ride4acure

Our annual dinner dance is fast approaching. Have hit the ground running since I completed the horse trek. Am back at work now and missing my life as a trekker. I loved travelling to so many different communities and meeting so many incredible people and putting ‘melanoma on the map’.  I have been visiting more schools locally since my return and presenting “Mela-What?” Am about to go to Sydney for a five day professional development conference and will be speaking about ride4acure there.

My horses are still turned out and loving it! Will be bringing Billy back in to work in a fortnight for Joe to take him to our Willawarrin Pony Club camp in the lastt week of September.

Ride4acure DL The Dinner Dance is on Saturday 25th Sept: Kempsey RSL Club. Tickets available from Silver Dollar Saddlery Kempsey (contact me and I’ll arrange delivery, payment can be made by cheque or direct deposit). Adults $45 – Kids Under 13 $30

Dance the night away to “The Offshores” and be entertained with the auction with loads of fantastic buys to be had.

For more info please email me maura@ride4acure.com.au

Disbelief was the strongest feeling  in my mind yesterday morning. I found it hard to think of myself being at PeterMac in Melbourne and having got there walking my horses well over 1600 kms from Kempsey NSW.

Completing the horse trek has seen me live through some of the most challenging physical, mental and emotional times of my life. The drive to thrive with this for me came every single day when I reconnected  body, mind and spirit with my aim with ride4acure; remembering why I’m doing this, who I’m doing it for and the outcomes being achieved. It was this drive that saw me ride the streets of Melbourne yesterday to ‘bring it home for Hannah’.

Joe rode through the city streets with me on his horse Billy. The horses were mostly relaxed on the ride except when Billy heard the beautiful bells from St Andrews Cathedral peeling out, Billy wasn’t too keen on the sound.  Esther was taking care of logistics with the ute and float. We’d had parking reserved out front of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre so the horses could be loaded and kept safe after the media finished their job. Channel 9 covered the arrival and created a ripper interview of the arrival and the trek.  Associate Professor Grant McArthur (Hannah’s doctor and leading melanoma researcher) and Craig Bennet the CEO  of Peter Mac plus many friends and family. Friends travelled from Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Wauchope , Foster and Woolongong to be there to welcome me in, not to mention friends and family from across Victoria.

I started the journey home yesterday afternoon after a late lunch with family.  Joe is travelling with me and Esther will be flying home to Port today.  It will take a couple of days to get back to the Macleay arriving Wednesday.  My nephew Mitch caught a train to Kempsey last Friday and drove my ute and float down to Melbourne for me so I had it handy for my return trip. I’m driving back over the country I rode with my horses which is the same rewarding process I undertook when I’d completed my bike ride last year.  This process helps me think about the incredible people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had and what has been achieved with the thousands of young people and their communities that have invited me to share “Mela-What?” and fundraise for the Hannah Rose Melanoma Research Fund.

I am all ready for the ride into the city in the morning. I took the horses out with Joe for a ride today around Gisborne and then through town out to the cemetery to visit Hannah’s resting place.  It was one of the best days I’ve had. I am absolutely ready for tomorrow’s ride to finish this trek.

I am so deeply conscious of all the incredible people that have supported me and helped make ride4acure 2010 horse trek such a huge success. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart especially to  all the people who have sponsored me, made donations to the Hannah Rose Melanoma Research Fund (which is well over $17 000 for the horse trek since I left Willawarrin on 18th April  with donations still rolling in) and given me and my horses support on the long road to here, I stand here on the shoulders of many.

I have a crew of friends and family gathering for 11am arrival at Peter Mac (some travelling all the way from Kempsey NSW)  for the horse arrival in the big smoke.

Had a ripper ride today, all the elements happening, freezing cold, but oh so excited to be hitting Bendigo City region. Today is the last day of country riding for this horse trekker until I do the ride into the Big Smoke on Sunday.

It seems yesterday and today on the Calder Highway the Department of Education has been transporting every available portable classroom down the highway, plus a few other odd shaped loads. Meg and Billy after a jumpy day on Monday with the classrooms were cool as cucumbers today, nothing fazed them….legends.

When I rode through the little town of Bridgewater on Lodden had to ride past a little café and a couple were sitting out enjoying a cuppa and I asked if they’d mind ducking in and grabbing me some raisin toast and a flat white! I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a cuppa as much and the toast delicious of course had to give Meg and Billy a slice to share!

Am off to the Peter MacCallum Radiology Unit this morning at the Bendigo Hospital for a site tour and to meet staff, then into Melbourne to pick up young Joe who flew in last night only to find out his luggage took the long way to Melbourne via Hobart! 

Am starting to get excited now the end is in sight and as family and friends getting ready to gather….

Am staying with a great young family Tony and Ronele out of Bendigo, turns out Tony also knew Hannah and used to shoe her horses for her, very small world….

Wedderburn to Inglewood –down the Calder Highway and a few backroads! 28^th June 2010

Jack Frost had a field day this morning. Ice everywhere and oh so crispy cold. -6 degrees at Wedderburn check out the photo of the horses paddock! I had to break the ice on the horses trough so they could have a drink after their feed this morning. I was talking to Esther on the phone whilst I was bashing the ice with a rock! Unbeleivable.Meg and Billy both had ice on their ‘feathers’ (that’s the long hair that grows from their fetlocks (ankles for the uninitiated!)  

From about 10am it was beautiful for about an hour then a very cold wind came up and was freezing all day.  I rode down the Calder Highway, very narrow shoulder, rough rocky ground, heaps of scrubby mallee trees and bush made it tough going.  this photo was under high voltage powerlines parrallel to hghway for a k or 2. Thick growth both sides of the road made for some pretty close shaves with trucks and traffic today. Must have been a sheep sale somewhere as there were a lot of stock trucks and a few semi loads of pigs! Horses hate the smell the pig  trucks leave after they go by, so much so they snort and shake their heads at it!

I was camped 3kms from Wedderburn and am now about 5kms through on the Bendigo side of Inglewood, which made a ride of 38kms for me. I rode for nearly 9 hours in al today. I had a very civilised lunch stop today pulling into a truck stop half way to Inglewood,  where I had a table and chair and hooked into my roast lamb sangers and a cuppa. What I really wanted to do was lay down and have a sleep, I’ve been up since 4am today watching the soccer Mexico and Portugal, what a game. Had the absolute privilege of being in a wonderful bed, with a flat screen TV! I just had to make the most of being able to watch my first game of soccer from the world cup. I’ve listened to all of Australia’s games so far, it’s worth being tired all day! So I won’t winge about it now. Am up early for an interview with Kim Honan our ABC Mid North Coast NSW Rural Reporter, will be my last interview for the trek! How quickly the time has gone now it’s nearly over. On Wednesday have a function at the PeterMac radiology unti at Bendigo Hospital, then am picking up Joe for the last few days before the city leg of the ride on Sunday.

Am riding to Marong tomorrow 30kms from here, just out of Bendigo, unfortunately straight down the Calder again. I pray tonight for less traffic, wider road, good shoulders for the horses and good weather! Ahhhh…..

  I am in Wedderburn tonight (60kms from Bendigo). I had a great ride from Charlton down the Calder Highway, sun was shining all day, coolish but no cold wind, and blessed be no rain!  I had such a good time staying with the McLeans in Charlton (which is where Hannah used to live).

There’s plenty of traffic, the road not that wide, with only about four metres each side of the road but I was okay. About two kms from night camp I spotted an emu in a paddock on the right hand side of the road running with a horse! I turned Megs head to the left and sidepassed along the road so neither Meg or Billy could see it! Last thing I needed was the horses reacting with another emu on the busy Calder Highway!  The horses went really well and when I let them go tonight at the place I’m staying they were bucking around the paddock, not bad after 34kms! I pulled up for a cuppa today in a random spot (mainly coz it was thick with wild oats and I just had to let Meg and Billy have a good pick!) As I was sitting there I noticed a sign for the road to the side and it was to the Charlton Feedlot where Hannah used to workAwesome….I have felt such a strong presence of Hannah with me and never more so than here in the Charlton district. This is the place she wanted to live, work and study and I can see why. The community here in Charlton are incredible, they have opened their hearts to ride4acure and supporting the Hannah Rose Melanoma Research Fund with very generous donations from both the trotting club and Charlton Rotary. Well done Charlton.

I met a young fella yesterday who has walked all the way from Perth almost to Melbourne, Leigh Mathews. he’s walking simply for the experience of doing it, amazing. He’s pushing a cart with over 150kgs of gear in it. Was great to have a yarn with him one trekker to another.

Charlton holds a special place in my heart as it was the last place Hannah called home. Hannah lived here during 2008 when she undertook most of her treatment in the later half of the year firstly in Sydney  in Aug, Sept and October 2008 then  in Melbourne at Peter Mac during November and December. It was also the place where she had her great job with Elders feedlot here at Charlton working with her cousin and some really good friends that she’d made here.

Yesterday when I arrived in Charlton I rode my horses to the Trotting track for an afternoon of racing. It was fantastic. The Charlton Harness Racing committee had dedicated three races in the afternoon to ride4acure. They ran a raffle with two prizes which was incredibly successful and  raised $619.I had the privelege of riding in the start ‘rocket’ that races ahead of the horses to start them off. I have some great pictures that were taken by a professional photographer that I will put up on the website when I receive them, for now my very simple photo will have to do!

In the evening I attended the Charlton Rotary Club dinner and gave a presentation of ride4acure. The Charlton Rotary Club mad a massive donation of $1500 that left me speechless and for those who know me that’s a rarity! I feel such gratitude to this town that made Hannah at home.  Charlton Rotary actually changed their meeting night to accommodate my visit to town which is fantastic.  The dinner last  night was open partners attending and friends and family. My sister Kate and her two daughters Sarah and Liz travelled from Melbourne to be here for both the trot meeting and the Rotary Dinner, also Bec and Cecil Luxford my neice and nephew who live here in Charlton came too which was a delight.

A very big thank you to the McLean Families from Charlton for taking such good care of me and my horses during my stay here.  It will be with a little heaviness in my heart that I ride out of here tomorrow morning heading for Wedderburn but coupled with that is the ‘charge’ I’m starting to feel that I’ve just about finished this job! Roll on the 4^th July!

I woke at 4am listening to the rain falling thinking about the day ahead , not wishing the rain away as I knew how much it’s needed, simply acknowledging that it adds a degree of discomfort to both the horses and my day feeling ‘soggy and cold’ whilst riding, mud sticking to everything, sliding around each time I’m on the ground…..but crops and pastures need it so who’s complaining?

I stayed with the Walsh Family at Boort, Di and her daughter Heide had ridden out to meet me on Thursday and Di  had organised some fundraising for ride4acure and in total Boort raised just over $300 in donations which is awesome.  The horses were at Coopers on the edge of Boort about 6kms out of town and I went with Di to her place for the night for a dinner and we had a hoot of a night, great meal, lots of laughs and much story telling. 

Friday morning Di’s daughters Heidi and Mia (who are also Charlton Pony Club members) rode with me into Boort through the main street (we were met by Mia’s friend Ellie on her pony on the edge of town) and on past the primary school where in the rain we waved to the kids in class, then onto the Boort Secondary College where the students and some teachers, braved the wet with umbrella’s to come down and meet the horses and say G’day.  After we finished at the school Amanda who had also ridden with me for the last leg to Coopers on Thursday night had prepared a lovely morning tea in a shed at the show grounds which was delicious and warm! A  great big thank you to the Boort community for making me so welcome and for the generous donations to the Hannah Rose Melanoma Research Fund.

A well rested crew rode out of Aunty Jean’s place at Murrabit this morning at 8am. It was so good to spend some time with ‘family’. Aunty Jean is 96 and a half years old and a Legend of a person.  It was actually both a busy and restful time there. I visited three schools, did a couple of newspaper interviews, an ABC Radio interview, wrote dozens of emails, made a gazillion phone calls and planned, planned, planned. Planning is a constant with a project like this.

