Alone, exposed, and undeterred: Mark’s epic trek across Australia
March 15, 2026
Mark Gresser’s solo trek across Australia continues to push the boundaries of endurance, resilience, and mental strength. Since setting off in July last year, Mark has walked across some of Australia’s most remote and extreme landscapes - all to raise awareness and vital funds for youth mental health.
From towering sand dunes to flash floods and lightning storms, Mark has faced brutal heat, isolation, physical exhaustion, and moments of profound solitude. Yet he continues, step by step, using his journey to spark conversations about mental health stigma and inspire hope for young people across the country.
For the next 5 days, every donation to support Mark’s walk will be doubled, meaning you can make twice the impact for young people’s mental health.
Mark’s Trek 4 Youth Mental Health has tested him in ways few could imagine. One of the toughest stretches of his journey came crossing the Strzelecki Desert, where he spent 18 days covering 463 kilometres between Lyndhurst and Cameron Corner, navigating 120 kilometres of sand dunes, many too steep to pull his cart.
Progress often meant stopping, unpacking his gear and carrying supplies piece by piece up the dunes. Some days he walked for 8–9 hours in extreme temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees, pushing his body to the point of physical exhaustion each night.
Sleep has been scarce. Mark has often survived on 2–3 hours of rest per day, resting briefly before waking again as the desert heat intensified. Without natural shade, he has spent long stretches exposed to relentless sun, battling muscle and tendon strain across his body while managing both physical and mental fatigue.
At times, Mark has found himself walking alone for days without seeing or speaking to another person - a stark reminder of the isolation many young people can also feel when struggling with mental health challenges.
“If I knew how hard this track was, I wouldn’t have thought I could do it. I’m just dragging the cart inch by inch.” Mark shared. “The most pleasant thing to do would be curl up in a ball and give up. But I can’t do that. I’ve just got to push on.”
Despite exhaustion and sleep deprivation creating moments of mental strain, Mark has stayed focused on his mission to keep moving forward.
Mark has also faced unpredictable weather conditions across his journey.
Near Tibooburra, flash flooding and lightning storms forced him to lie on the ground in pouring rain for over an hour as lightning struck dangerously close. When tracks turned to mud, Mark was 70 kilometres from the nearest town, and was forced to stop and call for help from National Parks rangers.
Yet in the middle of these challenging conditions, moments of human connection have reminded Mark why his journey matters.
Along the way, locals have welcomed him with incredible kindness. At Nilpinna Station in South Australia, Mark was treated to fresh food and hospitality - including salad sandwiches, fruit, iced water, and homemade quiche, a welcome change from his long stretches of dehydrated, pre-packed meals.
In William Creek, Trevor and Diane welcomed Mark with accommodation, home-cooked meals, and even took him on a once-in-a-lifetime flight over Lake Eyre. Seeing Australia’s largest salt lake from the air was a powerful moment of reflection after days of walking across the desert landscape.
These moments of community support mirror the very message of Mark’s journey - that even in isolation, connection and kindness can be found.
Mark has already raised more than $44,000 to support batyr’s preventative mental health programs - helping young people access education, build emotional skills and learn how to support themselves and their friends before reaching crisis point.
But he can’t do this alone.
For the next 5 days, your donation to Mark’s fundraiser will be matched dollar-for-dollar thanks to a generous philanthropic partner, doubling the impact of your support for batyr’s mental health programs and workshops.
This is a powerful opportunity to turn Mark’s extraordinary physical and mental effort into lasting change for young people across Australia.
Don’t let this journey go to waste - double your impact and donate now!
