Previous Journeys

01 Feb 1998

- Dublin to Jerusalem

If you are interested in really pushing your spiritual boundaries, and you're not easily daunted at the prospect of the inevitable and significant physical, psychological and spiritual challenges generated by a long pilgrimage, particularly in the desert, you might appreciate the challenge of Mel's 1998 pilgrimage
from Dublin to Jerusalem.

This thirteen thousand kilometre solo bicycle pilgrimage included cycling through the Syrian Desert.

Mel says of this journey, "I learned on my journey to Jerusalem, that it is not the reaching of the destination that is the most important part of the journey; what is most important is to be open to and to learn from the experiences along the way".

"On my journey from Dublin to Jerusalem in 1998, I had the great privilege of experiencing the wonderful hospitality of the village dwellers in the Syrian Desert, an experience that challenged me to reflect on my stereotypes about Syrians, a matter that had caused me much anxiety with regard to entering the country".


Excerpts from a story that first appeared in Grevillea, an e-magazine produced by Chris Walker, Mission Resource Officer for the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery of the UCA.

01 Feb 2005

- The Kakadu and Tasmania journeys

Mel was diagnosed with cancer (large diffuse B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma) in December of 2004. He received chemotherapy and antibody therapy at the Nepean Cancer Care Centre between February and June of 2005.

He says, "In one sense, cancer has changed my life very little. I am doing the things that I had planned to do prior to my diagnosis and treatment. I continue to follow my vocation and I have undertaken the treks in Kakadu and the South West Wilderness of Tasmania, which I had planned to do before I knew of my diagnosis. In another sense, cancer has changed my life profoundly. I enjoyed my eleven day trek through Kakadu immensely. While I was grossly under prepared, having commenced the trek a week after the final cycle of chemotherapy, my experience of the awe and beauty of the place was so heightened that I often did not appreciate how tired I was until we set up camp at night. The same applied to Tasmania. This trek, in February, of this year saw me well prepared and was by far the most satisfying of my eight expeditions to the region. This is not to say that living with cancer is to be recommended, far from it, but it is to say that life can still be satisfying and life goals pursued, while acknowledging that the disease of cancer is a very serious one".