Imagine what it takes to build a 600 kilometre walking/cycling trail that is not only signposted all the way, but also  supported by an infrastructure of roofed shelters where distances between overnight stops exceed 20-25 kms.  Add to that the production of maps and guidebooks and then the job of telling the world it’s there.

It’s a big job.  But it’s not impossible because along that trail there are fourteen towns containing:

• a combined population of over 100,000
• a wide range of industries
• schools, youth groups, social groups and service clubs
• a huge pool of ability and experience, and
• a determination to build something special in these communities.

The project needs champions in each community.  It needs support from sponsors in local government and industry.  It needs people to take ownership of their section of the trail to develop it and the infrastructure required to support the people who will use it.

It’s a big job, but it’s also a big opportunity

The busyness of our daily lives keeps us focused outwards and provides little time for reflection.  But there is something magical about the gentle rhythm of walking over an extended period of time, or experiencing the countryside in close-up from a bicycle.  For this reason, thousands of people every year still tread the same paths that pilgrims have for hundreds of years.  They are not all religious, but they are seeking that special contemplative space that such a journey offers.   Australians have their own pilgrimages to Gallipoli and, increasingly, the Kokoda Trail.

The Robe to Bendigo journey is not simply a long bush walk or bike ride for outdoors types.  It is a pilgrimage in the sense that it aims to foster personal growth, along with greater understanding of our historical ties with other cultures.  It is a pilgrimage in the sense that it gives walkers a broader sense of themselves and their place in our history and our modern world.

A journey like this is a huge challenge. 
Meeting it is enough to awaken a profound belief in themselves in the ‘ordinary’ people who take it.