before I left Perth, Joondalup Half Marathon became one last race-day rehearsal: legs moving, the SPOT tracker tested, supporters showing up, and all eyes turning toward Saturday.
T-minus 6 days
Still Trying To Find Richard
Three days before I left Perth, #FindRichard was still part sponsor hustle, part public joke, and part slightly ridiculous optimism.
T-minus 3 days
Are You Me?
Two days before I left Perth, HAA passed 1,000 likes and I put out a call for people who could help coordinate the growing chaos once we were on the move.
T-minus 2 days
Our New Home
On my 46th birthday, we picked up the campervan, shopped for supplies, dealt with my car dying, collected donated meals, and posted the tracker link with one more sleep to go.
T-minus 1 day
Today Is The Day
I woke with the full weight of what I was about to do in my head. A wet Canning River parkrun got me out of bed, surrounded me with people I cared about and sent me walking east.
Day 150.8 km50.8 km cumulative
The First Navigation Adventure
The first full day brought rain, the Kep Track and our first proper navigation problem. Local runners, map screenshots and the crew somehow got me through to Northam.
Day 256.3 km107.1 km cumulative
The Road Got Loud
Leaving the tracks for the Great Eastern Highway changed the feel of everything. The sky opened up, the trucks got loud and my nerves arrived before the flies did.
Day 350 km157.1 km cumulative
Beyond The Dress Rehearsal
On the fourth morning I stepped beyond anything the Bunbury rehearsal had tested. The highway was calmer, the crew walked beside me and the three HAAmigos began to find a rhythm.
Day 455.1 km212.2 km cumulative
The Long Push To Merredin
Merredin was waiting at the end of 56.4 kilometres, but first came a cold Wheatbelt morning, long trains, blisters, coffee stops and a GPS that wasn't helping.
Day 556.4 km268.6 km cumulative
A Fourteen Kilometre Rest Day
Our first rest day began with the small matter of walking another 13.9 kilometres into Merredin. After that there were hot showers, clean clothes, good food and finally a chance to put my feet up.
Day 6Rest day13.9 km282.5 km cumulative
Rabbit-Proof Fence And A Leaking Van
We left Merredin with fresh legs, a leaking campervan and 48.9 kilometres to cover. Somewhere between Burracoppin and the Rabbit-Proof Fence, the simple daily routine became complicated again.
Day 748.9 km331.4 km cumulative
Positive Mental Attitude And Flies
The flies were relentless, the sky was enormous and the campervan problem wasn't going away. After another 48.6 kilometres east, we drove into Southern Cross to swap vans.
Day 848.6 km380 km cumulative
Southern Cross Was A Rest Day, Sort Of
In HAA terms, a rest day meant walking into Southern Cross before I could stop. The Railway Tavern, a donated massage and dinner with the team made the place feel like a genuine pause.
Day 9Rest day17.4 km397.4 km cumulative
Rivendell Beyond The Flatlands
We left Southern Cross with new fly nets, slightly newer feet and Kalgoorlie 226 kilometres away. Rivendell was still a long way east, but it had finally appeared on a sign.
Day 1048.6 km446 km cumulative
No Power Past Yellowdine
A planned day became 60.3 kilometres and carried the total beyond 500. We finished off the road with barely any signal, no power and just enough routine to make the night work.
Day 1160.3 km506.3 km cumulative
Less Than A Thousand parkruns To Go
The first powerless night left us cold, but there were another 49.9 kilometres to walk towards Bullabulling. Changing colours, heavy trucks and the first offer of a lift kept the day from feeling ordinary.
Day 1249.9 km556.2 km cumulative
One Day From Rivendell
Coolgardie, the ten per cent mark and a surprise meeting with Grant Wholey all arrived in the same day. For the first time, Kalgoorlie felt close enough to touch.
Day 1351.5 km607.7 km cumulative
A Finish Line At Rivendell
After nearly two weeks on foot, I walked into Kalgoorlie with local parkrunners beside me. It felt like a finish line, even though Brisbane was still thousands of kilometres away.
Day 1431.6 km639.3 km cumulative
A Proper parkrunday In Rivendell
Kalgoorlie gave us a proper parkrunday and the chance to let the first big milestone sink in. The day ran from coffee and the mobile heart to the Super Pit and an evening with the Kalgoorlie Kangas.
Day 15Rest day0 km639.3 km cumulative
One More Night In Kalgoorlie
Our last day in Kalgoorlie was properly slow: a sports massage for me, an RFDS visit for Ben and Ols, and more work on the campervan problem. Tomorrow the walking would start again.
