Man walking around Australia says kindness of strangers is keeping him going
By Katherine J Glass
A man walking around Australia says the generosity of people on the road has helped carry him through some of the country’s most remote stretches.
Merlin, who documents his journey online as Wizard of Run, is about two-thirds of the way through his lap of the country.
He began his journey at Cape York in Queensland, with an original plan to walk and run back home to Victoria.
He has since added Tasmania to the route, saying he wanted to make the journey a true top-to-bottom crossing of Australia.
Merlin is travelling with a small trailer, which he pulls behind him using a harness.
The trailer carries his food, water, shelter and other supplies.
He said the east coast had been easier to manage, but the west coast had involved much longer distances between towns.
One of the biggest stretches was about 650 kilometres between towns, forcing him to stock up as much as he could before setting off.
Despite the isolation, Merlin said people regularly pulled over to offer food, water or money.
He said there had been several times when he had run out of water, only for a passing driver to stop and help.
“I honestly thought you might get the odd bit of water here and there, but the generosity has been next level,” he said.
Merlin said the walk had shown him how kind strangers could be, especially in remote parts of the country.
But the journey has not been without difficult days.
He said the Nullarbor was one of the hardest sections, with long, straight roads and limited supplies.
He said some parts of the highway were also difficult because of heavy traffic, forcing him to drag the trailer through gravel and grass beside the road.
While he began the trip without needing much entertainment, Merlin said he now listens to music and podcasts during long stretches alone.
He said the lifestyle had become simple, with each day focused on walking, finding food and water, and looking for somewhere to sleep.
Merlin said there was no major reason behind the journey, other than wanting to see how far he could go.
But after months on the road, the walk has become more than distance.
For Merlin, it has become a daily test of endurance, trust and patience — powered not only by his own legs, but by the people who stop, check in, and offer what they can.
He said he planned to keep documenting the trip on Instagram under the name Wizard of Run, where he posts regular videos from the road.
Listen to the full interview here: