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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Anna Falkenmire

Five months, 4500km, four pairs of shoes: Worimi man walks across a continent

Bailey Myers is back in Newcastle after an almost six-month walk across Australia. Picture by Marina Neil

FOUR pairs of shoes, 4500km, $11,500 raised and countless life lessons later, Worimi man Bailey Myers has arrived home after walking for almost six months.

The 22-year-old from Newcastle flew west and set off from a town just north of Perth on March 3 with a decorated cart and a plan to "wing it".

He will end his journey at Nobbys beach at lunchtime today.

Mr Myers camped on the roadside, relied on the generosity of the people he came across, went days without seeing a town and wheeled his cart across the notorious Nullarbor Plain.

He did it all to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and had notched almost $12,000 in donations the night before his final day on the road.

"It's something I'll always be proud of," he said.

Mr Myers also set out with the hope of connecting more with himself and culture.

"When I think about purpose, I think about ambition, I think about what I want to do in life and I've come to the understanding that one never has that fully figured out," he said.

"I've developed a tool kit, rather than a layout, for my future.

"I know a lot more about what I don't know, and it's kind of confronting in many ways, because previously you think you know so much and then you have all these other experiences and you feel humbled, continuously."

Mr Myers covered all kinds of terrain in his months of walking, from highways to dirt roads and "sketchy" steep passes, but said a few special moments stuck with him.

He went 180 kilometres without anywhere to stock up across the Nullabor Plain.

"It was quite brilliant. One morning I woke up, it was foggy all around, I heard rabbits, I was hearing howling for the whole morning, it was just terrific," he said.

On that route through South Australia, Mr Myers came across the Yalata Aboriginal Community, and he said the people there took him in and showed him around, and he was fascinated to see their expertise.

It was the grey nomads, tourists, locals he came across and visits from family members that made his solo trek not so lonely.

"The generosity from people - almost every single day I could list off incredible bouts of financial [donations], food, bits of wisdom, even people giving me weapons and stuff ... it was awesome," Mr Myers said.

"Prospectors, farmers, homeless people, you can list anybody, I've met so many people from so many different walks of life, it's just been terrific."

Bailey Myers grew up in Newcastle and successfully "winged" his walking trip across Australia. Picture by Marina Neil

Mr Myers said his cycle each morning, except on an occasional rest day, was to wake up and get walking.

He'd hope he was feeling fresh but if he wasn't, he just kept going anyway. Some days were better than others. His longest daily walk was more than 60 kilometres; his shortest just four or five.

"I feel physically fine, I feel quite brilliant," he told the Newcastle Herald on the eve of his final day.

"I don't feel like I'm as fit as anything - I'm really good at walking."

People can track Mr Myers' journey on his Instagram, @intrepid_aus, on Facebook at Intrepid Australia, and donations can still be made online.

"I know that money is going to go towards some brilliant things, some brilliant opportunities for young Indigenous kids to develop their leadership skills, develop their literacy skills, and just really enable them to play a significant part going forward for all Indigenous people," Mr Myers said.

There will be a breakfast held at Waratah Oval at 8.30am on Friday then Mr Myers will walk via Islington Park to Nobbys, arriving about 12.30pm, where there will be a public smoking ceremony and didgeredoo performance.

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