The Last Day - Day 11 - Wednesday 22 September - North Ryde to Chatswood

The last day of the Mudgee2Sydney Walk for MS research had dawned and it looked like a beauty. This was the last day we would pack all the gear into our bags, pack it all into the back of the support vehicles, the last day we would congregate outside our accommodation, gathering ourselves for the day’s march, the last day….There was a definite sadness mixed in with the excitement at the start of the day – but the excitement was paramount. There were quite a number of people who had come to join us for this last march. There were people from Melbourne, from the Blue Mountains, from around Lithgow and from all over Sydney, friends and families, a wonderful group with whom to savour these last few hours. Closed to 40 people strode off down Herring Road in North Ryde just after 8am on a beautiful Sydney morning and, as always, the support vehicles were right there with them.

Drinks were taken in a side street in West Pymble, just off Lane Cove Rd. It was kind of like our time outside Sydney, all gathered around the support vehicles, but just a whole lot noisier. Then it was off again heading for the Pacific Highway.

At around 10am, the Walkers arrived at Ravenswood School for Girls, in Gordon. 3 of the 5 all-the-way Walkers are "Ravo" old girls, as were several other Walkers and, of course, Debbie, who had been initiated as an honourary “Ravo” old girl just the previous night.
The School put on drinks, bickies, etc for all the Walkers and support crew. The School had set up a room of archives for the old girls to look through and reminisce. Photos were taken of the Walkers, the old girls, old girls with current students and a last one with the Headmistress. Then it was back to the road, homeward bound, striding down the Pacific Highway, with Barry “The Rocket” Rochester leading the way.

The Walkers congregated at the corner of the Pacific Highway and Mowbray Road, in Chatswood, just a few hundred metres from the finish line, so as to walk the last leg together. A photographer from the North Shore Times was there to get some last pictures of the group, especially the 5 all-the-way Walkers.

And so the all-the-way girls led the group down Mowbray Road to the Phillips MS Centre, the headquarters of MSRA and F5m. And there to greet everyone were families and friends, all cheering and applauding wildly. What a moment! Tears flowed, as did the laughter, as everyone started to realise just what we had accomplished. And on the road outside, our faithful support vehicles still waited patiently, as they had throughout the journey.
Everything was set up for a celebration. The Mayor of Willoughby, Cr Pat Riley, arrived to welcome the Walkers. He and our good friend Jeremy Wright, Executive Director of MSRA, said a few words. All-the-way team members, plus Barry "The Rocket" Rochester, were given certificates recognising their achievment. Jeremy announced that the Mudgee2Sydney Walk had not only raised a huge amount of community awareness but a huge amount of money, too – some $120,000 and counting, enough to fund a senior researcher studying the genetics of MS for 2 years.

Mike and Katrina Hemingway said a few words on behalf of the Walkers, support crew and organisers, thanking all the families and friends for joining the Walkers there at the finish, recalling the tremendous fun we had had on the journey and thanking as many people as they could recall for their efforts in making the Mudgee2Sydney Walk for MS research such a success. And then everyone got into some serious celebrating.

We think it will take some time for everyone to realise just what we and they have achieved. But suffice to say, it was a huge team effort and shows what determination, planning, effort and great friendship can achieve when it’s all focussed on a great goal. We have made and renewed many friendships on this road that we will always treasure. And the lasting memory of this adventure will be how much fun it has been to really make a difference.