Matt 'Fenndog' Fennell doesn't do things by halves.
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He describes himself as a man of extremes and that's exactly what walking, completely unassisted, from the top of Australia to the bottom of Tasmania is.
It's also for an important cause and one that's close to Matt's heart.
"I wanted to do this walk for a long time and after living on my mates yacht for five months last year and being surrounded by entrepreneurial people I realised you can do anything you want," he said.
Matt was speaking with two of his friends in Sydney earlier this year when he decided he was going to do the walk.
"My mate said I couldn't do it without a purpose and that I need to make it count. That's when I decided to do this to raise awareness about mental health and suicide."
One of Matt's close friends passed away last year following a medical issue.
"Five or six weeks after he passed away, while going through the tragedy of losing him, his partner was lost to suicide.
"People need to know that some people do make these decisions and I want to help them realise that life does get hard, but it does get better if you stick through the hard parts.
"I don't want people to think that suicide is the only way."
Sticking through the hard parts is something Matt himself has had to do while undertaking this epic trek along the East Coast.
He started at Cape York (the most northern point of Australia) on July 13 and will be making his way past the Mid North Coast this week.
The end point of the journey is South East Cape (the most southern point of Tasmania).
"I've left my ego at the door. This walk is a lot bigger than me and so is the metaphor of the walk. It's all about reaching out to people," Matt said.
"A while back I injured my leg and had to take a little break. That was after doing 15 marathons in 15 days.
"There are roadblocks on this walk and in life and you do get around them, you don't let it get you down."
December 13 will mark five months on the road for Matt.
"The support I have received is incredible. I've had hundreds of messages on Facebook and Instagram which is insane.
"It's so humbling to see the people that come out to support me. I had one paramedic in an ambulance stop and shake my hand the other day and in Coffs Harbour I was stopped five times for messages of support. It's very humbling."
The Cape to Cape for a Life Worth Living walk is raising funds for the not-for-profit organisation the Black Dog Institute. Matt donated $25,000 of the funds raised last month and said there is already another $15,000 ready to be donated.
Matt made his way from Macksville to Kempsey on Tuesday. He will then continue down to Port Macquarie on Wednesday before heading further south.
So far he has walked 3158 kilometres, with a further 1800 to go.
He said there are four main messages he hopes to spread while on the road.
"You control your own happiness, you can never control another human being, you don't have to do life but you get to do it and the only person who can do your life is you," Matt said.
To keep up with Matt and his journey, check out his Facebook page here or follow him on Instagram @fenndog and @fenndog_aussie_gypsy.
To donate to The Cape to Cape for a Life Worth Living walk visit Matt's gofundme page.
Numbers to call if you or anyone you know needs help:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
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