50 Mile Walk

Over the long weekend in August an intrepid group of students and staff ventured to Moray to test themselves in the 50 Mile Walk - the challenge to walk 50 Miles in under 18 hours. This was the 28th such walk and once again Scotch boys were joined by girls from Methodist Ladies' College. We were blessed with good weather, cold at night but dry at all times. The group had had two practice walks, one of 10 miles and one of 15, but it is a big step up to make 50! We were led out by Piper Marshall Barrymore (Year 11, Brisbane) at 3.45am and settled quickly in to the pattern of a stop every hour: five minutes at the end of the first hour, then ten minutes, five minutes and then a 20 minute meal stop. This continues throughout the day on gravel road and back tracks around Dwellingup. During the late afternoon parents and friends arrive from Perth, and at the final stop in Dwellingup, cold and dark, this group cheered on the walkers as they near the end. Just after 9.00pm, the 19 boys and 18 girls and staff walked back in to Moray, arms linked, staggering, limping, but happy to have achieved something pretty special.

I urge the boys from Anderson, Shearer and Stuart to take on the challenge next year and thank the staff who gave up their long weekend to offer the students this opportunity - Messieurs Galipo and Freitag, and Mesdames Bermingham, Enfield-Kirk, Freitag, and the staff from MLC.