5,800km trek earns Northern Rivers woman prestigious environment award

A NORTHERN Rivers wildlife advocate has been honoured with an environment award after trekking more than 5,800 kilometres across Australia to raise awareness for conservation.

Uki based Trinity Mattocks received the Environment Award at the Heart of Women Awards during an International Women’s Day event hosted by Agape Outreach Inc at Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast.

The award recognised her 2025 journey along the Australian National Trail, where she walked more than 5,800 kilometres over 14 months to raise funds and awareness for the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital.

Spanning three states along Australia’s eastern highlands, the trail is one of the longest recreational routes in the world, crossing forests, mountains and remote countryside.

Mattocks undertook the journey alone, often camping far from towns or other people.

“Sometimes it was a nice little grassy patch where you could pitch your tent,” she said.

“Other places it was sandy creek beds.

“I really enjoyed setting up camp each night and seeing what I had to work with.”

 

She said local communities showed kindness along the way.

“In those regional areas, people were often pulling over to check on me and to give me food if they were passing by,” she said.

“When I got into a town, people were very accommodating, always making sure that I had everything that I needed before I headed off again.”

Mattocks said the trek demanded both physical resilience and mental determination, including managing a painful foot injury that sidelined her for a month on medical advice.

“I wanted to keep walking, but I didn’t want any lifelong injuries, so I decided to pull back,” she said.

After resting, she resumed the trek using strapping and exercises to manage the injury.

“It took everything out of me,” she said.

“It was blood, sweat and tears.

“It was digging deep on the hardest days just trying to find everything within myself to continue going.”

 

Reflecting on the award, Mattocks said the recognition also helped highlight the importance of wildlife conservation.

“It meant that what I was walking for was recognised, because at the end of the day, my message is that we can coexist with animals, and if we don’t find a way to balance out accommodating their needs then we’re just going to see more and more on the threatened species list,” she said.

As a volunteer with Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers, she said she had seen the growing pressures on native animals firsthand.

“I had this insight into the wildlife rescue world, and I could see how hard these carers worked and how much of their time is dedicated to these injured and orphaned animals,” she said.

“I wanted to do this walk and create awareness for this community of wildlife rescuers, where people are going above and beyond, when in reality we don’t have a lot of government support.”

Mattocks has since been named an ambassador for the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital and continues to volunteer at the Raptor Recovery Centre caring for sick, injured or orphaned birds of prey.