List of people who have walked across Australia
Encyclopedia
People who choose to walk across Australia
can choose to walk from either of the geographical extremes
of the continent, or from directly opposed cities on opposite shores. The western-most geographical extreme of Australia is Steep Point
, whereas the eastern-most extreme is Cape Byron
. Similarly, the northern-most geographical extreme is Cape York Peninsula
, and the southern-most is the South East Cape
. The distance between the east and west as the crow flies
is 4030 km (2,504.1 mi), or 3685 km (2,289.8 mi) from north to south*. The western-most capitol city in Australia is Perth
, and the eastern-most capitol city is Brisbane. The northern-most city is Darwin
, and the southern to the southern-most city is Hobart
.
Walkers who choose to circumambulate
Australia can follow the National Highway
for large sections of their journey. Of the people who have successfully circumambulated the continent, it took a range of 365–401 days to complete. Distances involved are in the vicinity of 14300 km (8,885.6 mi) depending on the route taken.
*Distance calculated by author utilising the resources of Geoscience Australia.
‡ Kurumba did not exist upon Burke, Wills and King arriving. The site of the town however is widely accepted as the northern-most destination of the Victorian Exploring Expedition.
, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north. The expedition left Melbourne
on 20 August 1860 with a total of 19 men, 27 camels and 23 horses. Burke, along with William Wills, John King and Charley Gray, reached the mangroves on the estuary of the Flinders River near where the town of Normanton now stands, on 9 February 1861. Flooding rains and swamps meant they never saw open ocean. Upon returning, the expedition was weakened by starvation and exposure, and was hampered by the tropical monsoon downpours of the wet season. Burke died at a place now called Burke's Waterhole on Cooper Creek
in South Australia
. The exact date of Burke's death is uncertain, but has generally been accepted to be 28 June 1861.
on 20 August 1860 with a total of 19 men, 27 camels and 23 horses. They reached Menindee on 16 October 1860 where Landells resigned following an argument with Burke, where Wills was promoted to second-in-command. Burke, along with William Wills, John King and Charley Gray, reached the mangroves on the estuary of the Flinders River near where the town of Normanton now stands, on 9 February 1861. Flooding rains and swamps meant they never saw open ocean. Upon returning, the expedition was weakened by starvation and exposure, and was hampered by the tropical monsoon downpours of the wet season. Wills died alone at a place called Breerily Waterhole on Cooper Creek in South Australia while waiting for rescue. Burke died soon after. The exact date of their deaths is unknown, but has generally been accepted to be 28 June 1861.
who reached the Gulf of Carpentaria
. King was the sole survivor of the four men of the expedition, and survived with the help of Aborigines
until he was found on 15 September by Edwin Welch - the surveyor in Alfred William Howitt's Victorian Contingent Party. King returned to Melbourne
and was hailed as a hero. King never fully recovered from the expedition, and died prematurely of pulmonary tuberculosis on 15 January 1872 aged 33.
in October 1972. Dave was also shot in the chest during the same attack, but survived by playing dead. After spending 4 months recovering from his injuries, Dave resumed his journey along with his brother Pete, from the spot where John was killed. As they continued their travels, Dave and Pete were denied access to the USSR, so they flew from India
to Australia. Pete returned home during the Australia-leg of the trek, where Dave continued on alone, by this time on his 3rd mule. Unfortunately, the mule died and Dave was left hauling his wagon of supplies himself. He was on the verge of abandoning his supplies, when he fortuitously met Jenni Samuel, a schoolteacher from Perth
. She helped pull his wagon with her car, while he walked alongside. Dave returned to Australia for a year after completing his journey. Jenni and Dave later married and are still together as of 2008.
unassisted in 1984, whilst walking across Australia from the Gulf of Carpentaria
to Gulf St Vincent. He followed the 'French Line' - a route taken by the CGG surveyor Roy Elkins 21 years prior who also completed the walk but with the assistance of a support crew. In recognition of his achievement, he was named the Australian Geographic's Adventurer of the Year in 1995.
and commenced his walk in Darwin
on 1 July 1985. He travelled south along "The Track" through Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Adelaide, and on to Melbourne. He concluded in Melbourne on 20 June 1986, before proceeding onto Vancouver
for his American leg of the journey.
