WHILE many of us have sought shelter over the past week, two Mildura locals have braved the wet conditions on an expedition to raise money for Parkinson’s disease.
Tyler McPhee and Sam Faulkner are now nearly to Robinvale on an 826km trek along the Murray River from Echuca to Mildura.
Stopping in Swan Hill on Friday — World Parkinson’s Day — they have spent the past week soaked to the bone but pushing through on their kayaks.
“We’ve been cooking in [the kayaks], eating in them, we even tried sleeping in them but the rain woke us up,” Sam said.
“The rain started for us on Tuesday and it basically didn’t feel like it has stopped since then, we’ve been cooking in our kayaks in the rain and everything — last night was probably the worst, you couldn’t see anything.”
“We’ve been cooking in [the kayaks], eating in them, we even tried sleeping in them but the rain woke us up…”
Although they were hoping to be further than Swan Hill on Friday, the weight in the kayaks and weather conditions have slowed the pair down, resulting in them undertaking much longer days than originally planned.
Constant rain has made the trip interesting, with much of their belongings — including their swags — getting a soaking along the way.
“You can’t imagine how terrible it has been sleeping,” Sam said.
“When we wake up, we don’t get a chance to dry them — the smell…”
An earlier trip saw the pair paddle between Wentworth and Mildura, and after achieving that they sought to tackle a bigger challenge.
With an initial aim of $3000 for Parkinson’s Victoria, they exceeded their target before they had even set off. Although they would not reveal the amount raised so far, a Swan Hill fundraiser on Friday night presented by the local Parkinson’s Support Group (PSG), saw more than $5000 put towards the cause from the local community.
For the full story, pick up a copy of Monday’s Guardian (April 14).