Day 16Rest day0 km639.3 km cumulative
Back On Foot To Kambalda
Nigel and Allison joined me for the walk out of Kalgoorlie, and kindness kept appearing all the way to Kambalda. Muffins, dinner and a donated hotel room made a hard return to the route much softer.
Day 1755 km694.6 km cumulative
Shattered Beyond Widgiemooltha
About 54 kilometres beyond Kambalda left me shattered and my feet properly sore. Bree, Ols and Ben helped me through, and there was spag bol waiting when the walking finally stopped.
Day 1854 km749.3 km cumulative
Morning Tracks Toward Norseman
An early start and the pipeline tracks carried me to within about 21 kilometres of Norseman. Nothing dramatic happened; we were simply getting better at doing this every day.
Day 1958.4 km807.6 km cumulative
Across Lake Cowan Into Norseman
Lake Cowan led me into Norseman and a first sign for Adelaide sent a shiver through me. Then the campervan needed rescuing, because even the big days on HAA refused to stay tidy.
Day 2022.4 km829.9 km cumulative
Before The Eyre Highway
Norseman gave us one day to sort my feet, restock and move into campervan number three. Beyond town was the Eyre Highway, and the Nullarbor was no longer an idea on the map.
Day 21Rest day0 km829.9 km cumulative
First Steps On The Eyre Highway
I left Norseman at 5.15am and took my first steps along the Eyre Highway. The bitumen was kinder to my feet, the country felt wilder and dinner was finished before the evening disappeared.
Day 2247.9 km877.8 km cumulative
Power, Heat And A Shower
Cold and fog followed me east for another 46.1 kilometres. A familiar Perth Glory face and a night at Fraser Range Station gave the new Eyre Highway routine a bit of warmth.
Day 2346.1 km923.9 km cumulative
A Sensible Stopping Point
The cold walk out of Fraser Range became 51.2 kilometres of hills, kangaroos and some downhill run-walking. Best of all, I finished exactly where we could stop for the night.
Day 2451.2 km975.1 km cumulative
A Thousand Kilometres To Balladonia
Somewhere on the cold walk into Balladonia, the total passed 1,000 kilometres. The roadhouse brought patchy communications, a dose of reality and the wonderfully odd story of Skylab.
Day 2551.9 km1,027 km cumulative
Cheerio Balladonia, Hello 90 Mile Straight
The last Amazeballs carried me out of Balladonia and onto the western end of the 90 Mile Straight. Ahead was 146.6 kilometres of highway that seemed to have forgotten how to bend.
Day 2644.3 km1,071.3 km cumulative
It's All Above The Shoulders
A major truck crash broke the stillness of the 90 Mile Straight, thankfully without anyone being hurt. Later, Glenn Carter and the Ride With No Limits crew turned up with company, water and emergency chocolate.
Day 2744.9 km1,116.2 km cumulative
Halfway Along The 90 Mile Straight
The 90 Mile Straight did exactly what its name promised. I walked 56.6 kilometres beneath a huge sky, trying not to think too hard about a flat line that still had no visible end.
Day 2856.6 km1,172.8 km cumulative
The First Bend In Four Days
After four days and three unpowered nights, the highway finally bent. Caiguna gave us a daylight finish, power and the sort of roadhouse feed I had been thinking about for miles.
Day 2940.5 km1,213.3 km cumulative
Forty-Five Minutes From Cocklebiddy
A misty start outside Caiguna led to ten kangaroos, a strange little time-zone shift and a lone tree that deserved its own joke. Rain followed me towards Cocklebiddy, where dinner properly delivered.
Day 3046.2 km1,259.5 km cumulative
Listening To The Body In Cocklebiddy
I met Thomas, a German cyclist, around sunrise and reached Cocklebiddy after 20.9 kilometres. My body was asking for a break, so for once I listened and stopped for the day.
Day 31Rest day20.9 km1,280.4 km cumulative
Back Out With A Clearer Head
The half-day rest had cleared my head, so I stepped back onto the Eyre Highway and split the distance to Madura over two days. Winter skies and dead roos made sure the beauty didn't get too romantic.
Day 3244.4 km1,324.8 km cumulative
An Unexpected View
The climb near Madura Pass hid its reward until the last moment: a huge view I hadn't expected at all. I reached Madura Roadhouse as the light disappeared.
Day 3348.3 km1,373.1 km cumulative
This Is a Long Road!
