Route map for the MacKillop Woods Way taken in 2016 - 2019
The envisaged MacKillop Woods Way has been planned to traverse the south eastern corner of the Australian continent via locations which have a significant historical and cultural importance to the lives and work of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the pioneering priest Fr Julian Tenison Woods. The route shown will be a viable way for both walkers and cyclist to make their pilgrimage mostly along minor roads, established rail trails and walking paths without the needs for a purpose built way to be constructed from scratch. The MacKillop Woods Way has now been endorsement by the Congregational Leadership Team at the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart based in North Sydney, as well as some given Catholic Diocese. In its early years of development there has been great enthusiasm from local communities and a willingness to embrace this ambitious pilgrims' way.
Beginning in 2016 with two walking companions David Schutz and Josh Martin. On the first leg of an ambitious plan to walk the entire distance from the birthplace of Mary MacKillop in Fitzroy to her resting place in North Sydney it was decided on taking the more scenic route of Gippsland and via the SE coast of New South Wales.
During the course of journey David has written an excellent journal account of our peregrination on his blog site Sentire Cum Ecclesia
Since 2010 when I first had the pilgrims' road endorsed by the Mary MacKillop Penola Centre and subsequent journeys made by bicycle or foot I have prepared a pilgrims' passport as a memento of one's peregrination - modeled on Spain's Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Since 2016 and accompanied by both David Schutz and Josh Martin on the envisaged MacKillop Woods Way we have walked from the birthplace of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop in Fitzroy (Melbourne) towards her resting place in North Sydney. Due to the enormous distance between these locations of significance, our chosen route required 4 segmented stages of 2 weeks to make the whole distance totaling approx 1350 km. The above pilgrims' passport represents the entire pilgrimage from the birthplace of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop in Fitzroy (Melbourne) to her resting place in North Sydney. Lastly our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to all those communities and friends met along the way who have recently suffered from the devastating forest fires which have effected the southern NSW coastal communities.
My thanks go out to Spatial Vision for their support into logistical assistance.
My thanks go out to Spatial Vision for their support into logistical assistance.
