The Melbourne 2 Sydney Walk - M31 here I come

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Hi my name is Shantell. I will be undertaking a personal journey starting the 15th November 2012, which I've dubbed "The Melbourne 2 Sydney Walk" and it is as the name suggests - I'm going to walk from Melbourne Central to Sydney Opera House. I'm going to go back to basics, put my trust in nature, put one foot in front of the other and "Put the walk back in my talk"

This walk signifies the words to "live life, to live the dream", it is to uplift, inspire and bring awareness to the anxious and depressed and to give the word "WALK" a new meaning. The distance to cover is approximately 1000 km, duration 24 days. The amount of stops are yet to be determined and they will be determined on a 30-60 km per day walk, last stop before Sydney is Varroville NSW. Buzzzzz buzzzzzzz

What started as a personal journey has quickly evolved into more. WWOOF Australia provided me with a membership and ongoing support, the support I have received from OSA Brands has been nothing short of amazing, Pinnacle outdoors and other people are generously providing their personal time and equipment towards training, hiking gear, photography or other donations and I now want to inspire more people, as I have been, to grab life by the horns and get started on their own personal missions, to maybe try doing something different. This walk is about healthy living, exercise, good food, good people and nature and I hope to showcase as much of that as possible via live internet feeds, blogs and articles.

The walk is also in support of the White Cloud Foundation, whose mission is to “help increase resources and improve access to support for people, families and carers who live with depression”, and will be receiving donations via the Everyday Hero page at: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/the_melb ... ydney_walk. There are about 1000 km's from start to finish and I'm hoping to raise $10,000, so at least $10 for every kilometer I walk. There is also a great competition running hand in hand with every $10 or more donation, please check out the facebook page for more details.

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/themelbourne2sydneywalk
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/the_melb ... ydney_walk
https://twitter.com/Melb2SydWalk

Website: http://themelbourne2sydneywalk.com Very new and under construction

OSA Brands Expedition Life article/ blog: http://www.osabrands.com/expedition/page.php/1/13/70

Plans are all nearly finalized and the route to walk has been decided - M31 Through Albury, Gouldburn and then onto Sydney.
Please fell free to visit and like if you see fit and all questions or queries will be answered within 48hrs.

On the 24-10-2012 at 9:00 pm
The Melbourne 2 Sydney route voting poll closed and the route voted most on was the - M31 Through Albury, Gouldburn and then onto Sydney
Thank you everyone and especially to everyone who voted and has posted:)
"M31 here I come"

Last edited by Melb2Syd-Walk on Sat 10 Nov, 2012 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[kanangra]

From the map it looks like you're missing all the good bits?

K.

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Thank you for your comments although the route has not yet been decided on, recommendations welcome Time is running out and decision time is close, there is a voting poll on the FB page http://www.facebook.com/themelbourne2sydneywalk

[kanangra]

Why not try walking tracks instead of main roads?

K.

[photohiker]

The distance to cover is approximately 882 km - 1010 km, duration 18-33 days. The amount of stops are yet to be determined and they will be determined on a 30-60 km per day walk, last stop is confirmed, Varroville NSW.

Wow, you've picked a big goal and a fast pace. Do you actually know that you can walk that sort of distance every day? At 5km/hr (which is a pretty reasonable long distance walking pace, you are talking about 6-12hrs per day not including breaks, and you will need breaks. I've done ~320km in 13 days, so about 25km average per day, every day, and I can tell you it's no walk in the park once you get through the first week...

What training are you doing?

You might find some helpful motivation by looking at the AT record breaking hike by Jennifer Pharr Davis. 47 miles (75km) per day for 46 days.

Good luck with it, hope it works out for you.

[TerraMer]

I walked solo and unsupported from Melbourne to Newcastle a few years ago and it took me 3 months and about 1400km. I headed up to the vic Alps, Albury then across the NSW alps before dropping down to the coast via Canberra.
There are plenty of rest areas, camping grounds, tourist parks, etc, to camp in all the way up.
Don't rush, take your time to enjoy everything as you go, not just the places but the smells, sounds, all the little things drivers miss.
Be very careful because when its time to finish something big like this you wish you could just keep on going all the way around
I'm doing the full circuit now.