Dropping from Madura Pass put me into a lower, greener-looking Nullarbor and a hard headwind. Motorists stopped, cookies arrived and a rest-area dinner waited after 52.5 kilometres.
Day 3452.5 km1,425.6 km cumulative
Only A Marathon Distance
I set out in the cold aiming for 55 kilometres and stopped at marathon distance instead. Christian and Brigette said hello along the way, and Mundrabilla Roadhouse gave Week 5 a comfortable finish.
Day 3542.4 km1,468 km cumulative
They Stopped In The Dark
Les and Pat Hood saw me walking in the winter dark outside Mundrabilla and stopped to make sure I was all right. That simple roadside check-in stayed with me through the wind and the kilometres that followed.
Day 3645.5 km1,513.5 km cumulative
The Last Night In WA
The final full day in Western Australia was cold, windy and unexpectedly social. By the time we climbed through Eucla Pass, Ols had taken his last WA steps and the border was waiting for all three of us.
Day 3745.6 km1,559.1 km cumulative
The Last Cuppa
After 37 days in Western Australia, we stopped near the border for one last cuppa. Then Ben, Ols and I crossed into South Australia together and kept walking.
Day 3839.6 km1,598.7 km cumulative
Beautifully Bleak South Australia
My first full day in South Australia was wet, empty and fifty kilometres long. A roadside chat with Craig from highway maintenance was the bright spot in a day built mostly from one foot after the other.
Day 3950.1 km1,648.8 km cumulative
Edge Of The World Stuff
A friend had told me there was one Nullarbor lookout we couldn't miss. Nearly fifty kilometres still had to be walked, but the detour made the edge-of-the-world promise feel completely real.
Day 4049.9 km1,698.7 km cumulative
Beautiful In Its Stark Emptiness
I still hadn't reached the actual treeless plain, but the country was already colder, wider and more austere. In all that stark emptiness, generous people kept appearing.
Day 4145.3 km1,744 km cumulative
The Actual Treeless Plain
After weeks of false alarms, this was the actual treeless plain. It was cold, exposed and 54.4 kilometres long, with a late start and a later finish.
Day 4254.4 km1,798.4 km cumulative
Pretty And Very Hilly
The trees returned, then South Australia surprised me with hills. Friendly horns helped, but it was still a cold and difficult 56-kilometre push towards Nundroo.
Day 4356 km1,854.4 km cumulative
Life On the Road
A 53.5-kilometre day to Nundroo was held together by all the unglamorous bits: cold clothes before dawn, crew-made breakfast, checkpoint cuppas, foot care, laundry and rubbish.
Day 4453.5 km1,907.9 km cumulative
Fog, Farms And Fresh Fruit
Bitter fog followed me through fifty kilometres of South Australian farm country. Geoff and Lyn appeared with fresh fruit, and Ceduna began to feel like a place we might actually reach.
Day 4550 km1,957.9 km cumulative
Police Lights And Silly Signage
Police lights appeared through the fog before sunrise, but it was only a friendly check. Later came lunch in Penong, actual street lights and the strange thought that our last Nullarbor night was almost here.
Day 4655.5 km2,013.4 km cumulative
The Nullarbor Has Been Crossed
Truckies called encouragement as I walked the final 47.1 kilometres into Ceduna. The Eyre Highway still continued, but the long stretch from Norseman was done.
Day 4747.1 km2,060.5 km cumulative
Ceduna Was Amazing
Ceduna felt almost metropolitan after the Nullarbor. With no scheduled kilometres, we could rest, shop, plan and enjoy the kindness waiting at the foreshore caravan park.
Day 48Rest day0 km2,060.5 km cumulative
Moonlight Out Of Ceduna
I left Ceduna by moonlight and found South Australia surprisingly empty again. After 55.5 kilometres of pipeline and farm country, there were bangers and mash in the van at Puntabie.
Day 4955.5 km2,116 km cumulative
Fifty Days In
Fifty days after leaving Canning River parkrun, I walked 57.2 kilometres through South Australian wheat country. My feet complained after the Ceduna break, so Ben and Ols kept me company for most of it.
Day 5057.2 km2,173.2 km cumulative
Pipeline Tracks To Minnipa
The pipeline track felt strangely familiar as I walked through Poochera and past a giant ant. An earlier finish at Minnipa left Ols free to experiment with tuna pasta and ham.
Day 5156.3 km2,229.5 km cumulative
A Cheeky Forty-Eight Kilometres
A cheeky 48.5 kilometres counted as a shorter day by this point. My feet were tired, the Hokas were worn and the campervan evening revolved around laundry and a gloriously mixed dinner.
