Sunday 8 December 2024: Monga to Braidwood
After spending the night under a tree at Braidwood, Shekhar and I got ready and drove back to the turn off towards the Monga National Park. We prayed to Mother Earth and started the 19 kms walk to Braidwood. We stopped for breakfast and a quick powernap to recharge the batteries. About four hours after we set off from Monga turn off, we walked into Braidwood.
RJ Manish Ji from the Radio Manpasand, who did a video interview with us when we first walked through Canberra in December 2022, had requested a live interview between 10 and 12 this Sunday morning. We parked under the same trees as the previous night, and I texted RJ Manish Ji from the Radio.
After completing the interview, we headed to a café for lunch. By the time we returned from lunch, my body had cooled down. I went to shower at the swimming pool. Subsequently, we went for a coffee cum lunch at a different café that turned out to be not as good as the one we visited yesterday. At the time of ordering, we told them after the long walk, we would like to sit down. Yet the coffee was served in takeaway cups that were leaky. We found it strange that the takeaway cups were placed on saucers and the coffee had already spilled on to the saucers. Not impressed at all.
We went to the local IGA to get some food and milk. We were happily surprised to find their prices to be competitive with those of large supermarkets in Sydney and Melbourne. We drove back to the shady place for some rest. I worked on my blogs, had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
Monday 9 December 2024: Braidwood to Manar
Shekhar and I got ready early morning and began the walk on the B52 Kings Hwy. It was a windy road at times with steep inclines. The weather had been getting warmer by the day as we headed into summer. The dead animals on roads add to the challenges of walking along those roads. They not only stink and horrible to walk past but attract flies and other insects who feed on their meat and pose serious risk to human health. Mostly you see are kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, wombats and tortoises. Wombats perhaps outnumber the rest of them put together especially in rural Victoria and the southern part of NSW. According to a post on Instagram by Australian Geographic, around 10 million animals are killed every year on Australian roads.
After a couple of breaks, we went past Manar to reach a landmark that would be easy to identify the next day. We called it a day, paid my respect to Mother Earth to thank her for the completion of the day’s walk.
I had been in touch with my friend Raghbir Sarai’s daughter Pradip Sidhu who lives in Canberra. She was instrumental in organising a Meet and Greet event in Canberra to support our walk. However, the Sidhu family had already booked a holiday, and they were scheduled to go overseas Tuesday morning from Sydney. To help them save time, we decided to meet them at Queanbeyan. We had a cuppa with Pradip, her husband Madhusoodan and their daughters Gumtas and Gurnaaz. It was such a great pleasure meeting them after many years. I have known Pradip’s dad for 50 years when we both lived in Vienna, Austria. Thank you so much Pradip beta for your support for this noble cause. A big thank you!
We drove back to Bungendore, had a coffee with snacks, got ourselves fresh fruit and vegetables and drove to the showgrounds caravan park that is located a few kilometres from Bungendore town centre. We checked in, had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
Tuesday 10 December 2024: Manar to Bungendore
Shekhar and I got ready and drove to the starting point towards Manar. The starting point was the turn off towards Tarago/Goulburn off the B52 Kings Hwy. We couldn’t start the walk as it was foggy and we had to wait for the fog to clear. The construction workers for the nearby road works were in the same boat. While we waited for the fog to lift, we used to the time for another activity that was necessary to maintain energy levels. Shekhar made some tea, and I made fruit salad for breakfast. I cut into small pieces bananas, apples, and peeled some mandarins. I squeezed half a lemon onto the salad and mixed it up. Finally, I sprinkled some black salt onto it and shook the bowl to mix it properly. This was perhaps the best breakfast for the year and all this, without any prior planning.
After a couple of short breaks, we walked into Bungendore. We parked the van on the main road and used the toilet across the road next to the petrol station. We got some fresh fruit and vegetables from the supermarket. We had a cuppa with toasted banana bread with butter. It was yummy. Perhaps it really was, or was it because everything tastes good when you are hungry? I don’t know the real answer. We visited the wood art shop on the corner. With a huge collection of wood art at the highest level on display, this shop is a must visit place for anyone visiting or driving through Bungendore.
We wanted to do some advance walking to cover a part of tomorrow’s distance. This meant doing a couple of hours walk today towards Canberra to make it easier to reach Queanbeyan tomorrow. However, we had to wait until the temperature began to drop as it was very hot. After a while, we started the advance walk on the B52 Kings Hwy towards Queanbeyan. This part of the B52 Hwy has several steep hills before reaching Queanbeyan. We walked a couple of hours and covered as much distance as we could before turning around and driving back to Bungendore to stay the night at the showgrounds. We had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
Wednesday 11 December 2024: Bungendore to Queanbeyan
Shekhar and I got ready and drove to the starting point to begin today’s walk. The day was heating up from early morning. I touched my forehead to the ground to pray to Mother Earth and seek permission to walk upon Her. After testing our radios, we started the walk. It was an uphill walk from an early start. The B52 is a busy road anytime but it gets busier by the day as we approach Christmas holiday break. After just one break for a quick nap and breakfast, we reached Queanbeyan.