Steven later published a book documenting his journey in 1989 called 'Worldwalk'. The handmade cart he used to cross the deserts was named 'Roo' and is currently on display at a museum in the USA. His backpack 'Clinger' and the tattered boots he wore across Australia were temporarily displayed in the Smithsonian after his record-setting solo walk around the world was completed. The 1989 Guiness Book of World Records has a large photo of Steve wearing his 'Clinger' and pulling the 'Roo' and in the Australian outback.
for Dover on 6 August 1988, raising funds for the Top End Life Education Centre and the NT Spastics Association. He walked via Kununurra and Halls Creek, arriving at the Eyre Bird Observatory
on the southern coast of South Australia on 22 September 1988 where he encountered Ffyona Campbell
on her walk across Australia. He then proceeded on to Adelaide
, before catching a flight to Devonport
and walking to Dover. He completed the walk in 109 days, and traversed the Great Sandy Desert
, Gibson Desert
, Great Victoria Desert
, and Nullarbor Plain
on his journey.
on 11 September 1988, and arrived in Fremantle
on 14 December 1988 - a journey lasting 95 days. She completed the journey with David Richard, who acted as her support crew and drove alongside her on her journey.
Her entire journey around the world took a little over eleven years to complete. She completed 31,529 km and raised £120,000 for charity.
s that would carry his supplies. From there, he walked through the Simpson Desert
to Uluru
, then across the Gibson Desert
to Steep Point. He completed the walk in 236 days, whilst raisng money for the Fred Hollows Foundation. In recognition of his achievement, he was named the Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 1999.
on a 5 year journey spanning 4 continents and 22 countries. She started her leg across Australia on 29 October 2000 from St. Kilda Pier on Port Phillip
Bay in Melbourne
, and concluded on 22 July 2001 after arriving in Port Douglas
. On 30 July 2004 she concluded her journey having walked over 22730 km (14,123.8 mi), having raised over $250,000 for breast cancer
research, and having officially became the first woman to have walked around the world.
named Seraphine, from Port Augusta
to Burketown. It took him 128 days, spanning a distance of approximately 2,500 km. He filmed his journey and produced a documentary entitled Alone Across Australia
. Jon has also successfully climbed Mount Everest, and walked to both the north and south poles.
for the Kids Help Line
in the process. She is the first woman to walk completely around Australia.
His first journey commenced in 2004. John walked 5,622 km unsupported from Cape York
to Tasmania
in 167 days, and raised a little over $10,000 for a charity working with children with cerebral palsy
. On 18 June 2008, John Olsen undertook his second walk, walking from Steep Point, to Cape Byron
. He travelled a distance 4752 km, raising $130,000 for the Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation (ALCMF) and the Australian Leukodystrophy Support Group Inc (ALDS). The disparity in distance is due to John walking back to his home in Geelong after reaching Cape Byron
. Both the ALCMF and ALDS help children with progressive degenerative brain disease, which gives rise to mobility problems. The progress of John’s second journey was broadcast by Ian McNamara’s ABC radio’s ‘Australia All Over’ program on Sundays. John completed the walk in 200 days, finishing on 3 January 2009.
John’s accomplishment was recognised by Sensis when they depicted him on the cover of the local (Geelong and Colac) Yellow and White Pages directories for 2010/2011
on 4 January 2005, returning 15,430kms and 379 days later on 17 January 2006. He pushed a three wheel baby jogger named 'Wilson' and followed National Highway 1
in an anti-clockwise direction.
to Kurumba (Qld) to raise money for the DeafBlind Association of NSW. Motivated by the then recent death of his deaf-blind niece, he raised approximately $5,700 for the charity towards the purchase of a bus for transport of wheelchair bound deaf and blind children. He completed the walk in 151 days, finishing on 2 September 2007.
and crossing the Nullarbor, she travelled south from Port Augusta to Adelaide
, along the coast through Mount Gambier to Melbourne
, then up the Princes Highway
through Eden
to Sydney
. The total distance of this route, taken from road maps and routemarkers, is 4895km; with an additional 170km of additional distance on side-roads and excursions making her total journey a little over 5000km. She completed her journey in 180 days.
on 5 May 2008 on his 'Great Australian Cancer Bush Walk'. He aimed to raise $1 million for cancer
research, and was motivated to act because some friends and his siblings (Mick and Maree Egan) were living with cancer. He followed the National Bicentennial Trail
for a large portion of his journey.