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Ok, time is up and finally I am happy to inform you all the the route has been decided - M31 Through Albury, Gouldburn and then onto Sydney.
Thank you everyone and especially to everyone who voted and has posted:)
"M31 here I come"

Hi my name is Shantell. I will be undertaking a personal journey starting the 15th November 2012, which I've dubbed "The Melbourne 2 Sydney Walk" and it is as the name suggests - I'm going to walk from Melbourne Central to Sydney Opera House. I'm going to go back to basics, put my trust in nature, put one foot in front of the other and "Put the walk back in my talk"

This walk signifies the words to "live life, to live the dream", it is to uplift, inspire and bring awareness to the anxious and depressed and to give the word "WALK" a new meaning. I want to be WWOOFing between host organic farms and homes until I reach the Sydney Opera House. The distance to cover is approximately 882 km - 1010 km, duration 18-33 days. The amount of stops are yet to be determined and they will be determined on a 30-60 km per day walk, last stop is confirmed, Varroville NSW.

Here is a link to my page http://www.facebook.com/themelbourne2sydneywalk

The page is still in it's early stages and has minimal details and information, it will of cause be updated as things are finalized and the route to walk is decided. As the journey will be streamed live most of the way anyone interested can tune in and see where I am and watch what's happening. I do have concerns about my safety, so I will have a companion with me on the walk, who is yet to be determined. Please fell free to visit and like if you see fit and if you want to help chose the way I walk, there is also a question/poll that you can vote on. All questions or queries will be answered also.

Last edited by Melb2Syd-Walk on Sat 17 Nov, 2012 12:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

[kanangra]

I couldn't think of anything worse.

[seagullhike]

I think you were looking for roadwalk.com. This is a bushwalking site

Jokes aside, have a great trip and be safe

[MrWalker]

If I was doing it I would go over the mountains or round the coast, but it will be a challenge even by taking the short cut up the highway.
Have fun.

[TerraMer]

I think, with Shantell's intention to spend time with WWOOF hosts, she will find a lot of her walking will be off the M31 anyway and will even have some opportunities to follow bushwalking routes like some sections of the Bicentennial Trail and Hume and Hovell Track if it takes her fancy and she is carrying the right gear.
I admire her courage and support her cause and look forward to hearing more.
Rather than tease her about being on the wrong forum (why I have not bothered opening a thread about my walk) perhaps we could take an interest in the gear she is using. Bushwalking or roadwalking, we still need good gear that goes the distance.
Good luck Shantell on your walk and I hope you raise lots of awareness about depression and anxiety.
Do you have an Everyday Hero account for a charity?

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Why not try walking tracks instead of main roads?

K.

Thank you for your comment Kanangra, MrWalker and seagullhike:)

The journey and dream for me is to walk from Melbourne to Sydney. I left the route I took up to the general public, generating a voting poll for anyone wanting a say in the way I walk. The first route to be voted for was of course the M31 and then the second route was following the outskirts of the Victorian coast, up to W Tree head office and then through the snowy mountains and on to Sydney.

On the 24-10-2012 at 9:00 pm
The Melbourne 2 Sydney route voting poll closed and the route voted most on was the - M31 Through Albury, Gouldburn and then onto Sydney

I am hiking but I will be walking on roads as well so I will definitely check out roadwalk.com Thanks seagullhike

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

I think, with Shantell's intention to spend time with WWOOF hosts, she will find a lot of her walking will be off the M31 anyway and will even have some opportunities to follow bushwalking routes like some sections of the Bicentennial Trail and Hume and Hovell Track if it takes her fancy and she is carrying the right gear.
I admire her courage and support her cause and look forward to hearing more.
Rather than tease her about being on the wrong forum (why I have not bothered opening a thread about my walk) perhaps we could take an interest in the gear she is using. Bushwalking or roadwalking, we still need good gear that goes the distance.
Good luck Shantell on your walk and I hope you raise lots of awareness about depression and anxiety.
Do you have an Everyday Hero account for a charity?

Hi Terra,

Thanks for your comments and I see you found the Everyday Hero page, I truly appreciate your support
I am not worried about the comments and don't feel "teased", there were some good questions which I have responded to, but you've hit the nail on the head with your post.
I had a great training day "bushwalking" from Creswick to Ballarat, and look forward to following some bushwalking routes along the way, as you mentioned above, but that is time permitting.

Thanks again

[Wolfix]

I think seagullhike was pulling your leg. There is no roadwalk.com but you could certainly talk more about road walking in the Off Track part of this forum.

Best of luck. And don't worry about being warned off. You know what you need to do to prepare and I'm confident that with such sponsorship you have been able to present a well formed plan. You're doing something I would love to do. Go, sister, go!

[Onestepmore]

Have a read of Andew Skurka's book 'The Ultimate Hiker's gear Guide'
Myabe try and stay off the tarmac trail?
Best of luck and enjoy your trip

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Thanks Wolfix my bad lol roadwalk.com.
Thanks Onestepmore, I will definitely try to stay away from the tarmac:) and love your little bit about crayons:)
Thanks Terra x

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

What a week!