Shekhar couldn’t find a parking spot for the van. He drove around until I called him up and told him about the 2-Hour parking spot where I was standing. We went for a quick coffee before going to meet with Mayor Kenrick Winchester from the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council at 11:30 AM at the Council Chambers. Meeting with Mayor Winchester was a great honour and we took some photos inside and outside the Council Offices. We thanked the Mayor for his time and support for the McGrath Foundation.
We drove to Manik Datar’s place in the northern part of Canberra. We had lunch over long chit-chat. After lunch, I had a shower and a quick nap. Late afternoon, as it is usual in India, we had a cup of tea with snacks. With Manik, there are no formalities as I have known her parents and the rest of the family for three to four decades. Manik and I are of similar age, and she is like a younger sister to me. Manik has a wealth of knowledge, and she has written on social issues. We can talk just about anything, from traditional values to local politics to world economy. It is all part of the chit chat. It is always a great pleasure catching up with Manik.
Later that afternoon, Arun Venkatesh Ji came to Manik’s Place to meet us. Arun Ji, a childhood friend of Bharat bhai, had been instrumental in organizing the Meet and Greet event at the Phillip Hall in conjunction with the Cricket ACT. We had been communicating ever since Bharat bhai introduced us but had never had the opportunity to meet in person. Arun Ji, a well -known personality in the Indian community in Canberra and a recipient of the OAM Honour, was such a humble man. He recently retired after working for more than 22 years at the Royal Australian Mint. Arun and his wife Jyothi were flying to India in a few days. Before leaving for India, they also had a family function as their daughter-in-law was expecting her second child. Despite being so busy, Arun Ji made sure to meet up before the actual event took place on the coming Friday. We are so indebted to you Arun Ji for your valuable time. Thank you so much Arun Ji!
Manik had prepared a delicious vegetarian fusion for dinner with a healthy multigrain bread. We enjoyed the dinner followed by a cuppa before going to sleep. We are so grateful to Manik for her generous hospitality. A big thank you Manik!
Thursday 12 December 2024: Queanbeyan to Manuka Oval Canberra
After Manik, Shekhar and I got ready, we had a quick cuppa before leaving Manik’s place. The van has three seats at the front including the driver, so the three of us drove to Queanbeyan. I touched my forehead to the ground to pray to Mother Earth and seek her blessings and permission to walk upon her. We started the walk around 7:30 AM and there is a footpath on one side for most of this highway. We didn’t stop for any breaks as it was just about two hours walk. Arun Ji and Jyothi Ji had indicated that they might walk with us but had sent a message that they were unable to join us.
We arrived at the Manuka Oval around 9:30 AM. After thanking Mother Earth for completing the walk, we headed for a quick coffee. Shortly after, Arun Ji also joined us. We had a conversation on different issues before saying ‘good bye’ to Manik. Thank you so much for everything Manik!
We drove to Arun Ji’s house where we met his wife. Jyothi Ji is a kind-hearted Indian lady, a great cook with a heart of gold. We had a cup of Indian tea with snacks. Subsequently, I had a shower and went for a quick nap. We had a home made delicious south Indian lunch followed by some fruit and a cuppa. Meeting Jyothi Ji and Arun Ji didn’t feel like that we were meeting them for the first time. They both are so humble and great hosts. We briefly discussed about the Meet and Greet event that was to take place the next day. I worked on my blogs before having dinner and going to sleep.
Friday 13 December 2024: Meet and Greet at the Cricket ACT, Canberra
Shekhar and I got ready and had brunch (breakfast cum lunch) at Arun Ji’s house. I needed some medical help with my toe blisters and requested Arun Ji for help in this regard. He took us to a medical centre, but the first available appointment was close to our meeting with the Acting High Commissioner of India. So, we made an appointment to see the doctor at 1:40 PM.
Arun Ji, a quick thinker as he is, didn’t want to waste even a few minutes. He used the opportunity to take us through the Royal Australian Mint where he worked for more than two decades. It was an eye opener for Shekhar and myself. This was the first time for us to see how and where the Australian coins are made. Arun Ji showed us how several robotic arms automatically made and packed the coins. We also learnt how damaged or imperfect coins were sorted out and placed in different containers. The highlight of our visit to this place was when Shekhar and I were able to operate the machine to make $1 coins ourselves and keep them as souvenirs. A big thank you Arun Ji!.
