Joe Hockey and Paralympian Kelly Cartwright (L) in the 2009 Balmoral Burn - preparing for the Ultimate Burn up Mt Kilimanjaro (picture Michael Amendolia)
IF anyone was wondering why the Federal Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey was not at the Tony Abbott conservative-studded book launch in Sydney yesterday, it’s because he was in Johannesburg, South Africa, preparing for his next summit – Mt Kilimanjaro.
Hockey exited Australia on Monday and come Friday, he’ll be leading 21 trekkers up the 5895mt peak in Africa in a bid to raise money for a children’s charity which buys vital medical equipment for kids’ hospitals around Australia and in East Timor.
The Liberal Party pollie admits he came up with the idea after one glass of wine too many at the 2008 annual Balmoral Burn sponsors dinner on Balmoral Beach for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
A long-time champion of the charity, Hockey decided that the annual fun run up the steep Awaba Street in Balmoral was not a big enough challenge, so he came up with the idea of the Ultimate Burn – Mt Kilimanjaro.
(Wallaby great Phil Kearns came up with the Balmoral Burn idea to raise a few quid for Humpty, and last year it generated a record $2.2 million.)
At 10 am today, the rest of the trekkers including Humpty founder and chairman Paul Francis flew to Jo’burg. Tomorrow they arrive in Tanzania, and on Friday they get to Mt Kilimanjaro- to begin a seven-hour climb to reach Machame Camp at 3000m above sea level for their first night on the triple volcano.
Among the climbers are Paralympian Kelly Cartwright (who lost a leg to cancer), paediatrician Jonny Taitz, Channel Seven’s Sunrise co-host, David Koch, and a strong cast of great men and women from various professions all of whom have shelled out $50,000 for the privilege of getting involved in a good cause.
Paralympian Kelly Cartwright from Geelong is part of the Kili Club
Hockey, who will only miss one day of Parliament, and his Kili Club will summit the mountain with a full moon over their heads on August 5 after a six to nine hour climb.
“It ends up being just one day from Parliament but I think all in Parliament will accept it is for a great cause,” he told me recently. “When I told [Opposition leader] Malcolm [Turnbull] he wanted to come.”
To follow the trek and donate, go here
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