I know that many of you on the forum have crossed the Simpson Desert.
You will then be able to understand the challenge (better than I can) that two son's of a colleague at work are about to undertake - they are planning to cross the Simpson on foot in June to raise funds for a charity called Young Care. This will only be the seventh time that it has been done. Young Care operates properties where disabled young people that require 24 hour care can live rather than living in aged care facilities. Currently 6500 young people in Australia live in aged care facilities and a further 700,000 are looked after at by friends and family. This is an area close to my heart because one of my own son's falls into the last category.
Tom and Gus are tackling the 320km and 1100 dunes over 11 days carrying their own gear to raise money so that Young Care can add a facility in Sydney to the two that they currently have in Queensland. They have raised $55,000 towards their goal of $70,000 to help find a place for their brother Jock who suffered an acquired brain injury in a car crash in 2003, aged 21, that required 18 months of intensive hospital treatment and rehabilitation which unfortunately ceased when he moved into a nursing home.
I hope that you will wish them well and if anybody would like to support them you can at:
www.youngcare.com.au/gus_tom