Mates conquer 275km ‘Point to Point’ trek around the bay

AFTER nine gruelling days, more than 275km and 377,000 steps, Evan Beltsis and Anton Kraev limped to the Queenscliff lighthouse as hard-earned heroes.

From their finishing point, they looked across to where their adventure began on December 1 at Point Nepean, all the way across the bay.

“Seeing Point Nepean and where we started, I was just shaking my head, I just couldn’t believe it,” Kraev said.

Their incredible journey started when Beltsis wondered whether he would ever see a bridge connecting the two sides of the bay in his lifetime. This led to a bigger question: how many people had walked all the way around on foot? The “point to point” journey was born.

Beltsis invited fellow university student Kraev to join on the journey, which he immediately accepted.

By their own admission, the pair are not elite athletes or marathon runners, but pushed on mentally and physically through challenging conditions to complete the trek.

“The last portion of every day, from about the 25km mark onwards, was so demanding,” Beltsis said.

“You just have to keep telling yourself, telling your body, to put one leg in front of the other.”

Kraev said the daily hurdles – both physical and mental – were a defining part of the experience.

“Every single day was a different challenge, whether it was weather or mental, I think that made it really unique,” he said.

Both men also managed injuries before and during the trek.

Beltsis had recently undergone collarbone surgery, making his 8km pack difficult to carry, while Kraev completed the walk with a broken finger, severe sunburn and a bout of heatstroke.

“I didn’t know I had this willpower to walk for so long,” Beltsis said.

“I don’t think I’m going to complain about sore feet at work ever again after this – it’s incomparable.”

The men thanked each other and their families for their support throughout the nine-day hike.

“We had so much fun talking to each other and getting to know each other even more after already being friend for seven years,” Beltsis said.

“It’s an adventure we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”