For 16 years, hiking the Larapinta Trail had been Julie’s dream.
Stretching approximately 240 kilometres through the rugged West MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs, the Larapinta Trail is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most challenging long-distance walks. Completing it would demand resilience, determination and an unwavering mindset.
This year, Julie achieved that dream.
But she didn’t do it just for herself.
She chose to dedicate every step to raising funds for Rosies – Friends on the Street, helping support people experiencing homelessness, hardship and social isolation across Queensland.
For 14 days and 13 nights, Julie and her group lived out of swags and tents, packing up camp each morning before spending between eight and 12 hours on the trail. The terrain was relentless—rocky ridgelines, steep mountain climbs, dry riverbeds, creek crossings, rock scrambling and deep sand tested both body and mind every single day.
“There were definitely moments where my body was pushed to its absolute limits,” Julie said.
She battled blisters, bruised toenails, swollen feet and extreme fatigue. After falling in a creek bed and injuring her knee, she still had another 10 hours of hiking ahead of her.
One of her toughest moments came on day three, when the swelling and pain in her feet became so severe she had to return to Alice Springs to buy a larger pair of hiking boots.
“I wasn’t sure if I could go on.”
It was the encouragement of her family—her son Shannon, daughter Kirsty and daughter-in-law Amanda—that helped her find the determination to continue.
Armed with new boots, blister tape, numbing cream and renewed resolve, Julie returned to the trail.
Along the way, she found another source of motivation: sharing the story of Rosies.
Fellow hikers regularly asked about the fundraiser and the work Rosies does to provide friendship, connection and practical support to people doing it tough. One couple, after losing their phone on the trail, even made a cash donation instead.
Every conversation reinforced why she had taken on the challenge.
“I’m incredibly proud to say I’ve raised just over $3,500 for Rosies.”
Every dollar raised will help Rosies continue supporting vulnerable people through outreach services across Queensland.
The hike concluded with one final challenge—an early morning departure at 2.15am to climb Mt Sonder in the dark, reaching the summit in time to watch the sunrise.
“It was extremely emotional,” Julie said.
“It wasn’t just the end of a hike. It was the completion of a 16-year dream, a personal victory, and a reminder that with perseverance, purpose and heart, amazing things are possible.”
Julie says the experience taught her resilience, gratitude and the importance of backing yourself, even when the finish line feels impossibly far away.
Most importantly, she hopes her journey encourages others to pursue the dreams that matter to them—and, where they can, to use those dreams to make a difference for others.
Everyone at Rosies is incredibly grateful to Julie for choosing us as part of her remarkable journey.
To everyone who donated, supported and encouraged her along the way—thank you.
Together, you’ve helped ensure every step counted.
Photo by: The Community Leader
Staying warm is something many of us barely think about, but for some in our community, winter brings real hardship – especially once the evening chill sets in.
Rosies is inviting locals to donate blankets, warm clothing, and other winter essentials to help make the colder months safer and more comfortable for people doing it tough. Even a single warm item can make a meaningful difference to someone facing the night without enough protection from the cold.
The Wynnum Manly Rosies branch has around 140 amazing volunteers who support more than 200 people each week through their outreach services. Their kindness has changed lives, offered hope, and provided connection to those who need it most. You can find out more about how to get involved on page 3.
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteers in our community – you really do make a difference,
and we look forward to sharing more of your stories in upcoming editions.
This week, leading up to Easter, is a time for us to pause and reflect on the power of love and the strength of living hope. This is a rollercoaster week, with highs and lows and lots of emotion. For many people, this week will be filled with family gatherings, easter egg hunts and hopefully some well-earned down-time. For many people, this week will be filled with a variety of ancient customs and religious observances. And for us at Rosies, this week is a time to be renewed in our faith and commitment to our mission, of bringing love, compassion and dignity to our friends on the streets.
Many of us, this week, will witness once again the immense love of Jesus as he makes his journey to the cross and offers up his life for the world. At Rosies, we are called to see the face of Christ every day in those who suffer, who put up with pain, rejection, isolation, and abandonment. Like those who journeyed with Jesus, we journey alongside our patrons. We carry their crosses with them, we wipe their brows of the dirt and sweat of the streets, we stand with them in pain and loneliness and we carry them into a new day of hope.
As the sunrise awakens us on Sunday morning, I pray that you all are filled with a renewed sense of hope and that Easter for you, in whichever way you choose to celebrate it, is a day that is filled with love. Hold in your hearts this Easter the profound love that God has for you, that he willing gave up his own life for you, and share this unconditional love with our patrons so that every act of compassion we share on outreach is a quiet moment of resurrection in the lives of our friends on the streets.
