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Happiness is Sitting Tall in the Saddle

SPENDING six hours a day on the back of a horse is not everybody's cuppa tea, but for Gabrielle Schenk it is part of realising a dream. Twenty eight year old Gabrielle has just recommenced her trek, riding from Cooktown to Healesville Melbourne, along the Bicentennial National Trail. The journey started in April 1994 when the girl from Wedderburn (outside Sydney's Campbelltown) left from Wagga Wagga. After travelling over 1000 kilometres on horseback in New South Wales, Gabrielle packed up her four horses, saddles and pack bags and headed north for Cooktown. Once in Cooktown she preceded south travelling about 20 kilometres a day.

BILOELA - Happiness for Gabrielle Schenk is travelling along the Bicentennial National Trail from Cooktown to Melbourne and camping in bushland with her companions.

Gabrielle's journey was cut short earlier this year when illness forced her to take time off. Leaving the horses with Sandilands at Kroombit Tourist Park, Gabrielle returned to Sydney for a six month recovery. Now near Bileola, reunited with her four horses, Fonz, Minnie Gambit and Kandor, she plans to complete the journey. "I usually wake up at about 4.00am, just as the sun is starting to light the sky. It takes about three hours to pack up camp, prepare the horses and saddle them up."

"Then depending on the country's terrain I'd spend an average of six hours in the saddle, although on some days, I ride over eight hours of the day." Gabrielle can go for between one to three weeks before restocking her food supplies. Travelling along the National Horse Trail she camps at the designated camp sites, but occasionly locals will suggest an alternative, or if she is behind schedule, she will camp in a makeshift site. "A lot of people ask me why I want to travel so far by horse on my own."

"I grew up on the land and with horses, in fact I've had Kandor since I was 11 years old. I just love the horses." "Life was getting me down and I felt that I had to get out and do what I wanted for a change." "I just figured if you're not happy doing what you're doing, you should change your directon and set out to find happiness." "So I decided to get out and ride the trail before I get tied down." Gabrielle said over the 3000 kilometres she has already travelled, she hasn't really encountered many serious problems.

"For four days up north in the Daintree with a friend it rained and rained. We packed and unpacked camp, slept, cooked and rode in the pouring rain." "While it was pretty miserable weather, it at least wasn't very cold. "I was however, fairly concerned that the rivers would rise and we would be stranded in the rainforest." For most of the journey Gabrielle's only companions are her four horses,

however, to help fund the journey she has started taking paying customers along with her. "Most people spend a week on the trail. If they can arrange to be at a pick up point and to be collected at the end I can arrange the rest." "Basically all they need are their clothes, a light sleeping bag, a hat, and a rain coat." "I'll supply all the food, horses and preparation for the journey."

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