This year’s Journey of a Lifetime Award, run by the Society in partnership with BBC Radio 4, is supporting Paralympic champion Karen Darke MBE as she handcycles the course of Australia’s longest river, the Murray.
Fresh from competing for Team Scotland in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Karen’s journey is now underway. Beginning in the Australian Alps, her 1,500km route will follow the Murray River through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia all the way to Lake Alexandrina where the river runs into the Southern Ocean. Along the way, Karen will experience a variety of environments, including the Snowy Mountains, the ancient landscapes of Mungo National Park, and the River Red Gum wetlands. She will also spend time with people who live and work along the Murray, and learn about the various irrigation schemes in place to control and divert the flow of this great river.
Karen is recording her experiences for a BBC Radio 4 documentary which will be broadcast in October 2018. You can follow Karen on Twitter @kdarke and on Facebook.
Find out more about our grants and see how you could receive £5,000 to undertake your own Journey of a Lifetime.