Twenty-five individuals have tackled a five-day, 100-kilometre trek across the arid Australian outback this week to support Indigenous equity.
The University of Newcastle’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge, which set off in South Australia on Monday, aims to raise more than $125,000 for Indigenous student scholarships and health research.
Trekkers, who are traversing the most impressive parts of the Heysen Trail – rated as one of the world’s premier long-distance trails – have hit a fundraising figure of $115,000 to date.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Indigenous Australians are nearly three times more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to experience high levels of psychological distress, have hearing problems as children, and bilateral vision loss.
Indigenous Australians are also twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday or have a disability or long-term health condition.
The Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge is the second trek of its kind that the university has organised to raise awareness and funds.
In 2017, the 65-kilometre Larapinta Trail Challenge raised $152,432 through the support of 950 donors.
Wallsend eye surgeon Jeff Dobinson is taking on the Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge alongside his brother-in-law Richard Anicich.
The pair are no strangers to hiking, having climbed to the top of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro eight years ago.
“Richard came back speaking very highly of the last [Larapinta] trek – that was such good exposure for a great cause,” Dr Dobinson said prior to the group’s departure.
“I’m also a keen walker and I’m looking forward to seeing that part of the world.”
Funds from the 2017 trek helped to support 15 Indigenous undergraduate and three PhD scholarships for emerging Indigenous leaders, as well as two research programs, which aimed to address Indigenous community health issues.
The research funding also contributed towards a health app for Indigenous mothers called ‘MAMAS’, and an outreach program that delivered podiatry and food care education to the Central Coast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to tackle the disproportionately high rates of diabetes-related complications.
Visit newcastle.edu.au/ikara for more information or to donate to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge.
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