My Camino with Dementia Australia

800 km. One step at a time. Camino completed! 🇪🇸🥾❤️

After 36 days, over 1.2 million steps and countless hours of walking, I’ve finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela!

What started with thoughts of giving up during the very first hour of climbing the Pyrenees became one of the most humbling and rewarding journeys of my life.

Through mountains, valleys, beautiful villages, challenging days and wonderful friendships, the Camino has given me more than I could have imagined.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported my journey and contributed to Dementia Australia. Your kindness has made this experience even more meaningful.

800 km walked. A lifetime of memories. And hopefully, a little good along the way. ❤️

Buen Camino! 🙏🥰

Camino Update – 139 km to Santiago! 🥾❤️🇪🇸

Another milestone on the Camino Francés — just 139 km remaining to Santiago de Compostela! 🙏

What started in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, crossing the Pyrenees, has taken me through countless villages, beautiful cities, the vast plains of the Meseta and now into the mountains of Galicia.

There have been challenging climbs, tired legs, unpredictable weather and plenty of early mornings. But also breathtaking sunrises, magnificent churches, wonderful friendships and moments of quiet reflection that have made every kilometre worthwhile. ❤️

With Santiago getting closer, I’m feeling incredibly grateful that my body has carried me this far and for everything this journey continues to offer.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has donated to Dementia Australia, shared my fundraising page or sent words of encouragement. Your generosity means so much, and I’m grateful that this personal journey can also contribute to supporting people impacted by dementia and important research.

The finish line is getting closer, but I’m continuing to take it one day at a time, appreciating the journey rather than rushing towards the destination.

139 km to go. One day at a time. One step at a time. 🥾❤️

Camino update…

Camino so far… 8 stages in 🙏❤️

584 km to Santiago.

Eight walking stages completed, and the Camino has now taken me from the Pyrenees, through Pamplona, Puente la Reina, Estella, Los Arcos and Logroño, and now into Nájera.

The scenery has changed completely since those first few days. The steep green mountains and forests have gradually given way to open countryside, vineyards, long stretches of trail and some beautiful old towns and churches along the way.

And I’m quickly learning that every day on the Camino brings something different.

Some mornings have started before sunrise, walking in the cool and watching the sun slowly appear over the trail. Other days have meant long stretches under the Spanish sun, with what looks like a town just over there somehow taking forever to reach! 😂

There have been some wonderful little Camino moments too — music unexpectedly appearing along the trail, meeting and re-meeting pilgrims along the way, stopping for food and the occasional well-earned cerveza, and of course discovering that in Estella there is actually a wine fountain on the Camino. It would have been rude not to investigate! 😂🍷

The body has also started reminding me that walking this far isn’t quite the same as going for a long weekend hike. The knees have been taped, the feet have needed plenty of attention, and I’m learning that sometimes the smartest Camino decision is to slow down, rest and look after the body before continuing.

But I’m still moving west. 🙏

A big thank you to everyone who has supported Dementia Australia through my Camino so far. ❤️ I’m incredibly grateful for every donation, message of encouragement and share. Knowing that these kilometres are also helping contribute to something bigger makes the journey that little bit more meaningful.

When I started in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Santiago felt almost impossibly far away. Seeing 584 km remaining still sounds like an enormous number — but I’m trying not to walk 584 km in my head.

Just today’s kilometres.

Then tomorrow’s.

8 stages down. 584 km to Santiago.

Still one step at a time. ❤️🙏

Buen Camino!

Camino so far (21/09/26)

Three days, roughly 65–70 km, and I’ve made it from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, across the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles, through Zubiri and into Pamplona.

And I’m beginning to understand why everyone says the Camino is about taking it one day — and sometimes one step — at a time.

The first few days have certainly given me a taste of everything. I’ve walked before sunrise in the dark, climbed through thick fog and mist, emerged above it to some incredible views across the Pyrenees, followed beautiful forest trails and tackled some pretty unforgiving rocky descents.

The climbs have been tough, but surprisingly it’s been the descents that have tested me most. After hours of carefully making my way down rocky trails with a backpack, my knees have definitely had a few things to say! 😂

But amongst the challenging terrain and tired legs have been some pretty special moments — watching the landscape change as the fog lifted, walking alone along quiet trails, passing through little villages, meeting other pilgrims along the way, and finally arriving in Pamplona today.

Looking back at these photos, I love how different they all are — darkness, fog, sunshine, mountains, forests and now a city. And somehow, all of it has happened in just the first few days.

I’m taking a little extra time in Pamplona to rest and recover before continuing west. There’s still a very long way to Santiago, so for now I’m trying not to think too much about the hundreds of kilometres still ahead.

Around 65–70 km down. Plenty more to go.

Still taking it one step at a time. ❤️