Day 5248.5 km2,278 km cumulative
Keep Cranking Out The Kilometres
Green farmland made South Australia look oddly English, but the Adelaide deadline kept me moving. By the rest area east of Koongawa, another 58.7 kilometres had gone.
Day 5358.7 km2,336.7 km cumulative
Halfway Across Australia
Kimba had a Big Galah and a sign saying I was halfway across Australia. My left foot was sore and our distance figures needed attention, but it was still a moment worth standing beside.
Day 5457.9 km2,394.6 km cumulative
Nursing The Foot Near Iron Knob
My left foot was sore but manageable, which was enough to keep the Adelaide push alive for another 56.8 kilometres. Iron Knob was getting close, and so were the jokes.
Day 5556.8 km2,451.4 km cumulative
Same But Different
The country beyond Iron Knob looked like a mirror image of places I thought we'd left behind. Ben found the perfect interval track, my foot held together and Port Augusta was less than a day away.
Day 5651.7 km2,503.1 km cumulative
Eyre Highway Done
Rain and wind followed me along a quiet back road into Port Augusta. The Eyre Highway stretch ended after 38.4 kilometres, with enough daylight left to see where I had arrived.
Day 5738.4 km2,541.5 km cumulative
Heading South
Turning south from Port Augusta made Adelaide feel real, even as the temperature dropped. Simone stopped for a roadside chat, and the HAA virtual event began beyond the campervan.
Day 5856 km2,597.5 km cumulative
Adelaide Was Getting Close
Adelaide was finally close enough to count down and fresh Hokas were waiting ahead. Between Baroota and Crystal Brook, the pipeline and a farm full of gnomes supplied the jokes.
Day 5955.6 km2,653.1 km cumulative
Worst Weather So Far
The worst weather so far soaked my shoes and forced repeated changes into dry gear. After 54.3 cold kilometres, we spent the night at Snowtown and waited for the inevitable questions.
Day 6054.3 km2,707.4 km cumulative
Less Than One Hundred From Adelaide
Cold wind and rain followed me past Lochiel's pink lake and its own Nessie. Jitter Bean pies helped, and by night Adelaide was less than 100 kilometres away.
Day 6149.9 km2,757.3 km cumulative
Bec's Neighbourhood
The walk towards Two Wells brought Dublin jokes, roadside encouragement and growing media interest from Adelaide. Bec Kuss arriving with pizza was the rescue I really needed.
Day 6256.8 km2,814.1 km cumulative
Achievement Unlocked
The alarm went at 3.43am and the crew didn't. After a sleepy start, roadside media calls and a countdown measured in parkruns, I reached Torrens and the first capital city since Perth.
Day 6343.6 km2,857.7 km cumulative
Torrens parkrun And A Unicorn
There was no progress towards Brisbane, but Adelaide gave me exactly the reset I needed. Torrens parkrun, fresh shoes, a replacement watch and my first haircut in two months made it a very full rest day.
Day 64Rest day0 km2,857.7 km cumulative
Adelaide: Christmas in July
Adelaide turned into Christmas in July, complete with sweet treats, donated meals and a pizza fundraiser at McLaren Flat. One last visit with Ols' family passed far too quickly.
Day 65Rest day0 km2,857.7 km cumulative
Adelaide Became The Start Line
Adelaide stopped being a finish line the moment I started climbing into the hills. Melbourne appeared on the signs, Somerset appeared in the landscape and 50.2 kilometres put me properly back into the daily rhythm.
Day 6650.2 km2,907.9 km cumulative
The Green Frog And The Narrow Bridge
A green frog made from tyres was the harmless oddity of the day. The narrow Swanport Bridge supplied the adrenaline, and donated lamb korma made the finish at Westbrook Park much better.
Day 6753.2 km2,961.1 km cumulative
Halfway To Bordertown
The Dukes Highway carried me past the Tailem Bend ferry and on towards Kiki. Trish arrived with sunscreen, while Merrick and Megan appeared about 3,000 kilometres after seeing me leave Canning River parkrun.
Day 6856.7 km3,017.8 km cumulative
HAA's Adventures of Tin-Tin(ara)
Freezing kilometres through Coonalpyn, Culburra and Tintinara left me swinging between disbelief and wondering what on earth I was doing. The Victorian border was now about 100 kilometres away.
