As many of you will know, John BS Hungerford [E.1.1a.7b.1c.2d] is an aficionado of long walks. When John says “going for a walk” his family know he will often be gone for several days! Last year, after a break of 8 years, John decided to do the Oxfam Trailwalker again – making it his 10th. John assembled a strong team and they did several training sessions on the trail. But COVID got in the way and the 2021 Event was cancelled.
Three of the four agreed to attempt it again this year and they have recruited a 4th person – who has the attributes of height, youth and diversity.
Katherine Zlatar is a member of Sydney Bush Walkers (SBW). The other two, who are both in The Bush Club and SBW are David Bell and Nick Rutledge – both very experienced.
David and John have pack-walked Sydney to Newcastle and the McMillan Track in Victoria. Nick has completed the Te Araroa Trail (the length of NZ).
My past efforts are (happily, I have always finished):
| Year Completed | Time hh:mm | Finishers |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Adopted | 23:57 | 3 Finished |
| 2005 Adopted | 22:09 | 3 Finished |
| 2006 Leader | 26:23 | All 4 Finished |
| 2007 Leader | 27:55 | 3 Finished |
| 2008 Leader | 40:19 | 2 Finished |
| 2009 Adopted | 39:05 | All 4 Finished |
| 2010 Leader | 23:34 | All 4 Finished |
| 2011 Leader | 24:47 | 3 Finished |
| 2013 Leader | 23:43 | All 4 Finished |
As you probably know this is a team’s endurance event where teams of four must complete a 100 km course through the National Parks of Sydney in less than 48 hours. The route starts at Brooklyn climbing uphill, then down to Jerusalem Bay, up to Cowan, then down to Berowra Waters and up to Berowra, down to Calna Creek and up to Mt. Ku-ring-gai, down to Apple Tree Bay, over a hill to Bobbin Head then along the Gibberagong track and up a nasty hill to the Sphinx – then down to Cowan Creek and up to St Ives Showground, back to Kitchener Street and along to Frenchs Forest Showground, down to the Cascades and on to Davidson Park at Roseville Bridge. Up to Ararat Reserve in Frenchs Forest, along to Seaforth Oval, then several streets till we join the Spit to Manly walk but finish at Tania Park in Balgowlah.
Our Team – Tania or Bust has the several aims:
to finish as a complete team of four,
spend minimal time at checkpoints, and
hopefully beat 24 hours – although that may prove unachievable as some of us have aged!
This year we have done some individual training and some group sessions and have scheduled our overnight training session for 5/6 August.
The event starts on Friday 26 August 2022.
We’re conquering the 100 kms to support Oxfam and fight poverty and would appreciate this effort being repaid with your generous support to raise funds for a great cause. Let’s remember we are certainly all much better off than the ultimate recipients! Meet the team here: https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/t/tania-or-bust.
For the update on the Team’s outcome, see John is Hitting the Oxfam Trail Again!
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As many of you will know, John BS Hungerford [E.1.1a.7b.1c.2d] is an aficionado of long walks. When John says "going for a walk" his family…