Michael was able to raise $20,000 for the Cancer Council. He finished on 12 May 2009 upon arriving at Wilsons Promontory
, and was greeted by staff and student body representatives from the school where he works.
to Federation Square
in Melbourne
via Coolgardie after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis
in both knees as a result of being overweight, and reading of Deanna Sorenson’s account of walking unsupported across the Nullarbor. He vowed to complete the walk before his 70th birthday, in a bid to raise funds and awareness for Arthritis WA.
On 16 May 2009, at sixty-nine years old, Mike set off on his lone 3617km journey walking across the Nullarbor.
on 22 February 2009 and arrived at Civic Park in Sydney
on Monday 18 May 2009. Mark undertook the walk to raise money for research into prostate cancer
, and as a tribute to a close friend and mentor who died of cancer
in 2007. Proceeds from Mark's walk were distributed through cancer research organisations in each state he has walked through, namely the Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research Foundation in WA, the McGuiness/McDermott Foundation in SA, the Victorian Prostrate Research Consortium and the Australian Cancer research Foundation in NSW.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
can choose to walk from either of the geographical extremes
Extreme points of Australia
-Australia :* Northernmost Point – Cape York, Queensland * Southernmost Point – South Point, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria * South-westernmost Point - Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia -Australia (mainland):* Northernmost Point – Cape York, Queensland (10°41' S)* Southernmost Point – South Point,...
of the continent, or from directly opposed cities on opposite shores. The western-most geographical extreme of Australia is Steep Point
Steep Point, Western Australia
Steep Point is the westernmost point of the Australian mainland, located at . It is located within the Shark Bay World Heritage site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia....
, whereas the eastern-most extreme is Cape Byron
Cape Byron
Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. It is located about northeast of the town of Byron Bay and projects into the Pacific Ocean...
. Similarly, the northern-most geographical extreme is Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, and the southern-most is the South East Cape
South East Cape
South East Cape is the southernmost point of the main island of Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia. South East Cape is located at ....
. The distance between the east and west as the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
is 4030 km (2,504.1 mi), or 3685 km (2,289.8 mi) from north to south*. The western-most capitol city in Australia is Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and the eastern-most capitol city is Brisbane. The northern-most city is Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and the southern to the southern-most city is Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
.
Walkers who choose to circumambulate
Circumambulation
Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object.Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu ritual. It is also practised in Buddhism. In Islam, circumambulation is performed around the Kaaba in Mecca, in a counter-clockwise direction...
Australia can follow the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
for large sections of their journey. Of the people who have successfully circumambulated the continent, it took a range of 365–401 days to complete. Distances involved are in the vicinity of 14300 km (8,885.6 mi) depending on the route taken.
*Distance calculated by author utilising the resources of Geoscience Australia.
