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Captain's log

Based on the spreadsheet I used to plan daily kilometres, the key points we would need to hit, and occasional notes about where we stayed overnight. The overnight column now shows the confirmed place where we have checked it against the day articles, with the old schedule wording noted underneath when it differs. The attention to detail got a little looser as things went on, and the distance totals became a working log rather than a clean Strava-style accumulation.

Schedule days125
Cumulative total5,581.5 km
Workbook total5,583.2 km
Journey links101
Gallery dates123

How to read the kilometres

The daily kilometre column is the day-by-day activity distance. Cumulative total is a straight accumulation of those daily figures, with no reset at sheet boundaries.

Workbook total is the cumulative figure from the original schedule spreadsheet. It is useful source context, but it has manual re-anchors, including a visible jump on Day 67. I did not spot these differences until working on this website in 2026. Any original reason is lost in the mists of time; it is possible the early differences involved map-distance adjustments, and there is recorded evidence that those distance issues were part of the thinking at the time.

Hearts Across Australia route schedule index
DayDateSchedule detailOvernightDaily km1Cumulative total2Workbook total3Links
Day1SatStarting at Canning River parkrun. Run CR parkrun first, bit of a going away party with running buddies etc. Head out on parkrun course to Greenfield St, turn left - Nicholson, follow river to Roe Hwy. Welshpool Rd, Hale Rd. Pick up railway reserves trail to ChidlowHelena Valley, at Mike's placeOriginal schedule: Chidlow50.850.850.8
Day2SunNice early start, railway reserves and Kep track to Northam. Bakers Hill bakery looking likely for late lunch :)Northam56.3107.1107.1
Day3MonAim for a big day of 60km which will take us through Meckering and on to CunderdinCunderdin50157.1157.1
Day4TueEasier day with approx 47km to KellerberrinKellerberrin55.1212.2212.2
Day5WedBigger day again - 58km all the way to MerredinMerredin56.4268.6268.6
Day6ThuREST and catchup KMsMerredin13.9282.5282.5
Day7FriBig day of 60km all the way to Bodallin - not quite, just 49 in the endBodallin Pioneers Park48.9331.4331.4
Day8Sat50km - Southern CrossSouthern Cross48.6380380
Day9SunREST - with catch-up KMsSouthern Cross17.4397.4397.4
Day10Mon45km - About 10km past YellowdineYellowdine Roadhouse48.6446446
Day11Tue45km - Boorabin National parkBoorabin Rest Area60.3506.3506.3
Day12Wed45 to 50km - towards CoolgardieCoolgardie campsiteOriginal schedule: Bullabulling49.9556.2556.2
Day13Thu45 to 50km - CoolgardieCoolgardie51.5607.7607.7
Day14Fri40km - KalgoorlieKalgoorlie31.6639.3639.3
Day15SatREST (parkrun)Kalgoorlie0639.3639.3
Day16SunRESTKalgoorlie0639.3639.3
Day17Mon55km KambaldaKambalda Hotel55.3694.6694.6
Day18Tue55km - a bit past Widgiemooltha RoadhouseWidgiemooltha Roadhouse54.7749.3749.3
Day19WedAbout 55km - finishing about 21km before NorsemanNorseman58.3807.6807.6
Day20Thu21km to NorsemanNorseman22.3829.9829.9
Day21FriRESTNorseman0829.9829.9
Day22SatHead Out On Eyre HwyRest Area - Fraser Range47.9877.8814.9
Day23SunAbout 10km short of Fraser Range StationFraser Range Station46.1923.9861
Day24MonEyre HwyCundeelee (rest area)51.2975.1912.2
Day25TueEyre Hwy just short of Balladonia RoadhouseBalladonia Roadhouse51.91,027964.1
Day26WedStart 90 Mile StraightRest area44.31,071.31,008.4
Day27Thu90 Mile StraightRest area44.91,116.21,053.3
Day28Fri90 Mile StraightRest area56.61,172.81,109.9
Day29SatEnd 90 Mile StraightCaiguna40.51,213.31,150.4
Day30SunEyre Hwy just short of CocklebiddyCocklebiddy46.21,259.51,196.6
Day31MonHalf day restCocklebiddy20.91,280.41,217.5
Day32TueEyre HwyMoonera Tank (rest area)44.41,324.81,261.9
Day33WedEyre HwyMadura48.31,373.11,310.2
Day34ThuEyre HwyCarlabeencaba Rockhole (rest area)52.51,425.61,362.7
Day35FriEyre Hwy 24k short of MundrabillaMundrabilla42.41,4681,405.1
Day36SatEyre Hwy 21k after MundrabillaMundrabilla45.51,513.51,450.6
Day37SunEyre Hwy to EuclaEucla45.61,559.11,496.2
Day38MonEyre Hwy about 25k past Border VillageBorder Village39.61,598.71,535.8
Day39TueEyre HwyLookout 2 (rest area)50.11,648.81,585.9
Day40WedEyre HwyBunda Cliff Rest Area49.91,698.71,635.8
Day41ThuEyre Hwy 15k short of Nullarbor RHNullarbor Roadhouse45.31,7441,681.1
Day42FriEyre Hwy30k east of NRH54.41,798.41,735.5
Day43SatEyre HwyEyre Hwy 25k short of Nundroo RH561,854.41,791.5
Day44SunEyre HwyNundroo53.51,907.91,845
Day45MonEyre HwyEyre Hwy 29k short of Penong501,957.91,895
Day46TueEyre HwyKoonibba rest area55.52,013.41,950.5
Day47WedEyre HwyCeduna47.12,060.51,997.6
Day48ThuRESTCeduna2,060.51,997.6
Day49FriEyre HwyPuntabie Rest Area55.52,1162,007.5
Day50SatEyre HwyRest Area57.22,173.22,064.7
