General News
9 April, 2025
Garth and Max pass through on trip around Australia
A MAN and his assistance dog who have been walking around Australia paid a visit to the western district last week as part of their lap around the country.
Garth Murray and his Belgian Malinois assistance dog Max began their walk on October 8 last year in Townsville and will cover around 15,171 kilometres on their journey.
Mr Murray said he started Garth and Max’s Australia Lap as a way to boost his mental health.
“I’m doing it for my own mental health – I found out in 2023 that hiking with just Max and myself, with no other people, is great for my mental health,” he said.
“I also wanted to raise money for three charities I think do a great job and wanted to support.”
The Australian lap is raising funds for Act for Kids, the Brain Foundation and Mates 4 Mates and has, at time of publication, raised $47,547.
Act for Kids is an organisation which delivers therapy and support services such as psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and family support workers to families across Australia who are at risk of or have experienced harm.
The Brain Foundation works to fund research into neurological disorders, diseases and injuries, aiming to advance treatments, diagnoses and patient outcomes.
Mates 4 Mates is a veteran’s charity working to change the lives of current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families through access to physical rehabilitation, mental health services, group-based clinical programs and workshops, and social connection activities.
Mr Murray said the walk has taken Max and himself along the Queensland coast before entering New South Wales.
“From New South Wales, we headed inland to Canberra and then headed back to the coast and continued all the way around to Victoria to Melbourne and Geelong,” he said.
“We had a bit of a break in Geelong visiting relatives and left my large trailer there and brought my dog pram for a test drive and walk to Warrnambool, but now it’s going to be to Port Fairy.
“I’m meeting my parents there and they’re going to drive me back to Geelong to catch up with some relatives, including my cousin who currently lives in America.
“We’ll take this dog pram over to Tasmania and do 997 kilometres in Tasmania.
“My new trailer should be finished by the time I get back to Geelong, and it will be 50 kilograms lighter than the old one – the old one, fully loaded up, weighed just under 220 kilograms and that was the one I brought all the way down from Townsville.”
Mr Murray and Max have made stops in various areas in the district, including Camperdown, Terang, Panmure and Warrnambool.
He said he has been enjoying the opportunity to see Australia at a slower pace, with stops ranging between 1.4 and 56 kilometres apart.
“I’ve seen bits of Australia I’ve never seen before and have been raising lots of money for the charities,” he said.
“Max loves it. He loves walking – he’s a Belgian Malinois, which is a very fit and healthy breed.
“He gets in the pram and I put the backpack on my back – it’s not very heavy, so it doesn’t cause much concern.
“With the trailer, his bed was in the back of it, so he’d jump on his bed when he wanted a rest or when the road was hot.”
Along the way, Mr Murray has found that residents of the communities he visits are generous beyond supporting the charities he is fundraising for.
“I’ve been blown away by people’s generosity – some people don’t even know what I’m doing and just see me walking on the side of the road and stop and give me sports drinks or other things,” he said.
“We had people pay for accommodation in a caravan park or a hotel.
“They’ve all been good – sometimes I don’t have much to do with the locals, other times they come up and ask what I’m doing or have seen us on the Facebook page.
“Occasionally we have people pulling up on the side of the road to say g’day and asking if we need anything.
“Thank you to everyone for their support and their donations – it’s been great.”
To learn more and to donate to Mr Murray and Max’s lap, visit https://personalchallenge.gofundraise.com.au/page/Garth-91423833.
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