Meg is as fresh as anything after a few days off. She was jumping out of her skin at stuff. What didn’t help was the first channel crossing a flock of ducks flew up quacking, so each one thereafter she was waiting for the ducks. Also the horses were introduced to ‘rolly polly’s” which for the uninitiated are large round, rolling, prickle bushes that in the wind roll in front of skitty horses! The first ten kilometers saw me ‘dancing’ all over the road with the horses and the rolly polly’s and also of course there were about six channel crossings the horses jacked up with! I rode into Kerang (27kms from Murrabit) at 1.30pm and went to St Joseph’s Primary School where all the kids were waiting patiently on the oval for me to arrive, and they’d bought in a heap of apples and carrots to feed the horses which  amazingly my horses ate all of the food!

I went to the Kerang Recreation Reserve and unsaddled Meg and had my lunch and gave the horses a break for half an hour. Saddled up again and had another 16 kms to ride to get to the Fenton’s where I’m staying tonight. Have had a delicious dinner, hot shower, great conversations and am now tucked up in a comfy bed with the electric blanket on! Does it get better than that?  Tomorrow I have about 30kms and at lunch time have three riders coming out from Boort to ride back in with me.

24^th June Thursday – Towards BOORT in the rain…

I left Fentons (Mary and Colin) where I had a lovely night of conversation, good food, warm bed! Horses had a terrific paddock and were well rested and much more relaxed than yesterday. Had a late start this morning, didn’t get away til 9.30ish am which was good to take some time. Also I woke up at 4am to listen to the Aussies play soccer! What a great game…..well worth losing a few hours sleep for.

Just as I was saddling up this morning it started to rain, enough to turn the topsoil into sticky mud for the horses! The soil around this Boort area is a mix for grey and red which are both sticky. When I cleaned the horses hooves out this morning yesterdays mud was set like cement full of road gravel. I needed muscles in my ear lobes to budge it out of their hooves!

This afternoon for the last couple of hours of riding had some company! I had three riders join me mid afternoon and it was lovely.I have three riders with me in the morning to ride into town (am about an hours ride from the main street), am riding up the main street then up to the Boort secondary College to meet up with the Year 7 students and some of the other groups.

Only 9 more sleeps and this trek is complete. Still feels a little unreal for me that I have been on the road for 72 days now and ridden so far…..a lot can happen in 9 days though and I will as always stay focused on the job at hand and simply do what needs to be done each day to ensure I get to where I need to get to.

Murrabit is a great little community along the Murray River above Cohuna. This is country that Hannah and Esther’s Dad, Lindsay Matthews was born in and raised and he has plenty of family still farming in this district. I am staying on the Danson’s farm where Lindsay’s Aunt Jean who is 96 still lives. Her two sons John and Jimmie farm here with their families.  It is awesome to be here. I travelled by ute to two schools today at both Murrabit and Kerang.  When  I was visiting the Murrabit school this morning and happened to eye an old yearbook from 1971 and was delighted to see a photo of Lindsay in there from his year 4 grade photo.  Murrabit school has approx 23 students at present.

I then went over to Kerang to St Joseph’s Primary and presented “Mela-What?” to over 100 students. Students at both schools were so enthusiastic about the ride and melanoma as a young persons disease. It amazes me the very astute questions that arise. Kids asking about intensity of UV radiation in water?  At Berrigan the other day at the Public School a teacher told me that one of her students had in a lesson about oxymorons where the students were giving examples said that a ‘healthy tan’ was an oxymoron because there is no such thing as that because having a tan is damaging to our skin! Out of the mouths of babes eh.

Tomorrow I am driving to Boort to present at the Boort Secondary College to a small group of high school students as most of the school is away on excursions and work experience. I am riding out of Murrabit on Wednesday morning riding 40kms for the day to Dingwall which is 15kms the SW side of Kerang on the Boort Road. I am hoping to ride my horses to the St Joseph’s school in Kerang at 1pm to show the kids my crew! All going well. Have asked the students to bring some carrots and apples in for the horses. After the school I will ride a further 15kms out of town to Dingwall where I’ll be staying the night with a family there, then heading off first thing Thursday morning for Boort.