Richard Van Pijlen is definitely not your ordinary grandfather, spontaneously deciding to walk all the way to Perth from his home on the Northern Beaches to raise money for one million trees.
Setting off on foot for the trip of a lifetime was something Richard had always dreamt of doing.
Leaving his beloved wife, three children, and eight grandchildren behind, it was not too long ago the Pittwater local made this dream a reality – packing his trolley, high vis, and trusty straw hat and hitting the open road. Destination, Perth.
Is this guy insane? Maybe? His family certainly thinks he is, but he’s assured Peninsula Living that it’s all in the name of a cause very close to his heart.
An avid gardener from a young age, Richard aims to raise enough money to plant a million trees through non-for-profit organisation, LandCare Australia.
“Nature has always sort of been in my blood,” he says.
“I have always loved planting trees, and I want to make a difference for my grandchildren in the future.
“Of course, my family thinks I’m crazy, but this is something I have been thinking about doing for a while. I have lived in Avalon for nearly 40 years and decided it was time to get out of my comfort zone”.
Three months in and another three or four to go, we asked Richard how the trip was going so far. He responded simply:
“I never realised Australia could get this cold.”
Carrying all his own gear and supplies in his trolley, including his tent, Richard has well and truly felt the full brunt of the Australian winter.
“One morning, I woke up under a bus shelter, and everything, including my trolley, was completely frozen. I walked in wet gear for about 45-kilometres that day. It was probably the hardest day so far,” he recalls.
Planning to reach his friend’s house in Perth just in time for Christmas, Richard still has a long journey ahead of him.
“I’m not going to lie to you; the hard days are harsh. But there hasn’t been a single day of regret. I actually find it pretty easy to stay positive every single day,” he says.
At the time of writing, Richard was on his way to a stranger’s house in Portland, Victoria, after being invited to stay the night with the promise of a bed and a hot bath.
“It’s actually not that unusual,” he explains.
“People pull over all the time and ask me either where I’m going or what the heck could I possibly be doing pushing a trolley down a highway.”
“After a quick chat, they generally offer to put me up for the night. The generosity of strangers in Australia is truly incredible.”
Richard says that the people he has met along the way have been the real highlight of the trip.
“I have met so many amazing people from all walks of life, each with their own incredible stories,” he says.
“The generosity of everyone who has helped me along the way are memories I will cherish forever.”
With the spot where he will rest his head each night a mystery, Richard says that his journey has reminded him to always live in the present.
Walking on average around eight hours a day, the only thing stopping Richard from getting to Perth sooner is the lack of daylight.
“I feel like I could walk a bit further each day, but I don’t like walking at night. It can get quite dangerous.”
With the comfort of his own bed still thousands of kilometres away, Richard is determined to reach his destination and raise awareness of his important cause.
“I would highly recommend it to anyone,” he chuckled
“It’s like watching the countryside in slow motion.”
If you would like to donate to Richard’s cause, please head to the ‘I’m walking Syd-Perth to plant 1000,000 trees!’ GoFundMe page or follow Richard’s journey on Instagram via @freewayricardo.
