His skin is tanned, his feet are sore, his heart is full — Tomoya Matsusaka’s stop in the Illawarra marked about three-quarters of a 4000 km journey from Cairns to Melbourne. Photo: Region.
Among the e-bikes buzzing along the beaches of the Illawarra’s northern suburbs, a metal wagon pulled by a man in denim dungarees and a wide-brimmed straw hat stands out.
But Tomoya Matsusaka is used to drawing looks, a byproduct as much of his unexpected social media fame as his distinctive appearance.
This week, Wollongong was the final coastal stop for the 26-year-old man from Kagawa, Japan, as he makes his way from Cairns to Melbourne on foot — a 4000 km journey that began as a quest for connection and adventure, and took a turn to a higher purpose.
“Why walk? I wanted to meet people, that was my purpose in this trip, and walking was a good way to do that. But along the way I have seen so much kindness from the Australian people, and I wanted to share that,” he says.
A teacher by trade, UNICEF was an easy choice.
“There have been days during this trip when I haven’t been able to drink food or water, and that was already hard. But in the world, there are a lot of children in war-torn countries who often can’t eat food or drink clean water,” he says. “That’s so sad. I love children.”
Tomoya is now about three-quarters of the way on his journey, and walks 30 to 40 km per day, carting his possessions in a rear trolley resembling a miniature rickshaw.
Dedicated to a coastal route, the journey hasn’t always been easy — and Tomoya would much prefer to face rough terrain than backtrack.
“There hasn’t always been a footpath, but I don’t like to turn back,” he says.
In big cities like Sydney and his next major destination, Canberra, Tomoya books hotels. In between, he sets up camp at rest stops.
That is, when his followers don’t offer him accommodation.
“Australians are very kind people. While I’m walking on the road, people honk or stop their cars to give me food and water. They’ve invited me to stay in their homes. Last night in Helensburgh, I stayed in a hotel that someone booked for me,” he says.
“One week ago, I stayed in Sydney. One of my dreams has always been to climb the Harbour Bridge, and someone actually paid for me to do it.”
While the Opera House has been the highlight, he says Sea Cliff Bridge is up there among the most breathtaking scenes that have unfolded on his journey so far.
“I adored it,” he says. “And the beaches of the Illawarra are so beautiful … I have been very lucky to see them.”
Tomoya set off from Cairns in May and expects to complete his seven-month odyssey in Melbourne by Christmas.
With 1000 km to go, he has racked up more than 20,000 followers on Facebook and raised more than $20,000 for UNICEF — more than 80 per cent of his $25,000 goal.
To help Tomoya reach his goal of $25,000 for UNICEF, you can donate via GoFundMe.
