HELP JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY WITH ROAMING PLAN

SEASONED hiker Terra Roam was on a mission – to be the first woman to walk around Australia without a support vehicle.

But there was a hiccup on her journey when she slipped while hiking in Springbrook. Ms Roam – who legally changed her surname to celebrate her love of hiking – had broken her ankle and fractured her fibula and tibia in her leg.

Luckily she had a personal location beacon and was able to alert emergency services.

The injury forced Ms Roam to temporarily abandon her hike, but after seven weeks in a cast, and five months of rehabilitation, she was back in Springbrook this week to resume her attempt to be the first woman to complete the walk solo.

Before she set off again she met with two of her three rescuers, paramedics Drew Ross and Guy Livermore, to thank them for finding her.

“If I wasn’t as prepared as I was, it could have been a lot worse,” she said.

“I would have had to stay there overnight and in August I would have gotten hyperthermia in the cold temperatures, so I am thankful they got to me so quickly.

“I can’t thank them enough for coming to my rescue.”

The challenging terrain meant Mr Livermore had to drive a four-wheel drive to her location off the walking track while Mr Ross administered pain relief.

“We got to her within 20 minutes, despite the challenging terrain, because she luckily had phone reception,” said Mr Ross. “If she wasn’t prepared, it would have been a full-scale search with a rescue chopper and everything to be able to find her exact location.”

Ms Roam, a selfconfessed vagabond with no fixed address, has now healed up and will continue her 16,000km journey, walking and camping around the country before finishing in Newcastle in May.

Ms Roam started the lifechanging journey in Tasmania in 2013 when she was battling severe depression.

“Walking has helped me deal with mental health issues, just immersing yourself in nature, hearing the birds, the smells, and being really mindful of the whole experience is like my medication,” she said.

“I came alive again walking though beautiful rainforests and dunes.”