Aussie Coastal Bushwalk Virtual Challenge 2022

It's time to reach for the stars with a lofty goal!  Instead of joining in on numerous virtual challenges throughout this year, I am taking on one big one.  One challenge!  One goal!  One medal!  Each year the Conqueror Staff offer a virtual challenge that runs from January 1 to December 31. You pick your distance, you pick your place, you do what it takes to finish before the end of the day on December 31st.   The medal was designed by a fellow conqueror with a few tweaks by the Conqueror Staff.  The latin phrase "per aspera ad astra" translates to "through hardships to the stars".  When I look at the medal and the wording, I think to myself "don't just live through 2022 but CONQUER 2022!

I named this virtual challenge "Aussie Coastal Walk"!   The route I picked starts at South Stradbroke Island near Brisbane in Queensland, Australia and finishes at Great Otway National Park near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.  This bushwalk measures 2553 kms in distance.  I have 365 days to complete this distance if I want to receive the medal and a finishers certificate.  The trek mostly follows along the coast.  I built my own map which measures 16 inches by 20 includes in size.  The orange line is the route and you can see the orange tack at the start which will be my progress marker.  I did my best with filling in some name places as close to their actual spot as I could figure.  I will add more names as I trek along in a north to south direction. 

I received my race bib this morning.  At the moment I received my number, there were over 6000 conquerors who had picked their own place and their own distance.  I am pretty certain, I will be on my own with the route I planned out.

This is the spot I picked on South Stradbroke Island to start this virtual adventure.  Back in 1998, I had the good fortune to stand in this general location and look across to Brisbane which is where I am virtually heading.   I chose this photo from google earth.  

This is a photo I took when I was there.

This is a photo of the Gold Coast which I took while on a helicopter tour.

I picked Australia to virtually go where in reality I have been.  It will be a mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar.  I have been from the northern part of New South Wales up to the southern tip of Queensland.  Once I reach just south of Wollongong New South Wales, I will be venturing into unfamiliar territory.   I still have my diary that I wrote in each day and will refer back to it. 

There will be no postcards received for this challenge, yet I will have access to their postcard generator to make my own.  I will receive monthly progress reports so my thinking is I will stick with only monthly postings for my "Aussie Coastal Bushwalk" Virtual Challenge.  I will be able to access photos from google earth. It will take a bit of work to figure out where I virtually am in Australia as I post my distances after being "out & about" mountain hiking and urban hiking in reality.  At this point, this feels like a work in progress and I may add ideas as I venture along the way.

Covering 2553 kms in 365 days seems a bit intimidating right now for me.  I think it is a healthy goal in many ways and it feels right to reach for the stars.  The only way to know what you can accomplish in life is to find ways to make life happen!