Day 6956.3 km3,074.1 km cumulative
Keith Means Business
Keith gave us breakfast, people, jokes and far more of an experience than I expected. Then the Dukes Highway called me back through showers and a rainbow before we drove on to sleep at Bordertown.
Day 7057.6 km3,131.7 km cumulative
Good Afternoon, Victoria
At 3.33pm I walked out of South Australia and into Victoria. Jack's roadside donation and 2,000 Facebook likes came with me, while Melbourne suddenly felt much closer.
Day 7150.2 km3,181.9 km cumulative
The Nhill Welcome
Melbourne was 402 kilometres away, or only 80 parkruns in HAA language. Karen and Katie chatted from horseback along the way, and Dorothy gave us a generous welcome at Nhill Caravan Park.
Day 7257 km3,238.9 km cumulative
Paparazzi, Podcasts And The Rainbow Sign
Victoria kept changing the weather as I walked through Dimboola towards Horsham. A Rainbow sign, a roadside photographer and a phone interview made it a busier day than the kilometres suggested.
Day 7356.1 km3,295 km cumulative
When The Bubble Disappeared
The little bubble I had been living in disappeared when the total passed 3,000 kilometres. Around that moment came cold fog, parkrun maths, roadside comedy and generous help from Shev, Rylan and Melissa.
Day 7453.2 km3,348.2 km cumulative
Drop Bears And Ararat Ahead
A Giant Koala loomed out of the dark before Shev joined me through Stawell. Ararat supplied the jokes, the media interest and a finish close enough to make tomorrow feel straightforward.
Day 7554 km3,402.2 km cumulative
A Bounce Back Past Beaufort
Ararat finally gave me the Dobie joke I had been waiting for. Hot chocolate and roadside kindness followed, and by the finish beyond Beaufort both Ballarat and Melbourne felt close.
Day 7655.7 km3,457.9 km cumulative
Ballarat With Company
John, Michelle and Jo helped turn the walk into Ballarat into a shared arrival. Later, an offer of a St Kilda apartment nearly tipped me over before the big Melbourne weekend had even begun.
Day 7742.4 km3,500.3 km cumulative
A parkrunday Like No Other
Albert Melbourne parkrun made no progress towards Brisbane, but it was a HAA morning I won't forget. Media, the Heart Foundation, new friends and a lap of the lake were followed by the MCG and a warm St Kilda apartment.
Day 78Rest day0 km3,500.3 km cumulative
A Rest Day With An Edge
A Melbourne rest day brought breakfast with Kirby's family, sightseeing and an unfortunate tram-ticket incident for Ben. Then the mood changed: we had serious planning to do before driving back to Ballarat.
Day 79Rest day0 km3,500.3 km cumulative
Back To Reality After Melbourne
The Melbourne mini-break ended in five-degree Ballarat, with cold wind and rain waiting on the Old Melbourne Road. A wonderfully small-world meeting with Claudine broke up the walk to Bacchus Marsh.
Day 8058.4 km3,558.7 km cumulative
Actually Reaching Melbourne
Suburban Melbourne offered a roadside coffee, a tiny version of Perth-to-Brisbane and twelve kilometres beside Jo. By nightfall the sign finally said City of Melbourne, even if Albert Park was still seven kilometres away.
Day 8154.1 km3,612.8 km cumulative
Late For Albert Park
The morning I was meant to walk officially into Melbourne, I overslept. Ben and Ols rescued the timetable, the Heart Foundation visit still went ahead, and donated treatment got me ready for the final session.
Day 8236.6 km3,649.4 km cumulative
Where It Went Sideways
The direct walking route into Kinglake looked sensible on Apple Maps. It delivered serious climbing, a beautiful wet forest and, by dark, a fence where the exit should have been.
Day 8356.3 km3,705.7 km cumulative
No More Adventures
After the Kinglake detour, I was tired, sore and had another 7 kilometres to make up. I stayed on proper roads through Flagpole Hill and Yea and finished at Kanumbra after 63.2 kilometres.
Day 8463.2 km3,768.9 km cumulative
Victoria's Answer To Hobbiton
It was parkrunday with no parkrun for me, but the Great Victorian Rail Trail gave me foggy tracks, deep green hills, a Lord of the Rings joke, and two parkrunners appearing in front of us.
Day 8565.4 km3,834.3 km cumulative
Such Is Life
I had been looking forward to Glenrowan from the moment I realised the route would take us through Ned Kelly country. The catch was that Day 86 took 56.9 km to get there, so I arrived after dark. Such is life.
