Ten inspiring Australians have raised close to $70,000 for Indigenous eye health by undertaking a five day trek along the famous Larapinta Trail.

The adventure was the culmination of months of training and fundraising by the trekkers who signed up to undertake this life-changing challenge in support of the Eye Foundation and its Indigenous eye health projects.

Together the participants, from South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, have raised close to $70,000 for the Minum Barreng (‘Tracking of Eyes’) Indigenous Project, undertaken over the past two years to identify the scope of eye health issues in Aboriginal communities across the country, including the prevalence of disease and the appropriateness of eye health services currently available. Through this project, more than 3,600 Indigenous adults and children from rural, urban and remote regions in all States and Territories of Australia have received eye examinations and treatment.

The adventure itself was an extraordinary combination of experiences - trekking 100km over five days through the Australian outback, camping out under the stars beneath sentinel gum trees, and being briefed by Alice Springs based medical eye specialist and surgeon Dr Tim Henderson. He is the only permanent medical eye specialist in Central Australia having taken over the responsibility for the regional eye service in July 2000 from the highly respected Dr Winlaw. Dr Henderson has been leading the Central Australian Integrated Eye Health Program over the past two years to address the backlog of patients waiting for eye surgery, some for as many as three to seven years.
Each Larapinta Challenge participant has achieved an incredible personal goal through both their fundraising efforts and their physical preparation for the trek.