DANNY Phegan fondly recalls Christmas Day 2002 was spent dusty and dirty, surrounded by grazing horses and cattle on the banks of Myall Creek, near Tamworth.
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It was, he says, a picture perfect day surrounded by his fellow riders on their epic Campfires Against Cancer ride across Australia.
Yet it seems a lifetime ago now since Danny and his loyal band of mates — two-legged and four-legged — made the marathon trek from Darwin to Cockle Creek Bay, Tasmania, raising $531,318 for cancer research in the process.
The 11 months on the road were life-changing ... for the crew, for the generous people they met along the way and, most importantly, for the cancer patients who have benefited from the medical breakthroughs the money generated.
Songs were written in their honour, potraits immortalised on canvas and friendships forever forged in a “trail of dreams” that has become folklore in some parts.
More than a decade later, the stories of that ride and the resulting medical advancements have been bound together in a book to be launched this month at the Kinross Woolshed Hotel, Thurgoona.
Why now, you may ask?
Well, in typical Danny Phegan style, the answer to that question is a story in itself.
“Since the ride I’ve married and had five kids,” Danny laughs, almost by way of explanation.
“On the ride we kept a journal but when I got news of the research breakthroughs (more on that later) I wanted to create a record for my children and maybe a few extra copies for the family to read.”
So Danny cobbled together a manuscript of sorts.
“But I don’t spell well and when I got the copies done I kept noticing a lot of grammatical and spelling errors, and it irritated me,” he says.
“I wanted to retrieve those copies and hand them back an edited version.” So he googled up “editor” in Albury and came across Orme Harris.
“I guess you could say I blundered my way into the right people,” he admits.
“Orme fell in love with the story and asked if she could show it to some publishers.”
The rest, as they say, is history and the result is a beautiful hardcover book that not only relives wonderful memories of an incredible outback adventure but will continue to raise money for the cause of cancer.
Danny has donated the book, Trail of Dreams, to the Albury-
Wodonga Cancer Foundation, with all author royalties to go back to the foundation.
Publisher Jo Jo Publishing has also donated 250 books to be sold on the night of the November 21 launch.
And, in a major boost to fund-raising efforts, Albury tour company Outback Spirit has donated a trip for two to the Kimberley valued at $20,000 (first prize in a raffle limited to 300 tickets at $100 each).
All of this adds up to Danny looking to well and truly exceed his $20,000 fund-raising target for the event.
DANNY is no stranger to encountering overwhelming generosity when it comes to fund-raising.
Whether it’s the cause or the character himself that inspires people to dig deep, it’s hard to say, but the results speak for themselves.
When Danny lost his beloved grandfather Herbert Freyer to cancer, he vowed he would do something to honour his memory.
A noted horseman and well-known stock buyer for 51 years, Herb was a huge influence on his young grandson’s life.
“I have never heard a bad word spoken of him in life or death,” Danny says.
“He took me under his wing at a young age and taught me many things, including how to ride.
“I regret that I knew every bloody thing when I was 17.
“If he was back now for a single day I would hang off every word, remember every story and pay more attention to life’s lessons.”
For some time Danny mulled over how he could best pay tribute to his grandfather’s memory, and eventually decided on a fund-raising trail ride from one end of Australia to the other.
Thus Campfires Against Cancer was born — and an ambitious $500,000 fund-raising target.
On June 30, 2002, Danny and a merry band of co-riders and support crew rode out from Darwin with horses champing at the bit and hope high in their hearts.
They spent a gruelling 11 months in the saddle covering 5500 kilometres, met a “truckload of true-blue Aussies” and achieved what has been described as the world’s longest charity horse ride.
The book — “told as if you were a bloke on the bar stool next to me having a beer” — recounts the adventures of those miles as well as the colourful characters encountered along the way.
Danny admits it all seems a very long time ago now. While he still yearns for adventure, the 38-year-old admits he probably wouldn’t have the stamina to do it again.
“Looking back, it was a logistical marathon,” Danny says.
“But it brought out the best in people and it brought out the best in us.”
The generosity they met with still humbles him.
Even as the worst drought in 100 years bit down hard on rural and remote communities that year, people gave what they could.
At the Walkabout pub at McKinlay in remote Queensland, population about 20, the team raised $3000 in one night. Closer to home the Pleasant Hills locals raised a staggering $10,000 in one night.
That story was repeated countless times across the country.
At the Mount Isa Music Festival, three of the team carried a sports bag with $21,000 in coins across to the local bank.
As former Cancer Council chief executive officer Andrew Penman wrote in a tribute to the book:
“The support (Danny) received from rural communities ... in a country still gripped by drought, spoke of a deep resonance of the idea and the cause with Australians.”
THE fact money raised on that ride is still directly changing the lives of people battling cancer is one of the main reasons Danny decided to formally put pen to paper.
“The drug GSAO is in clinical trials in the UK and another, PENAO, is in trials at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne and we are hoping they will cure brain tumours,” Danny says.
“Our money went directly to funding a fellowship for Professor Philip Hogg, who helped develop those drugs.”
Since the ride Danny has lost a “dear uncle” to cancer and has two aunts, an uncle and a cousin battling the disease.
His good mate Colin Mitchell, who rode with him every step of the way, lost his father the day the Campfires Against Cancer cavalcade rode into Albury on March 30, 2003.
“Col was completely devoted to the ride,” Danny says.
“He used to ride all his kilometres early in the morning, get in a support vehicle and drive to visit his ailing father and then return late at night in time to ride again the next day.”
It’s for all these reasons the cause still resonates so strongly with Danny today — and why he finished the book.
Danny dedicated Trail of Dreams to his children Jess, Tilly, Bill, Emily and Adelaide and his wife and high school sweetheart Caroline.
“I finished this for my children to read about one day,” Danny says.
“In everything I do I want to inspire them to have a sense of adventure and to live their dreams.”
Few could argue the herculean effort by Danny and his crew in the Year of the Outback was nothing short of inspirational.
“Danny and his friends are the pefect rebuke to those who doubt the power of individuals to change things,” Mr Penman says.
No doubt Herb would proudly agree.
l The Trail of Dreams book launch will be held on November 21 at Kinross Woolshed Hotel from 6.30pm. $5 entry includes finger food and guest speakers. Raffle tickets $100 (limited to 300) available at Saddleworld Albury or phone Danny on 0417 248 582.