Completed journeys
The names of the individuals who have walked across Australia have been listed below in chronological order. Sources for data contained within this table have been listed within the body of the article, or where not readily available, directly from the individual concerned.| Name | Nationality | Start date | Finish date | Duration | Starting location | Finishing location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Burke | 20 August 1860 | 9 February 1861 | 174 days | Melbourne | Kurumba ‡ | |
| William Wills | 20 August 1860 | 9 February 1861 | 174 days | Melbourne | Kurumba ‡ | |
| John King | 20 August 1860 | 9 February 1861 | 174 days | Melbourne | Kurumba ‡ | |
| Dave Kunst | 3 November 1973 | 20 July 1974 | 260 days | Fremantle | Sydney | |
| Dennis Bartell | 1984 | 1984 | unknown | Gulf of Carpentaria | Gulf St Vincent | |
| Steven Newman | 1 July 1985 | 20 June 1986 | 293 days | Darwin | Melbourne | |
| Roger Scott | 6 August 1988 | 22 November 1988 | 109 days | Darwin | Dover | |
| Ffyona Campbell | 11 September 1988 | 14 December 1988 | 95 days | Sydney | Fremantle | |
| Nobby Young | 1 March 1993 | 1 March 1994 | 365 days | Sydney | Sydney | |
| David Mason | 23 March 1998 | 13 November 1998 | 236 days | Byron Bay | Steep Point | |
| Polly Letofsky | 29 October 2000 | 22 July 2001 | 267 days | Melbourne | Port Douglas | |
| Jon Muir | 18 May 2001 | 22 September 2001 | 128 days | Port Augusta | Burketown | |
| Deborah DeWilliams | 11 September 2003 | 15 October 2004 | 401 days | Hobart | Melbourne | |
| John Olsen | 2004 | unknown | 167 days | Cape York | South East Cape | |
| Colin Ricketts | 4 January 2005 | 17 January 2006 | 379 days | Adelaide | Adelaide | |
| Jeff Johnson | 5 April 2007 | 2 September 2007 | 151 days | Port Augusta | Kurumba | |
| Deanna Sorenson | 2 May 2008 | 29 October 2008 | 180 days | Perth | Sydney | |
| Mike Mitchell | 5 May 2008 | 12 May 2009 | 372 days | Cape York | Wilsons Promontory | |
| Gary Hause | 19 May 2008 | 2 November 2008 | 168 days | Cairns | Torquay | |
| John Olsen | 18 June 2008 | 3 January 2009 | 200 days | Steep Point | Cape Byron | |
| Dave Phoenix | 1 August 2008 | 8 January 2009 | 161 days | Melbourne | Kurumba | |
| Mike Pauly | 16 May 2009 | unknown | unknown | Perth | Melbourne | |
| Mark Gibben | 22 February 2009 | 18 May 2009 | 86 days | Perth | Sydney | |
| Leigh Thomson-Matthews | 8 March 2010 | 3 July 2010 | 118 days | Perth | Melbourne | |
| Sam Thomson-Matthews | 8 March 2010 | 3 July 2010 | 118 days | Perth | Melbourne | |
| Mike Pauly | 1 March 2011 | 26 June 2011 | 118 days | Melbourne | Fremantle | |
‡ Kurumba did not exist upon Burke, Wills and King arriving. The site of the town however is widely accepted as the northern-most destination of the Victorian Exploring Expedition.
Robert Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke was an Irish soldier and police officer, who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was the leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expeditionBurke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north. The expedition left Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 20 August 1860 with a total of 19 men, 27 camels and 23 horses. Burke, along with William Wills, John King and Charley Gray, reached the mangroves on the estuary of the Flinders River near where the town of Normanton now stands, on 9 February 1861. Flooding rains and swamps meant they never saw open ocean. Upon returning, the expedition was weakened by starvation and exposure, and was hampered by the tropical monsoon downpours of the wet season. Burke died at a place now called Burke's Waterhole on Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The exact date of Burke's death is uncertain, but has generally been accepted to be 28 June 1861.
William Wills
William Wills was a member of the famous Victorian Exploring Expedition. He was originally appointed as third-in-command, surveyor, astronomical and meteorological observer of the expedition in July 1860 on a salary of £300 a year. The expedition left MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 20 August 1860 with a total of 19 men, 27 camels and 23 horses. They reached Menindee on 16 October 1860 where Landells resigned following an argument with Burke, where Wills was promoted to second-in-command. Burke, along with William Wills, John King and Charley Gray, reached the mangroves on the estuary of the Flinders River near where the town of Normanton now stands, on 9 February 1861. Flooding rains and swamps meant they never saw open ocean. Upon returning, the expedition was weakened by starvation and exposure, and was hampered by the tropical monsoon downpours of the wet season. Wills died alone at a place called Breerily Waterhole on Cooper Creek in South Australia while waiting for rescue. Burke died soon after. The exact date of their deaths is unknown, but has generally been accepted to be 28 June 1861.
John King
John King was an Irish soldier who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was responsible for the welfare of the camels used during the Burke and Wills expeditionBurke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
who reached the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
. King was the sole survivor of the four men of the expedition, and survived with the help of Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
until he was found on 15 September by Edwin Welch - the surveyor in Alfred William Howitt's Victorian Contingent Party. King returned to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and was hailed as a hero. King never fully recovered from the expedition, and died prematurely of pulmonary tuberculosis on 15 January 1872 aged 33.
