PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - In high spirits and with a sense of adventure, six Good Samaritans set off from Plettenberg Bay on Monday 19 August on an epic 550km journey to raise funds for community-based programmes and to create awareness around challenges faced by vulnerable groups and communities.

Dubbed the "Camino Walk 2024", the group joyfully started to tackle this mammoth task, which will see them walking for 12 days to Cape Town, visiting various towns along the way including the Garden Route towns of Knysna, George and Mossel Bay.

Their first stretch was more than 43km to Knysna, and they will keep it up with an average of about 46km per day.

This is the second journey of its kind. One of the walkers, Abbah Smith, said that last year there were only four of them, and they completed 425km from Piketberg to Springbok. "The feeling was fantastic. We took the N7 last year, and just behold the splendour of flowers that blossomed all the way along the road," Smith said.

He said the group was made up of friends who had known each other for more than 35 years. "We got along extremely well."

He said that they did however face some challenges along the way. "I must admit that the N7 is rather undulating and from Garies it is uphill all the way to Springbok. We struggled a bit, but reached our destination with only minor injuries. I suppose that is what Camino is about."

This year the group includes Smith, Fabian Smit and Nico Cloete from Saldanha, Julie Williams from Bellville, Ceasar Sauls from Worcester and Vanita Daniels from Johannesburg.

They will also be taking a two-man support crew with them.

Smith said their first day was a great success. They all felt good and enjoyed the journey between the two coastal holiday towns.

Donations can be made to their cause, which is to support the organisations Eilandhuis, Mfesane and Masakhe in Cape Town. Anyone who wants to contribute can contact Smith on 083 996 0770.

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