On Tuesday, my plans for getting the equipment for the live feed fell through and unfortunately a few parcels I was expecting have not made it to me on time.

Happy to report everything is now back on track however I do have some last-minute things to attend to, which includes picking up the GoPro camera / iPad. Due to these few hiccups, I now plan to start the walk on Friday, but I might push it as late as Monday. Stay tuned for more updates and thank you all for your support [quote="Melb2Syd-Walk"]Hi my name is Shantell. I will be undertaking a personal journey starting the 15th November 2012, which I've dubbed "The Melbourne 2 Sydney Walk" and it is as the name suggests - I'm going to walk from Melbourne Central to Sydney Opera House. I'm going to go back to basics, put my trust in nature, put one foot in front of the other and "Put the walk back in my talk"

[Pongo]

Good luck Shantell.

Be sure to post some links as to how we can follow you before you leave.

It looks like a lot of your gear is new so if I could give one bit of advice I would say do not be shy about sending home gear you find is too heavy, unnecessary, or has a function that another piece of equipment also has. Shedding excess weight from your pack will reduce the load on your body and decrease the risk of repetitive strain injuries.

[Onestepmore]

Let me know when you get to the outskirts of Sydney - we're just off the Old Hume Highway in Picton, and I'd be happy to walk a bit with you, or offer you a shower or meal etc, depending on the day.

Just a hint - if you're taking an ipad with you, do you have one of these?
Griffin survivor ipad case
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-GENUINE- ... 4d06b15e7e
You can usually get them for under $40 on e-bay (approx $80 from big W)
The latest model fits ipad 2 and the 'new ipad' ie (3rd gen)
You can even get diffent colours like pink or yellow (or the basic black like mine!)

Comparison with the well-known Otterbox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IroEngPTqh0

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Good luck Shantell.

Be sure to post some links as to how we can follow you before you leave.

It looks like a lot of your gear is new so if I could give one bit of advice I would say do not be shy about sending home gear you find is too heavy, unnecessary, or has a function that another piece of equipment also has. Shedding excess weight from your pack will reduce the load on your body and decrease the risk of repetitive strain injuries.

No worries pongo, thank you for your advice I will be sure to keep the weight in mind when packing and unloading. I packed as much as I could for my training and I definitely don't want to be carrying that sort of weight for the whole 1000km's walked. I did include links in the original post above but I have included them again bellow just for you
There will be location information as well from my Spot satellite tracker updating my location and posting to the facebook page, you can watch me progress (slowly) on the map.

Cheers

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/themelbourne2sydneywalk
http://themelbourne2sydneywalk.com (under construction, a lot more details to be added)
Donation Page: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/the_melb ... ydney_walk
https://twitter.com/Melb2SydWalk
OSA Brands Expedition Life article/ blog: http://www.osabrands.com/expedition/page.php/1/13/70

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

If I was doing it I would go over the mountains or round the coast, but it will be a challenge even by taking the short cut up the highway.
Have fun.

It would have been nice to have gone over the mountains but the route was voted on by the public and the majority preferred M31 route. I'm looking forward to all my stops along the way, each WWOOF host farm has something unique to offer, which should compensate somewhat for the lack in scenery
Cheers

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

The distance to cover is approximately 882 km - 1010 km, duration 18-33 days. The amount of stops are yet to be determined and they will be determined on a 30-60 km per day walk, last stop is confirmed, Varroville NSW.

Wow, you've picked a big goal and a fast pace. Do you actually know that you can walk that sort of distance every day? At 5km/hr (which is a pretty reasonable long distance walking pace, you are talking about 6-12hrs per day not including breaks, and you will need breaks. I've done ~320km in 13 days, so about 25km average per day, every day, and I can tell you it's no walk in the park once you get through the first week...

What training are you doing?

You might find some helpful motivation by looking at the AT record breaking hike by Jennifer Pharr Davis. 47 miles (75km) per day for 46 days.

Good luck with it, hope it works out for you.

Hi there,

Thanks for your post, great questions. I've planned and thought a lot about this over the past 30 days or so and have tried to give myself an easier day here and there. Most of the WWOOF hosts along the way have been kind enough to offer to pick me up, so I have that as a backup, should something go wrong and I not be able to continue on a certain day.

The Melbourne 2 Sydney Walk is a personal journey and to put the walk back in my talk - it was planned to be a challenging goal. It is to raise awareness and funds for the White Cloud Foundation with a mission to help increase resources and improve access to support for people, families and carers who live with depression.

