Spot Messenger update

As you may know I'm planning on using a Spot messenger as a tracking device for the walk.
If you would like to check on my progress during the walk please visit the below link
Graeme's spot messenger
A word of warning the spot messenger needs to be turned on each morning and relies on batteries , this is not my only link with the world so if I don't move for a few days , please do not be too concerned.

Handing over the Reins

From here on in Katrina will be writing the blog, (you can tell its her as there will be no spelling mistakes) I plan to ring home every day , whether she has time to blog each day or there is really any thing to say , (its going to get a bit boring yep he went up 55 sand dunes and down 55 sand dunes and he is now sleeping again). Im sure Katrina will do a great job and chuck in a story here or there. Im sorry but there will be no photos until I return. (might be a couple before I actually start walking).
Thankyou again to everybody who has helped me along the way.
BTW dont believe any thing she writes about the day I could not find my shoes!
Cheers
Graeme

Presents and Masscot

I asked my 2 fantastic kids Lizzie and Nathan for some thing special to take with me on my walk.
Lizzie who has become quite the knitter has knitted me a scarf and Nathan has loaned me a favorite toy named "Quoll".
I wore the scarf home from my parents house tonight, not being much a of a scarf wearer I was quite surprised as to how warm it actually is. Now it has to just cool down a bit and I'm sure it wont come back the same colour it left.
Nathan has had "Quoll" for a number of years and  he is in for the ride of his life across the Desert.

How to Donate.

I have just realized that if you a re viewing this blog from a phone the donate link does not appear as it does in view web version . So you could either got to view web version at the bottom of the home page or follow this link
Donate to my walk

Thanks again for all of you kind donations.

Graeme Gates

Things are getting very close.

I leave on Tuesday the 24th of May...... which is in 6 days time. Time has flown by in the last month and I cant believe I am about to go. It is very weird packing every thing you need for 3-4 weeks in the desert. Trina keeps saying is that all, and I keep thinking the same thing.
I have had to list every thing I'm taking on an excel spread sheet (and take a print of it with me) so i can remember which bag I packed stuff in, that is a sign I'm getting old.
I did have a little hiccup about a week ago, I started getting heaps of pain in my right arch of my foot, turns out to be over training( who knew such a thing existed). A little bit of panic when the physio suggests a MRI for a stress fracture, no stress fracture just going a bit too hard. the week off has done me well and I have had time to do things that I would not have been able to get done around packing and training. It has also given my body an excellent rest leading into the walk.
Did a test pack of the cart today  and managed to fit every thing on just, then I thought I would test pack my car with just the gear I'm taking and its going to be a tight squeeze when Drewboy and Bestie chuck there gear on top of mine for the trip out to Birdsville and then on to dump the extra water and food in the Desert.(somebody may well end up on the roof yet!)
The cart is being brought out by Brendon (who is expected in Birdsville around 9/6) so over the coming weekend I will drop off at his house and dismantle it.

Food glorious Food

My food finally arrived today. 65 double meals of Back Country dehydrated meals. better late than never!!!!! Once again Camp Hike Climb in Hornsby looked after me .

I trailed about 18 different varieties of Back Countries selection and ended up choosing 9 hot meal varieties and 4 different dessert . Along with this I am also taking 2kg of porridge /muesli, trail snacks like nuts and dried fruit( and some lollies but dont tell my kids), 10 sweet potatoes and a couple of bags of green apples( both these 2 last well) I also plan to use Tailwind's suppliments in 6 bottles of water /day which will add 2500Kj to my daily intake which I estimate will be 12000Kj .

By the way total weight of 130 meals dehydrated is only 11.3 kg( that s crazy)

Quick update from Movie under the stars.

The final tally for the night (not including the money I raised pulling kids around on the cart) was

$1574

Thanks you to all those people who came along to support such a worthy cause.

And a massive thankyou to the Apex boys for making it posiible.