Day 8656.9 km3,891.2 km cumulative
Wangaratta Warmth
Cold, wintry Wangaratta gave me Bec and Todd's welcome, Lisa walking me out to Bowser Station, David Evans riding back for a chat, and Deb already working ahead in Albury-Wodonga.
Day 8755.2 km3,946.4 km cumulative
Home Comforts
I crossed from Victoria into New South Wales on a day full of Albury-Wodonga support, media interest, and one very sensible early finish. I was getting sick, Quest Albury was just around the corner, and Deb somehow turned the night into a family dinner.
Day 8838.8 km3,985.2 km cumulative
I Can Walk That
A proper rest in Albury paid off, and I headed back onto the Hume for a wet 64 km day toward Holbrook. The big emotional moment was seeing Sydney 541 km away, converting it into 108.2 parkruns, and realising I could walk that.
Day 8964 km4,049.2 km cumulative
Wrong Way, Go Back
I left Holbrook before sunrise, ignored a very clear road sign, put out a call for Sydney and Brisbane coordinators, met four brothers-in-hi-vis, and got another sign that the Canberra decision I was leaning towards was the right one.
Day 9054 km4,103.2 km cumulative
Along The Road To Gundagai
After another 42.5 km on the Hume, I stopped short of Gundagai and we drove to Canberra for Gungahlin parkrun, rest, and the support waiting there. Gundagai would have to wait until after the side trip.
Day 9142.5 km4,145.7 km cumulative
Gungahlin Turned It On
Canberra was supposed to be parkrun and rest. Gungahlin turned it into coffee, chalk messages, Heart Foundation chats, breakfast, sightseeing, dumplings, a donated massage, dinner, and one very early night for me.
Day 92Rest day0 km4,145.7 km cumulative
Canberra Was Brilliant
Sunday was the quieter half of the Canberra weekend: sleep, a late thank-you for the massage, lunch with Matt Napier, Wendy and Mari, support-crew stories, and a bag of meals from Yani before the Hume started again.
Day 93Rest day0 km4,145.7 km cumulative
Welcome To The Grind
After a brilliant Canberra weekend, it was back to the Hume: Gundagai on foot, the Dog on the Tuckerbox, big New South Wales scenery, Marshy on the hard shoulder, and a noisy truck-stop night near Coolac.
Day 9454.2 km4,199.9 km cumulative
Coffee Calling At Bookham
Day 95 took me from the truck stop near Coolac through Jugiong and Bookham toward Yass: 56.3 km, a coffee stop that turned into proper support, a Run Down Under milestone, and another final 5 km in the dark.
Day 9556.3 km4,256.2 km cumulative
Walking With Matt And Wendy
Fresh Hoka Valors arrived via Yani and Matt, Yani's cakes did not last long, Chris recognised the van from the news, and Matt and Wendy walked nine kilometres with me after the Yass Service Centre stop.
Day 9654.6 km4,310.8 km cumulative
Morning Tea From Canberra
Peter Jordan and David McCooey drove from Canberra with coffee, Danish pastries, and enough enthusiasm to make a Hume Highway morning feel ridiculous in the best possible way. By nightfall I had reached Goulburn, met Louise Edwards for an impromptu interview, and Sydney was down to 37 parkruns.
Day 9757 km4,367.8 km cumulative
Thirty parkruns From Sydney
Sydney dropped to thirty parkruns away, I chatted with Gus Worland from Triple M's The Grill Team, and HAA somehow turned up in a Grill'd Carousel community jar back in Perth. Then the afternoon dragged, the hills kept grinding, and I finished about 2 km before Sutton Forest.
Day 9857.3 km4,435.7 km cumulative
A parkrun Fix Without parkrun
I missed my normal Saturday parkrun, then accidentally found Bowral parkrun during my first cuppa break anyway. Day 99 also brought Eliza's school project, Teresa's Bowral donation, Fiona beside the freeway, a Bargo route correction, and Sydney down to twenty parkruns.
Day 9956.5 km4,481.6 km cumulative
One Hundred Days To Liverpool
A wet start beyond Picton grew into roadside company with Kate, Nicole and Kath, and ended in Liverpool, about 30 kilometres from Sydney. That felt slightly wrong as a Man Utd supporter, but it also meant the Perth-to-Sydney part was almost done.
Day 10059.4 km4,541 km cumulative
Australia Crossed
I walked into Sydney in the rain, saw the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, stopped for lunch in The Rocks, then crossed the bridge with Ben and Ols and pushed on through north Sydney because Brisbane was still waiting.
Day 10148.2 km4,600.3 km cumulative
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