Subsequently, we drove to the High Commission of India at Yarralumla. It was a great honour and a privilege to meet the Hon. Suneet Mehta Ji, Acting High Commissioner. It was also a great honour and privilege to meet the Hon. Irina Thakur the incoming Deputy High Commissioner. It was such a great honour and pleasure to share some glimpses of our walk over a cuppa. We were honoured to take some photos with the Hon. Mehta Ji, Hon. Irina Ma’am and their team. A big thank you Sir Ji! A big thank you Ma’am!
We returned to the medical centre where a lady doctor saw me and treated my toe blister. After we finished with the doctor, we had about three hours before going to the Meet and Greet function. I wanted to have some rest before going there. We shifted from the parking spot as the two hours were coming up but remained close to the medial centre so that we could use their toilet facilities. We had a coffee with some snacks before proceeding to the Cricket ACT venue.
We arrived at the Cricket ACT Oval while there was a live game going on between the ACT and Sydney. We parked the van in the car park and proceeded to the first floor where the event had been organised. Arun Ji and Jyothi Ji had already arrived to set it all up and had been waiting for us. Sanjay Sharma from the Indian Australian Multicultural Sports Association (IAMSA) had also been waiting to meet us in person. We had spoken over the phone but hadn’t met face to face. Sanjay Ji was the key to secure this venue for the event. We are so indebted to you for your support for this noble cause. Thank you so much Sanjay Ji.
It was a great honour to receive such a warm welcome in the national capital. Lakshman Prasad (Lucky) Ji opened the official program for the evening. He introduced me to the audience and formally welcomed us to Canberra. Other prominent members of the Indian community including Deepak Raj Gupta, Kiran Bangalore and his son Nikhil, Samba Murthi, Mrs and Mr Shashi Samprathi, Nagabhushan, Nagaraj, and Narayan Upadhyaya also joined us for the event. It was a matter of great honour when a State Member of Parliament for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) of Indian origin also joined us. Mani Thakur from Radio Manpasand, Australia’s leading Indian Radio Station was there to cover the event. I was so humbled when Samba and Arun Ji presented me with several sets of special coins to mark the occasion. I was amazed at their love, respect and honour. A big thank you to Samba and Arun Ji!
I was asked why I was doing this walk that was so unusual for a retiree especially from India. I expressed my views about the walk and shared some glimpses from this year’s experience. I thanked everyone for their support for this noble cause. I thanked the organizers in general and Sanjay Sharma, Arun Venkatesh, Samba Murthi, Lakshman Prasad and Shashi Samprathi in particular. I would also like to include in this list Pradip Sidhu who worked very hard to support and promote the walk for the McGrath Foundation. On behalf of myself, our support team and the McGrath Foundation, I would like to thank the Indian community in Canberra and IAMSA for sponsoring this function. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart!
After cleaning up the venue, we went out for dinner. Arun and Jyothi Ji, Samba Murthi, Shekhar and I went to a Thai restaurant nearby. It was a great evening after such a high-profile event. The food was delicious, and the staff was very friendly. We enjoyed the evening in the company of these great people. We went to Arun Ji’s place, counted and cross-checked against the list of names donations received at the function and had a cuppa before going to bed.
Saturday 14 December 2024: Visit friends in Canberra and drive to Bungendore
Shekhar and I got ready and had breakfast with Arun Ji and Jyothi Ji. Shortly after, Shashi Samprathi came over to meet us at Arun Ji’s house. He presented us a cricket bat that he himself had made from Australian Willow. Shashi is a trained engineer by profession. As a hobby, he learned from an Australian professional bat maker, how to make cricket bats. Now he manufactures bats under the brand name Bat Mate. This bat is not just a show piece. It is a beautiful bat that you could actually use to play cricket. The idea of presenting this bat to us was to get some signatures on it and then auction it to benefit the McGrath Foundation. I am so indebted to Shashi Ji for this thoughtful present. A big thank you to Shashi Ji! We are so grateful to Arun Ji and Jyothi Ji for their generous hospitality, incredible support for the walk and a generous donation to the McGrath Foundation. Arun Ji, You guys are simply unbelievable. A big thank you!
We wanted to visit a couple of friends before leaving Canberra as it is not everyday that you get a chance to meet them. We had a bit of time. So, Shekhar and I went to a supermarket to stock up some food, drinks, milk and bread. We parked the van under a shady tree, and I worked on my blogs. Around 5:00 PM, we drove to visit our long-time friend Rishi Khanna who works in the Prime Minister’s Office. We were so delighted to see Rishi’s mum Anju Ji, his wife Meenakshi and their children after two years. What an evening it was to catch up and chit chat. Thank you so much Anju Ji and Meenakshi Ji for preparing such a tasty cuppa and yummy snacks that were followed by a delicious dinner and another cuppa. Though we wanted to continue talking but it was getting late, thus, we all went to bed.
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