The Ted White AM Opportunity Fund was established to fill the gap between ability and opportunity in the School of Chemical Engineering at The University of Queensland.

Two UQ Chemical Engineering Alumni are proudly supporting the Fund by trekking a 100km section of the famous El Camino Trail, through Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

Joe da Costa, an Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering, studied and worked in the School of Chemical Engineering from 1992 to 2018. Bradley Ladewig studied for his Bachelor and PhD in Chemical Engineering at UQ (1998-2006) and worked for a short period in the School in 2008-2009. Joe was one of Bradley's PhD Supervisors.

This time, they are proud to be meeting up as two UQ Chem Eng Alumni. From Monday 21st March they will hike together and remember the great experiences they had at UQ Chem Eng. They especially look forward to the future achievements of young Chemical Engineers at UQ, with the support of the Ted White AM Opportunity Fund.

You can find out more about the Ted White AM Opportunity Fund at UQ here.

"What an exciting thing to do, Brad and Joe - a trek on the Camino trail! Thank you for dedicating it to the Fund. You may even have a Eureka moment that will advance Chemical Engineering." Ted White

Trek for Ted Updates: Jacky and Joe da Costa

Day 0 (travel to starting point)

Brad and I chose Valença do Moinho as our starting point for Trekking for Ted White Scholarship Fund. It is a beautiful quintessential Portuguese fortress town which is very charming. Unfortunately Brad has contracted Covid and so is now self isolating and therefore unable to make the trek. My wife stepped in to keep me company along the way.

At dinner last night there 7 people in the restaurant of which 4 were Australians, all of us walking the Camino. The two ladies from Melbourne were very happy to be here after the long lockdown.

We now have 100+ km to go.

Day 1

We started early and crossed the border into Spain to the town of Tui. We had brekky at an Alberge and carried on, skipping 17km to Porrino as it is a very industrial area and not a pleasant walk. We will still be doing 100+km so can get the certificate in Santiago. Apparently, when you knock at St Peter's door a Santiago certificate gives you automatic entry into heaven. It was a glorious sunny day and lots of trees are blossoming, such a pleasure to walk in the rural areas and listen to the birds singing.

Total 18.2km to Redondela.

Day 2

Another lovely sunny day through woodland and rural areas. Lovely to walk along and only hear your own footfalls, the creek and the birds. A man on a bike with his dog following passed us once then returned, I joked with him in my basic Spanish about how strong his dog was. He stopped, took a scallop shell from his dog's collar and gave it to me. The shell is the symbol of the Camino, on this one he had written suerte which means Good Luck. 19.7km.

Day 3

Another beautiful day despite predictions of overcast weather.

We started the day by getting lost as we were chatting and missed the way markers so had to retrace our steps. Once out of Pontevedera we hit the woodland and rural paths again. On the way we met a farmer who pointed out her cows by name. We stopped for coffee and met people from all around the world, Madeira Island, America, Holland, Canada & Ireland. At Caldas de Reis we soaked our feet in the thermal bath which was lovely and relaxing. Today 24km. Total 64km.

Day 4

We were prepared to have a very wet day with a 90% rain forecast. We were lucky that we managed to evade the rain and had four very light showers of around five minutes each. The highlight today was two wild deers crossing our path early in the morning. Long day 26.6 km though we are now very close to completing our 100+ km in Santiago.

Day 5

Today it is our last day, an easy 16.5 km and totalling 106 km for this trek in support of Ted White Opportunity Fund. It is our fourth time trekking to Santiago and each trek has been a pleasure. There is a camaraderie second to none. We have met people from all walks of life and their stories and the experience have enriched our lives. Food is delicious & diverse and the old towns have amazing architecture. There is a tapestry of rural areas that is a joy to walk through. In 2012, my wife and I trekked 800 km (500 miles) on the Caminos French way to support Gus Wiles Scholarship Fund. Today, we completed 1600 km in total. We would like to reminisce on the famous song of the Scottish band The Proclaimers I will walk 500 miles, and I will walk 500 more., and we did it. This last report shows the waymarkers that everyone follows to reach Santiago on the Camino. Brad and I are planning to raise further scholarships funds in 2023. If you are a Chem Eng alumni or a student, it will be a pleasure if you could join us. From my wife and I, many thanks for following our progress to Santiago. From Brad and I, our special thanks for your kind support to Ted White Opportunity Fund.