Slow and steady for Karratha girl’s 16km turtle trek

Nine-year-old Ruby Murphy’s new year’s resolution to walk from Karratha to Dampier is much more ambitious than most and she is gearing up to achieve that goal this Sunday.

The Karratha girl, who attends Tambrey Primary School and has lived in the area for four years, said she wanted to challenge herself this year by walking the 16km distance her family often drove, and would be using the walk to raise money for turtle conservation through the Ningaloo Turtle Program.

“Every new year, my family come up with a goal to do, and that was mine,” she said.

“I just wanted to walk to Dampier, but then I had the idea that I could do it to fundraise for something.”

Ruby’s mother and grandparents will walk the distance with her, in a trip they estimate could take up to six hours.

Her mother Rebekah Murphy said the family were all keen hikers — having last year hiked more than 10km around Uluru — and had also snorkelled the Ningaloo Reef, which had contributed to Ruby’s love of marine life and conservation.

Rebekah said she was proud of Ruby for taking the initiative to pursue her goal and fundraise for a cause she cared about.

“We’re just so proud of her. She’s come up with this idea and wants to give back, as well as setting her own personal goals, so it’s a bit of the best of both worlds,” she said.

Ruby will start her walk at the Baynton West end of Dampier Highway at 7am on Sunday, and will finish at Dampier’s Red Dog statue.