Day51SunEyre Hwy about 8km short of MinnipaMinnipa Caravan Park56.32,229.52,121
Day52MonEyre Hwy to Gawler Ranges CPGawler Ranges Caravan Park48.52,2782,169.5
Day53TueEyre HwyRest area just east of Koongawa58.72,336.72,228.2
Day54WedEyre Hwy about 9km past KimbaKimba Caravan park57.92,394.62,286.1
Day55ThuEyre HwyRest area west of Iron Knob56.82,451.42,342.9
Day56FriEyre Hwy to Nuttbush RetreatNuttbush Retreat CP51.72,503.12,394.6
Day57SatEyre Hwy to Pt AugustaShoreline Caravan Park38.42,541.52,433
Day58SunAugusta HwyBaroota (rest area)562,597.52,489
Day59MonAugusta HwyCrystal Brook55.62,653.12,544.6
Day60TueSnowtownSnowtown54.32,707.42,598.9
Day61WedPt WakefieldPt Wakefield49.92,757.32,640.5
Day62Thu2km before Two WellsVirginia Gadens56.82,814.12,697.3
Day63FriTorrens WeirAdelaide43.62,857.72,740.9
Day64SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Adelaide - parkrun
Day65SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Adelaide
Day66MonHighway One to DawesleyDrive back to Mount Barker CP50.22,907.92,782.2
Day67TueOld Princes Hwy to Westbrook ParkWestbrook Park53.22,961.12,952.8
Day68WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Kiki56.73,017.83,009.5
Day69Thu3km or so after rest areaRest area tintinara56.33,074.13,065.8
Day70Fri16km short of BordertownDrive forward to Bordertown57.63,131.73,123.4
Day71SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Kaniva50.23,181.93,173.6
Day72SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Nhill573,238.93,230.6
Day73Mon7k short of HorshamHorsham56.13,2953,286.7
Day74TueGrampians EdgeGrampians Edge53.23,348.23,339.9
Day75WedShort of Ararat - 6km?Ararat543,402.23,393.9
Day76ThuBeaufort - 4km pastDrove back to Beaufort CP55.73,457.93,449.6
Day77FriBallarat parkrun Vic ParkHobsons Bay Caravan Park, WilliamstownOriginal schedule: stop 100 km from Melbourne, drive in42.43,500.33,492
Day78SatrestSt KildaOriginal schedule: Melbourne parkrun03,500.33,492
Day79SunrestBIG4 Ballarat GoldfieldsOriginal schedule: rest03,500.33,492
Day80MonResume BallaratBacchus Marsh58.43,558.73,544.4
Day81TueNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Big 4 Braybrook54.13,612.83,604.5
Day82WedDiamond CreekJo's Friends in Eltham36.63,649.43,641.1
Day83ThuCross Country - HazeldeneAll went horribly wrong at the endYea56.33,705.73,697.4
Day84FriNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Kanumbra63.23,768.93,760.6
Day85SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Lima South65.43,834.33,826
Day86SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Glenrowan Tourist and Caravan ParkOriginal schedule: Wangaratta56.93,891.23,882.9
Day87MonNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Lake Anderson Caravan Park, ChilternOriginal schedule: Wodonga55.23,946.43,948.1
Day88TueNo detail recorded in this workbook row.felt illHotel Albury38.83,985.23,986.9
Day89WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Holbrook Motor Village644,049.24,050.9
Day90ThuNo detail recorded in this workbook row.rest area about 25 km short of Tarcutta544,103.24,104.9
Day91FriNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Ibis Styles Eaglehawk Canberra42.54,145.74,147.4
Day92SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.parkrun04,145.74,147.4
Day93SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.rest04,145.74,147.4
Day94MonGundagai to a truck stop near Coolactruck stop beside the Hume Highway a few kilometres north west of Coolac54.24,199.94,201.6
Day95Tuetruck stop near Coolac to near Bowning, about 19 km short of YassYass Caravan Park56.34,256.24,257.9
Day96Wednear Bowning, about 19 km short of Yass, to east of Yass near GunningDay 97 GPS restart is about 157 m from the Day 96 GPS finish, confirming route continuity but not proving the overnight location because the drive-forward / drive-back routine should preserve continuity anyway. Gary's review of the 05:11 local Day 97 start time makes a lay-by at or near the Day 96 finish the likely working conclusion, but no source found so far names the exact stop.Not recorded54.64,310.84,312.5
Day97Thueast of Yass near Gunning to a few kilometres east of GoulburnSame-day source says the team planned to go a little beyond Goulburn and drive back for the overnight stay. Day 97 final GPS point and Day 98 first GPS point are about 9 m apart, supporting the drive-back/return-to-finish routine.Goulburn area, exact accommodation not yet confirmed574,367.84,369.5
Day98Fria few kilometres east of Goulburn to about 2 km before Sutton ForestSame-day source says the finish point was about 2 km before Sutton Forest and the team stayed overnight at Moss Vale. The original workbook row had no route detail or overnight recorded. The row's old workbook daily distance remains 67.9 km; the Day 98 public article uses the Strava activity-ledger total of 57.3 km and notes the distance discrepancy privately.Moss Vale67.94,435.74,437.4
