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Great Victorian Rail Trail (Day 2 – Tuesday 23 February)

I slept very badly last night. About midnight I woke up after a particularly bad dream, and, already in agitation, I was not comforted to realise I was alone in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. I … Continue reading

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Great Victorian Rail Trail (Day One – Part 2, Monday 22 February, 2021)

The train ride to Tallarook took 90mins. The first half of this was just getting to Broadmeadows. The train went very slowly through the city. But thereafter it gathered speed, slicing through the countryside. On the northern outskirts of Melbourne … Continue reading

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Great Victorian Rail Trail (Day One)

Well, I’m off again. Not strictly on pilgrimage, but a sort of prep/trial run for the next leg of the MacKillop-Woods Way at Easter. It is my intention to walk the leg from Skipton to Portland (the 6th Leg of … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Nine (9 October 2019): Linton to Skipton

I’m back home now, but now have yet to complete this journal. So, from the comfort of my armchair, I’m looking back to the last days of the pilgrimage.  We had arranged to catch the 10:21 coach service back to … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Eight (8 October 2019): Smythesdale to Linton

On practically every section of the MacKillop-Woods Way that I have walked so far, there has been a day (or at least a part of a day) in which I have walked alone. Back in Passiontide 2014, when walking the … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Seven (7 October 2019): Ballarat to Smythesdale

After breakfast at St Alipius’, Sean headed off before me to go and find a coffee shop, while I completed marking an essay. Just before I left, Fr Justin was up, so I had the opportunity to say thank you … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5 (6 October 2019): “Rest Day” in Ballarat

Today is Sunday, the “day of rest”, so appropriately we scheduled one in. “Rest” is a relative matter, however, and, as we were on foot, any church attendance or sight-seeing was to be done on foot. I think I did … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Five (5 October 2019): Gordon to Ballarat

On all our journeys, there comes a point where you get into the swing of things, and everything settles down, and life becomes good – at least for a while. It is a point where you are happy to keep … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Four (4 October 2019): Ballan to Gordon

Having fallen asleep immediately last night, I was up at 7am this morning working on my journal for yesterday. Sean joined me and worked on his own journal for a while. At about 8am, Bill and Colleen came in to … Continue reading

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MWW2019 Leg 5: Day Three (3 October 2019): Bacchus Marsh to Ballan

I just remembered, as we were walking out of Bacchus Marsh yesterday, the old saying among Melburnians: “From here to Bacchus Marsh”. Well, I know how far that is now. Another thought that has often been in our minds on … Continue reading

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