‘Walking Grandmother’ Looks For New Worlds

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1949, Page 5

‘Walking Grandmother’ Looks For New Worlds

WELLINGTON, Tue., (PA.).—New Zealand’s “great grandmother hiker” Mrs Kitty O’Sullivan, 68, returned from Sydney today by the Monowai with definite plans for going to America. Her ambition is to cross the United States by foot. If she finds that some other great grandmother has done is before, she is out to reduce -the time. Her latest exploit, from which she has just returned, was the walk from Brisbane to Sydney, preceded by four month’s intensive gymnasium training. She took from February 11 to March 30 to cover the 667 miles, having six half-days off for resting her feet, and being held up for two whole days by floods. BRISBANE-SYDNEY. £6 She left Brisbane with £7 in her purse and arrived at Sydney with 4/2. Mrs O’Sullivan paid tribute to the hospitality of the people en route. Seventeen years ago, Mrs O’Sullivan walked from one end of New Zealand to the other, shopping at Wbangarei and Kaitaia, and, before the last war, when aged 57, she walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats, the 881-mile journey taking 34 days. She is about five feet in height and weighs eight stone.