Day99SatSutton Forest / Bowral area through Bargo toward TahmoorThe original workbook row had no route detail or overnight recorded. Same-day sources place Gary through Bowral and Bargo, describe a route correction after Bargo, say he ended about 85 km from Sydney, and plan the next morning's start from `Tahnmoor`, interpreted publicly as Tahmoor. The public article uses the Strava activity-ledger total of 56.5 km; the old workbook daily distance remains 45.9 km.Tahmoor, NSW45.94,481.64,483.3
Day100Sunthrough Picton and Camden to LiverpoolSame-day source sets Picton, Camden, Liverpool and Sydney as the route sequence, with Liverpool more or less the end point for the day. The 2025 reflection says the team slept where they parked on the south-west fringes of greater Sydney. The original workbook row had no route detail or overnight recorded.Liverpool, NSW59.44,5414,542.7
Day101MonLiverpool via Sydney, The Rocks and Sydney Harbour Bridge to north of SydneySame-day sources and the 2025 reflection establish Liverpool, Sydney, The Rocks, Sydney Harbour Bridge, north Sydney and a push about 10-12 km beyond the city after lunch. The final same-day photo sequence places the evening finish around Lindfield, but the exact overnight arrangement is not named. The original workbook row had no route detail or overnight recorded. / The workbook row lists 59.3 km daily / 4602.0 km total, while the six included Strava activities currently found for Day 101 total 48.23 km. Keep the schedule values as source context and use the article/day note to track the activity-ledger discrepancy.north of Sydney59.34,600.34,602
Day102TueNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded55.34,655.64,657.3
Day103WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded40.14,695.74,697.4
Day104Thusydney 14.7 weeksNot recorded53.64,749.34,751
Day105FriNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded42.54,791.84,793.5
Day106SatparkrunSt Peters04,791.84,793.5
Day107SunrestNot recorded04,791.84,793.5
Day108MonNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded58.84,850.64,852.3
Day109TueNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded59.14,909.74,911.4
Day110WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded58.74,968.44,970.1
Day111Thuport macquarie 16 weeksNot recorded57.95,026.35,028
Day112FriNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded55.85,082.15,083.8
Day113SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Coffs45.55,127.65,129.3
Day114SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Coffs21.55,149.15,150.8
Day115Moncoffs harbour 16.6 weeksNot recorded51.65,200.75,202.4
Day116TueNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded58.55,259.25,260.9
Day117WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Not recorded50.95,310.15,311.8
Day118ThuNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Ballina51.55,361.65,363.3
Day119FriNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Byron Bay35.75,397.35,399
Day120SatNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Pottsville37.65,434.95,436.6
Day121SunNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Kirra32.15,4675,468.7
Day122Moncoolangatta 17.5 weeksSouthport32.35,499.35,501
Day123Tuesouthport 17.7 weeksOxenford15.35,514.65,516.3
Day124WedNo detail recorded in this workbook row.Springwood435,557.65,559.3
Day125ThuBrisbane 18 weeksSouth Bank23.95,581.55,583.2
  1. Daily kilometres are the day-by-day activity distance used in the working log. Some days have split sessions, bad GPS fragments, manually entered activities, or route corrections that are explained in the individual article.
  2. Cumulative total is a straight accumulation of the daily kilometre column. It is the activity-ledger total used on journey articles.
  3. Later workbook sheets do not simply carry forward the previous sheet's final total. They restart the local sheet total and add hard-coded cumulative offsets: 767.0 km from Day 22, 6 June 2015; 1,952.0 km from Day 49, 3 July 2015; 2,732.0 km from Day 66, 20 July 2015; 2,849.4 km from Day 67, 21 July 2015; 3,486.0 km from Day 80, 3 Aug 2015. Treat the workbook total as schedule context with manual re-anchors, not as a clean formula chain or adjusted real-distance tracker.

Distance note

The reconstructed Garmin course is 5,398.41 km. The accumulated daily recorded total is 5,573.2 km. That 174.79 km gap is why this page treats route/course distance, workbook progress, and Strava activity totals as related but separate records.

Distance
5,398.41km
Ascent
44,008m
Descent
44,011m
Open Garmin course map
Garmin course map showing the Hearts Across Australia route from Perth to Brisbane via Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
Garmin Connect course assembled from the individual GPS files. Click the button or the map to view the course on Garmin Connect.