Dave Kunst
Dave Kunst is the first person verified to have walked around the Earth. Kunst's trek began 20 June 1970 and ended 5 October 1974 (the dates in the table reflect his arrival and departure from Australia). During their travels, the brothers collected donations to UNICEF. Unfortunately, John (Dave's brother who was also walking with him) was killed when bandits shot him in the mountains of AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in October 1972. Dave was also shot in the chest during the same attack, but survived by playing dead. After spending 4 months recovering from his injuries, Dave resumed his journey along with his brother Pete, from the spot where John was killed. As they continued their travels, Dave and Pete were denied access to the USSR, so they flew from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Australia. Pete returned home during the Australia-leg of the trek, where Dave continued on alone, by this time on his 3rd mule. Unfortunately, the mule died and Dave was left hauling his wagon of supplies himself. He was on the verge of abandoning his supplies, when he fortuitously met Jenni Samuel, a schoolteacher from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. She helped pull his wagon with her car, while he walked alongside. Dave returned to Australia for a year after completing his journey. Jenni and Dave later married and are still together as of 2008.
Dennis Bartell
Denis Bartell became the first person to walk across the Simpson DesertSimpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
unassisted in 1984, whilst walking across Australia from the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
to Gulf St Vincent. He followed the 'French Line' - a route taken by the CGG surveyor Roy Elkins 21 years prior who also completed the walk but with the assistance of a support crew. In recognition of his achievement, he was named the Australian Geographic's Adventurer of the Year in 1995.
Steven Newman
Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the first person to walk around the world solo, Steve Newman crossed 20 countries and walked some 15,000 miles during his four-year journey. For the Australian leg, Steven flew from BaliBali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and commenced his walk in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
on 1 July 1985. He travelled south along "The Track" through Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Adelaide, and on to Melbourne. He concluded in Melbourne on 20 June 1986, before proceeding onto Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
for his American leg of the journey.
Steven later published a book documenting his journey in 1989 called 'Worldwalk'. The handmade cart he used to cross the deserts was named 'Roo' and is currently on display at a museum in the USA. His backpack 'Clinger' and the tattered boots he wore across Australia were temporarily displayed in the Smithsonian after his record-setting solo walk around the world was completed. The 1989 Guiness Book of World Records has a large photo of Steve wearing his 'Clinger' and pulling the 'Roo' and in the Australian outback.
Roger Scott
Roger Scott departed from DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
for Dover on 6 August 1988, raising funds for the Top End Life Education Centre and the NT Spastics Association. He walked via Kununurra and Halls Creek, arriving at the Eyre Bird Observatory
Eyre Bird Observatory
Eyre Bird Observatory is an educational, scientific and recreational facility in the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, Western Australia.Cocklebiddy is the nearest locality on the Eyre Highway 49 km to the north....
on the southern coast of South Australia on 22 September 1988 where he encountered Ffyona Campbell
Ffyona Campbell
Ffyona Campbell is a British long-distance walker who was the first woman to walk around the world. She covered over 11 years and raised £180,000 for charity. She wrote about her experience in a series of three books.-Early life:...
on her walk across Australia. He then proceeded on to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, before catching a flight to Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
and walking to Dover. He completed the walk in 109 days, and traversed the Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is a desert located in the North West of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of...
, Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
, Great Victoria Desert
Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is a barren and sparsely populated desert area of southern Australia.-Location and description:The Great Victoria is the biggest desert in Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grassland plains, areas with a closely packed surface of pebbles and salt lakes...
, and Nullarbor Plain
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...
on his journey.
Ffyona Campbell
Starting from John O'Groats on the northernmost coast of Scotland in 1983, then 16-year-old Ffyona Campbell set out to walk around the world. She departed from SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 11 September 1988, and arrived in Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
on 14 December 1988 - a journey lasting 95 days. She completed the journey with David Richard, who acted as her support crew and drove alongside her on her journey.
Her entire journey around the world took a little over eleven years to complete. She completed 31,529 km and raised £120,000 for charity.
