Rene Baur and his wife Bronwyn will ride to Alice Springs in August.
Camera IconRene Baur and his wife Bronwyn will ride to Alice Springs in August. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Black dog stays behind

Julian Wright, Hills GazetteHills Avon Valley Gazette

The Mundaring resident is preparing for The Black Dog Ride on August 17-23, which will see him cover an average of 630km per day from Busselton to Alice Springs, where he will meet up with several other riders from different states.

As well as raising awareness, the ride raises money.

‘A surprising number of us, from every walk of life, have been affected by depression either directly ourselves, or indirectly through someone we know,’ Mr Baur said.

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‘In my case, a brush with clinical depression in the early 1990s, which I was lucky enough to get through with the help of my wife Bronwyn and a good doctor, has given me an understanding of just how insidious the ‘black dog’ can be.’

This will be the second ride for Mr and Mrs Baur, after they completed a section of the trek last year.

‘We travelled as far as the first overnight stop in Kalgoorlie last year,’ Mr Baur said.

‘This year we’ll both be riding all the way to Alice Springs, leaving from Busselton, via Esperance, across the arbor, through Port Augusta and Coober Pedy ” a total distance of 3800km.

‘And then we will be riding all the way back again.’

Since 2010, the Black Dog Ride to the Red Centre has raised more than $500,000 for mental health services.

The funds raised by this year’s ride will go to Lifeline and Mental Health First Aid Australia.

Visit redcentre2013.everydayhero.com/au/rene-baur.