OFTEN when one turns 86 they are ready to put their feet up and relax but Port Macquarie’s Richard Grimmond had other ideas.
To celebrate his birthday on Monday 8 July, Richard walked 15 kilometres along the beach from the Port Macquarie ferry to Point Plomer with a group of fellow bushwalkers. The group included Dorothy Green, Carol Younger, Peter Aitchison, Lin and David Ellison and Richard’s daughter, Jan.
Richard was confident he could complete the walk comfortably after completing a similar 20-kilometre return walk from Lighthouse Beach to Lake Cathie in preparation.
Richard’s life-long interest in bushwalking started when he joined the newly formed Newcastle Bushwalking Club in 1945 at the age of 18. His long list of bushwalking achievements includes the Milford Track in New Zealand, the Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clare walk in Tasmania and walking from Mount Jagungal to Mount Kosciuszko.
When he was 65 Richard walked the Himalayas and at age 75 he rediscovered the waterfall Beckett’s Cataract that was first discovered by John Oxley in 1818.
For many years Richard instructed the Adult Education Bushwalking group at Port Macquarie and still bushwalks every Thursday.