Nobby Young
Through 1993-94, Nobby Young became the only person to walk around mainland Australia. The 16,000-kilometre journey, which took exactly a year to complete, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. He covered a distance of 14,900 km, whilst raising funds for the 'Life Education Centre'.David Mason
In 1998, David Mason walked from Byron Bay to Dalby, where he picked up three camelCamel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s that would carry his supplies. From there, he walked through the Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
to Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
, then across the Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
to Steep Point. He completed the walk in 236 days, whilst raisng money for the Fred Hollows Foundation. In recognition of his achievement, he was named the Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 1999.
Polly Letofsky
On 1 August 1999, Polly Letofsky left her home in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on a 5 year journey spanning 4 continents and 22 countries. She started her leg across Australia on 29 October 2000 from St. Kilda Pier on Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
Bay in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and concluded on 22 July 2001 after arriving in Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
. On 30 July 2004 she concluded her journey having walked over 22730 km (14,123.8 mi), having raised over $250,000 for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research, and having officially became the first woman to have walked around the world.
John Muir
On 18 May 2001 Jon Muir walked across Australia with his dog, a Jack Russell TerrierJack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
named Seraphine, from Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
to Burketown. It took him 128 days, spanning a distance of approximately 2,500 km. He filmed his journey and produced a documentary entitled Alone Across Australia
Alone across Australia
Alone Across Australia is a 2003 Australian documentary starring adventurer Jon Muir.-Subject:Jon Muir, whose adventures include climbing Mt. Everest, trekking the North and South poles, and remote sea kayaking, challenges himself to complete the first unsupported crossing of Australia...
. Jon has also successfully climbed Mount Everest, and walked to both the north and south poles.
Deborah DeWilliams
Deborah walked around Australia in 2003/2004. She aimed to break the record set by Nobby Young (who was also on her support team), the first person to walk around Australia back in 1993/1994. She broke the record on 23 September 2004, and raised a total ofKids Help Line
Kids Helpline is a free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. Counsellors respond to more than 6,000 calls each week about issues ranging from relationship breakdown and bullying to sexual abuse, homelessness,...
in the process. She is the first woman to walk completely around Australia.
John Olsen
John Olsen has walked across Australia twice, between the northern and southern-most points, and the western and eastern-most points.His first journey commenced in 2004. John walked 5,622 km unsupported from Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
in 167 days, and raised a little over $10,000 for a charity working with children with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. On 18 June 2008, John Olsen undertook his second walk, walking from Steep Point, to Cape Byron
Cape Byron
Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. It is located about northeast of the town of Byron Bay and projects into the Pacific Ocean...
. He travelled a distance 4752 km, raising $130,000 for the Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation (ALCMF) and the Australian Leukodystrophy Support Group Inc (ALDS). The disparity in distance is due to John walking back to his home in Geelong after reaching Cape Byron
Cape Byron
Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. It is located about northeast of the town of Byron Bay and projects into the Pacific Ocean...
. Both the ALCMF and ALDS help children with progressive degenerative brain disease, which gives rise to mobility problems. The progress of John’s second journey was broadcast by Ian McNamara’s ABC radio’s ‘Australia All Over’ program on Sundays. John completed the walk in 200 days, finishing on 3 January 2009.
John’s accomplishment was recognised by Sensis when they depicted him on the cover of the local (Geelong and Colac) Yellow and White Pages directories for 2010/2011
Colin Ricketts
Colin Ricketts walked solo walk around Australia raising money for kids with cancer. He departed AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on 4 January 2005, returning 15,430kms and 379 days later on 17 January 2006. He pushed a three wheel baby jogger named 'Wilson' and followed National Highway 1
Highway 1 (Australia)
Australia's Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the Australian continent, joining all mainland state capitals. At a total length of approximately it is the longest national highway in the world, longer than the Trans-Siberian Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway...
in an anti-clockwise direction.
Jeff Johnson
On 5 April 2007, Jeff Johnson walked from Port AugustaPort Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
to Kurumba (Qld) to raise money for the DeafBlind Association of NSW. Motivated by the then recent death of his deaf-blind niece, he raised approximately $5,700 for the charity towards the purchase of a bus for transport of wheelchair bound deaf and blind children. He completed the walk in 151 days, finishing on 2 September 2007.
