Australia, from top to bottom
Walking from Cape York to Tasmania is a great adventure but not without its problems
TWO intrepid travellers took a break in the South Burnett, about halfway through an epic journey from the top of Australia to the bottom. Fred Van Der Elst, of Belgium, and Alex Johnson, from New Zealand, set off from the top of Cape York on June 1 this year.
They plan to finish at the bottom tip of Tasmania in January, walking the whole way.
While many of us have trouble fathoming covering that kind of distance even in a car, Mr Van Der Elst said the best way to see the country was on foot.
“Walking the biggest island nation in the world, it’s something that’s fascinating,” he said.
“For the two of us, it’s a big passion for walking and a chance to see Australia in a very different way.
“There’s millions of people visiting Australia. They see amazing things, but not like we have.”
Mr Van Der Elst, 27, and Mr Johnson, 29, met late last year when they embarked on another trek, the 3000km Te Araroa trail in New Zealand.
Some 500 to 1000 people trek that trail every year, and the two men became friends as they walked.
Mr Van Der Elst said he was not ready to end his walking adventures once the 3000km was over.
“I’d already planned to walk the length of Australia. I told Alex about my plan and he decided to join,” he said.
While many people have traversed large parts of our vast continent, Mr Van Der Elst said he thought he and Mr Johnson had a unique claim to their journey.
“Only one other man that we know of has walked the whole length of Australia,” Mr Van Der Elst said.
“We could be the first ones to do this actual route we take.” The other man he referred to was John Olsen, a Victorian who walked from Cape York to Tasmania in 2004 to raise money for children with cerebral palsy.
While Mr Olsen’s start and end points were the same, his route was different to the one Mr Van Der Elst and Mr Johnson are taking, and about 1000km shorter.
This is because Mr Olsen was pulling a cart and he kept to main roads. Mr Van Der Elst and Mr Johnson are going off-road, traversing mountains and more rugged terrain.
Mr Van Der Elst said their total distance would be about 6500km, compared to Mr Olsen’s 5622km.
The men average around 36km a day, travelling mostly on the Bicentennial National Trail.
Given the distance between regional Queensland towns, this can cause logistical challenges.
“The average distance between towns is 100km to 150km so there’s a lot of planning involved,” Mr Van Der Elst said.
They free camp whenever possible and have only stayed in hostels twice.
Portable water filters mean any water source can be made drinkable. Food is the biggest challenge, especially as it adds a lot of weight to their packs. They don’t carry a cooker, rarely light fires and never hunt or fish, but rely on raw foods such as nuts, dried fruit and tinned tuna for sustenance.
Unsurprisingly, a big breakfast at Blackbutt’s Bunya Nut Cafe was more than welcome when they passed through the South Burnett a couple of weeks ago.
That was not the only standout feature of the region. “We’ve really enjoyed the last week. It’s more green than far North Queensland, with more hills. North and Central Queensland was all flat. It’s more rolling here,” Mr Van Der Elst said.
For those interested in lacing up the boots and taking off an a similar journey, Mr Van Der Elst had some words of advice.
“If you want to walk Australia on foot, you need experience. It’d be very gruelling for a first walk,” he said.
“Especially on the mind, this one is very hard. Every day it’s hot and dry. The pack’s always heavy. You get hundreds of
There’s millions of people visiting Australia. They see amazing things, but not like we have.
kilometres of the same scenery.” All the same, he said the breathtaking sights, unique wildlife and friendly faces kept them going.
He also said choosing the right gear was essential, though his advice may surprise some keen hikers.
“We just buy cheap runners. It’s all in the mind and the legs and you definitely don’t want heavy gear,” Mr Van Der Elst said.
“In one day, you have to pull up your feet thousands of times. It’s so much easier in light runners or sandals.”
He said they usually bought new shoes every 1000km or so, and expected to go through six pairs during this trip.