It was yet another busy weekend in the North West, and a long one too in Mount Isa for Show Day on Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As well as covering the Show, the Great Western Games and a quick jaunt down to McKinlay for the races there were two other activities happening I was keen to check out.
These two activities were wildly different but had much in common too, particularly as they involved two crazy people.
I use the word crazy advisedly here, and I mean it as a compliment because the people doing those activities and the reason they did them are to be applauded.
In the first one, Tony Toholke, known to all and sundry as "Tonka" was walking 200km from the Northern Territory border to Mount Isa, a walk that would take five days.
Tonka is in the Isa Rodeo Queen Quest hoping to follow Brett Peterson's lead and become only the second man to win the competition.
His chosen charity is This Is A Conversation Starter Foundation which aims to facilitate conversations around mental health and provide access to education and support services for everyday Australians and their families impacted by mental illness.
On Friday morning I drove 30km out the Camooweal road to find the always cheery Tonka on the home stretch and garbed out in a white wedding dress for the final leg.
I had a quick chat with him (and with local state member Robbie Katter who was also there offering support) but had to rush my next appointment with crazy person #2.
That was Alison Whitehead and she was running and walking up Telstra Hill 110 times, as you do.
That number equals the total elevation of Mount Everest - 8848m - and it was going to take almost two full days to do it.
Like Tonka, Alison was cheery and also like Tonka she was doing it to raise funds and awareness for mental health, in her case the North West Queensland Mental Health Network.
Tonka and Alison are both inspirational people and it was an absolute pleasure and honour to talk to both of them and share their story.
We are lucky we have many good people like them living among us in the Great North West - Derek Barry