Deanna Sorenson
Deanna Sorenson is a Canadian motivational speaker . After leaving PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and crossing the Nullarbor, she travelled south from Port Augusta to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, along the coast through Mount Gambier to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, then up the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
through Eden
Eden, New South Wales
Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town, south of the state capital Sydney near the border with Victoria, is located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay, and built on undulating land adjacent to a...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The total distance of this route, taken from road maps and routemarkers, is 4895km; with an additional 170km of additional distance on side-roads and excursions making her total journey a little over 5000km. She completed her journey in 180 days.
Micheal Mitchell
Michael Mitchell left Cape YorkCape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
on 5 May 2008 on his 'Great Australian Cancer Bush Walk'. He aimed to raise $1 million for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
research, and was motivated to act because some friends and his siblings (Mick and Maree Egan) were living with cancer. He followed the National Bicentennial Trail
Bicentennial National Trail
The Bicentennial National Trail , formerly known as the National Horse Trail is the longest marked multi-use trail in the world, stretching 5,330 kilometres from Cooktown, through New South Wales to Healesville, 60 km north-east of Melbourne...
for a large portion of his journey.
Michael was able to raise $20,000 for the Cancer Council. He finished on 12 May 2009 upon arriving at Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at . South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia...
, and was greeted by staff and student body representatives from the school where he works.
Gary Hause
Gary Hause departed from Cairns on 19 May 2008, and arrived in Torquay on 2 November 2008. The leg across Australia was completed as part of his journey around the world on foot. A detailed account of his journey is available on his website.Mike Pauly
Mike decided he would walk from his home in FremantleFremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
to Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
via Coolgardie after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...
in both knees as a result of being overweight, and reading of Deanna Sorenson’s account of walking unsupported across the Nullarbor. He vowed to complete the walk before his 70th birthday, in a bid to raise funds and awareness for Arthritis WA.
On 16 May 2009, at sixty-nine years old, Mike set off on his lone 3617km journey walking across the Nullarbor.
Dave Phoenix
In 2008, Dave Phoenix walked from Melbourne to Kurumba following the route taken by Burke and Wills in 1860-1. Dave is a postgraduate research student at James Cook University studying for a PhD in Australian exploration history, and is the President of The Burke & Wills Historical Society.Mark Gibben
Mark Gibbens left PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
on 22 February 2009 and arrived at Civic Park in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on Monday 18 May 2009. Mark undertook the walk to raise money for research into prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, and as a tribute to a close friend and mentor who died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2007. Proceeds from Mark's walk were distributed through cancer research organisations in each state he has walked through, namely the Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research Foundation in WA, the McGuiness/McDermott Foundation in SA, the Victorian Prostrate Research Consortium and the Australian Cancer research Foundation in NSW.
Leigh Thomson-Matthews
Leigh set off from Perth on 8 March 2010 with his brother Sam. Sydney was their original destination, but the two decided to complete their journey in Melbourne , arriving on 3 July 2010.Sam Thomson-Matthews
Sam set off from Perth on 8 March 2010 with his brother Leigh. Sydney was their original destination, but the two decided to complete their journey in Melbourne , arriving on 3 July 2010.Mike Pauly
Mike previously walked across Australia in 2009. In 2011, he walked back to Perth from Melbourne to again raise funds for Arthritis WA.Journeys under-way
The following list provides links to people currently walking or planning to walk across Australia. Only reputable sources have been referenced, in so much as there is proof the individual has commenced the journey, or a reputable charity or organisation has sanctioned a fund-raising event.| Name | Nationality | Start date | Starting location | Finishing location | Benefactor (if raising for charity) | Cited references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Cadigan | 28 December 2010 | Sydney, NSW | Sydney, NSW | Cancer Council | ||
| Jeff Johnson | 24 April 2011 | Cape Byron, NSW | Steep Point, WA | Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service | ||
| Jacob French | 20 July 2011 | Perth, WA | Sydney, NSW | Starlight Children's Foundation |
See also
- List of people who have run across Australia
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- List of people who have walked across the United States
- Transcontinental walkTranscontinental walkA transcontinental walk involves crossing a continent on foot. If a walk does not technically cross the entire continent, but starts and ends in a major city right near two opposing sides of a continent, it is usually considered transcontinental...