A group of Mission Australia supporters, staff and our CEO James Toomey recently took on the Larapinta Trek and raised more than $70,000 for a new youth service in the Northern Territory. Over five days, the group covered 60 kilometres of challenging terrain – encouraging each other and taking moments to reflect along the way.

Some of the most memorable parts of the experience were the Mission Australia service visits that supporters were able to engage in. Mission Australia supporter and trek participant Pepe loved seeing how Mission Australia services work together.

It was great to see that Mission Australia is woven together with other services to maximise efficiency with all the fundraising dollars that have been generated,” Pepe said. “It is essential to do good work in an area like the NT."

As they journeyed along each route, they enjoyed spectacular views and many early mornings. One day even included a 1am wake up call to conquer the summit by sunrise.

Enjoy this excerpt from their Day 5 blog:

“Friday 8th June- Mount Sonder Sunrise Climb 16km The team woke up at 1am, which may not have been bright, but it was early enough to conquer Mount Sonder in time for sunrise.

We took the truck to Red Gorge where the trek began, and listened to “dancing in the moonlight” and “river of dreams” along the way. We all huddled together before we began the hike in our comfy down jackets and thermal layers, reminding one another that together we trek – as it is all about conquering Mount Sonder as one team.

The night was beautiful and mild, and the stars and the moon were bright enough to light our way and highlight the landscape below. Step-by-step, we focused all the way up and stayed as one team the entire way. Breaks were kept short so we didn’t get cold from standing still – needless to say, it was a challenging 7.9km to the top. With Suzanne leading the group for the last 1km stretch, we all made it one by one to the cairn with enough time to enjoy a hot cup of soup and watch the sunrise over the outback.

It was a significant moment for many of us for a variety reasons, both physically and mentally, and many reflected as the sun broke over the horizon, on their inspiration for coming, and on how far they had come to get to this point.”

Interested in joining next year’s trek? Email Georgia at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 02 9217 1074.

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