Centenary Trek
Australians have little concept of distance according to Michael Maude, BCA Christ for Campers founder and self confessed ‘4WD nut’. When thinking about distances in Western Australia “multiple 0s need to be added on to each distance the average person drives” he says. The closest town to Carnarvon where the Maude’s reside is Exmouth, an easy 350kms away, not really a distance the rest of Australia is as familiar with on a daily basis.
The 2010 Diocesan Centenary Trek will showcase some of the vast spaces which Western Australia has to offer. The trek is a celebration of the Centenary of the North West Australia Diocese and will aim to include the entire Diocese, linking parishes together. The only parishes in the Diocese that won’t be directly visited are Broome and Carnarvon as the routes to reach these parishes “incorporate too much bitumen!”
Mike will lead a team of ten vehicles through the trek reaching from Kununurra through to Geraldton in four stages over five weeks.
Some of the natural attractions that the trek will cover include Mount Meharry in the Pilbara region, Mount Augustus (the largest monolith in the world), the wildflowers of Geraldton, the canning stock route and the Rudall river national park which contains about 1000 sand hills.
The group will also spend one night at an isolated sheep and cattle station Warroora (pronounced Warra) where, in celebration, “the fattened calf” will be slaughtered. Following the feast, guests will be treated to some old fashioned fun with a bush dance being put on by their hosts.
Throughout the trip participants will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the North West Diocese. Each leg of the trip will visit a different parish and every day will start with a faith inspiring devotion. The Diocese has a long history of faithfulness, looking back to the days when these large stretches were covered on foot or bicycle to minister to aboriginals and remote stations. Mike is awed by the faithful list of people who endured hot and long distances to minister “all because of the love of the Lord.”
The trek is open to anyone who wants to be involved. The cost per vehicle per week is $100 and you can join the trek for as many stages as you wish. The first three stages require a 4WD but anyone can get involved for the final leg. To experience the great wide land that is Western Australia, click here to download a brochure.