I've had some serious training along the Ballarat - Creswick trail which I found quite challenging. I'd made the mistake of not breaking my shoes in, had a large backpack packed to around 20kg, and was able to complete the majority of the walk. It was very tough and I'm not expecting terrain like that along my route, therefore I was quite happy with how I went and certainly learned a lot.

Aside from that I've just been doing as much walking around the area as possible, but I'm trying not to bore myself of it before I start Trying to build up my strength and stamina before I head off.

Cheers

[Melb2Syd-Walk]

Let me know when you get to the outskirts of Sydney - we're just off the Old Hume Highway in Picton, and I'd be happy to walk a bit with you, or offer you a shower or meal etc, depending on the day.

Just a hint - if you're taking an ipad with you, do you have one of these?
Griffin survivor ipad case
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-GENUINE- ... 4d06b15e7e
You can usually get them for under $40 on e-bay (approx $80 from big W)
The latest model fits ipad 2 and the 'new ipad' ie (3rd gen)
You can even get diffent colours like pink or yellow (or the basic black like mine!)

Comparison with the well-known Otterbox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IroEngPTqh0

Hi

Thank you for offering the refreshments and to walk with me, I'm actually going through Picton and staying of at one the WWOOF farms that night and then off to Varroville the next day. Your more then welcome to walk a stretch of it with me, I shouldn't be hard to find
OSA Brands have very generous and provided me with the Pelican i1075 hardback case (with ipad insert),
http://www.osabrands.com/catalogue/prod ... ELCSi1075B
What I know about the Pelican so far: they are very sturdy/ strong, not to heavy, I believe the case is shook and waterproof, the Pelican can also hold a wireless bluetooth keyboard and acts as a iPad stand as well.
Have you used the Pelican hardback? Do you know anyone that has?

I just checked out the Griffin Survivor and they look great, very handy indeed and a bargain for what they offer.
If I were to purchase one I would buy black as well thanks heaps and thanks for the links.
It seems obvious you prefer the Griffin over the Otterbox because you have the Griffin, why the Griffin?
I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks again and have a great night.

[Travis22]

Any word on this, all of the websites/blog/ FB page, have all been taken down?, everything except the EverydayHero listing.

[Allchin09]

From here latest tweets on the 26th it sounds like she has pulled out.

Hi everyone, Unfortunately there has been a family situation causing me to have to return home to my children....

I wonder how far she got, it was a pretty big undertaking?

[FatCanyoner]

Travis, her Twitter account is still up and running: https://twitter.com/Melb2SydWalk
She was using a Spot device to record her progress. The final one was from Benalla -- about 100kms short of the NSW border.
To be honest, I think it is a little unlikely that she will return to the walk as some of the posts leading up to the final one Allchin09 mentions indicated that she was having trouble with the very ambitious distances involved. She wrote this a few days before returning home: "What a day fell 11 km short only making 29 km today."
I've got her email address, so I'll flick her an email and see if I can find out more about how she went / what went wrong / whether she'll be returning to finish the walk.
Tim

[photohiker]

Any word on this, all of the websites/blog/ FB page, have all been taken down?, everything except the EverydayHero listing.

According to the Twitter Account, Shantell Started on the 18th Nov, made it to Benalla on 24th of November and announced she had to pull out on the 26th Nov.

Assuming a Melbourne city start and a direct route (probably not), google says 205km in 7 days, 29km per day. That's a good effort, even if a bit short of the projected 40+km per day.

I'm sure Shantell will be along in due course to tell us of her adventure.

[Travis22]

Thanks for the info guys, stupid me didnt even look at twitter i must have glanced over it as i dont have a twitter account.

I was hoping she'd prove me wrong as i must admit i thought the plan seemed crazy but i know i like doing things others think cannot or shouldn't be done.

Her experience level was the killer for me, it seemed like she had done one or two day trips and was now ready to walk 1000km / albeit down a main road.

Thanks again guys, shame she didnt make it again just the thought of walking down the main roads put me off let alone the proposed daily distances but if she'd done it it would have been pretty awesome.

I hope before i die i get to do at least one 'crazy' walk, ie. Across the Simpson, Or walk the Tanami Track, The AB, or CS or Gunbarrel, CSR etc... Ive driven quite a few of them in a rough old car older then i am, which many people think is crazy but again before i go i hope i have driven every single one of these outback tracks so i can then pick the one to walk.

[TerraMer]

Shantell's walk hasn't been cancelled or abandoned. It is just on hold.

Your continued support will help her a lot.

[quicky]

Is there any possibility to set up a more permanent thru hike from Melb2Syd, linking known tracks? That'd be ace. What route did you take TerraMer for your journey through that section on your way up to Newcastle?