“I think it’s taught me a lot of patience because you’re at the mercy of the weather.”
- Poppy Moore
CALM waters welcomed Poppy Moore and her partner Mick McFie to Port Fairy earlier this week.
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“There wasn’t enough wind to sail – we motored all the way here,” she laughed.
The two dropped anchor on their yacht Scaramouch for a couple of nights in the seaside town as part of their voyage around Australia.
Ms Moore is sailing around Australia to raise money and awareness about Parkinson’s.
It’s a cause very close to her heart – her father Chris is battling it and he watched his older brother succumb to the disease.
She set off from Sydney in April last year and met Mr McFie along the way.
Ms Moore admitted she had limited sailing experience before embarking on the journey of a lifetime.
She said it had been a steep learning curve.
“I think it’s taught me a lot of patience because you’re at the mercy of the weather,” she said.
“It’s not like driving – you can’t just pull off to the side of the road.”
Ms Moore said her dad encouraged her to do something to raise awareness about Parkinson’s.
It had also been a long-held dream of his and Ms Moore’s mother Wendy to see Australia.
However, due to failing health the two are unable to travel.
“My parents always wanted to see Australia so this way they can see it from my eyes,” Ms Moore said.
She said she loved visiting new places and said visiting Port Fairy had been a rare treat.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful spot,” Ms Moore said.
There have been so many firsts for Ms Moore along the way – some good such as getting up close with seasnakes and turtles – and others she would prefer to forget like having to be towed out of torrential waters.
Ms Moore said she loved sailing, but warned it took a lot of perseverance.
She said she had been overwhelmed by the generosity people had showed along the way.
“I was aiming for $12,000 but I’ve raised $13,000 – I’ve been amazed by the kindess of strangers,” Ms Moore said.
She said it was hard to watch her father battle Parkinson’s disease.
“He’s got very limited mobility,” Ms Moore said.
She encouraged people to visit https://give.everydayhero.com/au/scaramouch-parkinsons