Australian diggers reveal the intimate war experiences that inspired their tattoos as part of News Corp’s Anzac to Afghanistan project. Produced by Josh Wall

STARTING next month, Royce Hardman will walk 12 hours per day across 17,000kms of the world’s most remote terrain.

He’ll eat 2100 meals out the back of a makeshift trailer, spend more than 700 nights in a swag on the side of the road and speak only to his dog, Trigger.

The walk around Australia sounds daunting, but the 26-year-old says it’s nothing compared to what he went through in Afghanistan and during the years that followed his return from service.

Hardman served in 2009 as a 20-year-old with two years’ training under his belt. No amount of training could prepare him for what he saw.

He made friends and lost friends, both during the war and after as they suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the war.

He too succumbed to PTSD. After returning to Perth, he experienced insomnia, abused alcohol and became hypervigilant. He remembers a time when he heard a noise outside his home and paced back and forth checking every window and every door.

The struggle came to a head when a friend of his, a fellow veteran, took his own life.

“I was at my house alone and I caught myself whingeing that there’s been a lot of suicides. I was hearing about those people dying and I was thinking: ‘Why isn’t anyone doing anything?’ he told news.com.au

“I thought: ‘I’m not doing anything’. I knew I had to do something and I knew it had to be big. I wanted to make a lot of noise and the biggest thing I could think of was to walk around Australia.”

By his side will be his best mate, the dog he credits with keeping him alive.

“If it wasn’t for him I don’t think that I’d be here today,” Hardman said.



The pair will set off from Perth in September with a metal cart specifically designed for Trigger to sleep in.

They’ll deal with temperatures in the high 40s and deafening silences. But Hardman says he’s ready for the challenge.

“Mentally, I’ve seen worse, done worse. Now it’s just a big walk with me and my dog so it should be good.”

His goal is to raise $250,000 for Soldier On, the Australian organisation supporting returned servicemen and women physically or psychologically wounded at war.

He also wants to raise awareness for the disorder. He said help was out there but it was often hard for people reach out.

“There is support out there. I think the system is hard if you’re struggling because you have to help yourself. If you’re at rock bottom it’s difficult to get the motivation to do that. Then, if you take the step to get support it’s a long hard road to get there.”

Hardman said his journey was not just about helping veterans and their families.

“Anyone can suffer PTSD. They can be people in emergency services, victims of crime. It’s hard but there’s help out there.”

To help or to donate, visit the Soldier On website or the Trigger’s Big Trek Facebook page.

If you or someone you know is in need of crisis or suicide prevention support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp