WALKING 1km for every threatened species in Australia, Adelaide resident Tristan O’Brien is on a mission to raise awareness and money for conservation across the country.
Travelling from Adelaide to Hobart, totalling 1900km, the determined hiker last week made his way through the Blue Lake city on his way to Heywood to complete the last leg of his journey.
Already completing the majority of the walk, Mr O’Brien began the last 250km stretch from Kingston to Heywood on Saturday after he had to unfortunately cut the section from his planned route last year due to shin splints.
Raising money for two charities, BioR and Wollangarra Outdoor Education Centre, Mr O’Brien’s passion for conservation is clear.
“Because the majority of Australia’s and the world’s population now live in cities, we have lost the benefits to childhood development, health and community that exposure to nature provides,” he said.
“This means we have also lost some of our understanding about why conserving and protecting nature is important, for our health as a society and for biodiversity conservation.
“1900 footprints is my way of highlighting why as a society reconnecting with nature is needed now more than ever.”
Experiencing many highs and lows along the way, Mr O’Brien said the generosity of complete strangers had offset the troubles faced.
“It has been incredible how supportive people have been along the way and how generous they have been,” he said.
“That was something I was not really expecting, but it has helped immensely.
“I have met a lot of characters along the way and heard a lot of stories, it is something we often miss out on when we are consumed in our everyday lives.
“I even met some guys in Tasmania that worked in an airfield and they took me up in a plane.”
Although initially a little nervous about what lay before him, Mr O’Brien said it had turned out to be an exciting and rewarding journey.
“After the first few weeks, I realised I had everything I needed in terms of gear and knowledge and I would be okay for the rest of the trip,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I have my custom-built trolley that I fill with gear and food and have been sleeping on the side of the road in a tent.
“Honestly I thought it would be more of a mental challenge, but because I am doing so much exercise I am producing a lot of endorphins and have been really happy throughout the whole experience.
“Waking up in the morning and not knowing what to expect of the day has been really exciting.”
To date Mr O’Brien has successfully raised over $15,000 for threatened species in Australia with an aim to reach $19,000 by the end of the trip.
Visit chuffed.org/project/1900-footprints-walk/ to donate to the cause.
