Just over four months to go and momentum is really starting to build. Kathmandu have kindly agreed to sponsor me and will be providing the majority of clothing and equipment for my expedition, I visited their Casuarina store here in Darwin for a fitting today and will be picking up my gear within the next couple of weeks, thank you Kathmandu. Last week saw me meeting up with Dale Smith who owns Custom Works, a Darwin-based aluminium design and fabrication company, they too have come on board and will be manufacturing my desert cart, we met up on Tuesday and by the following afternoon I was looking at the new plans, they have contributed some great ideas and I know I will soon have a strong robust desert cart that will see me safely over the dunes to Birdsville. Thank you Dale and the team... I was also recently contacted by Belgium adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke, who as well as his many other adventures completed a North South crossing of the Simpson in 2008. I'm honored to receive his good luck wishes and valuable advice, thank you Louis-Philippe...
Preparation and training continues on a daily basis, I literally walked the soles off a pair of old boots during a 20 km walk down a rainy Katherine Gorge yesterday! I am presently working on logistics and contingency plans, and believe I have a plan B, C or D for almost every eventuality should I run in to trouble along the way. I will be leaving Darwin the last week of June and should be taking my first steps upon the Simpson Desert on or about the 1st of July; this should see me walking through the front doors of the Birdsville hotel somewhere between the 15th to 20th of July!
I am enjoying every step of my journey so far, as frustrating as it can be I am loving waking up in the middle of the night with new ideas and problems to solve, loving the fact that for each task I cross off my “to do list” another three takes its place, enjoying the fact I feel fitter and stronger than I’ve been for many years, relishing the new skills I’m acquiring along the way and, most of all enjoying the support from friends, family and strangers alike...