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Where in the Canberra region could you hike from farming plains through to mountain rainforests with plants closely related to their Gondwanan ancestors? The answer is nowhere yet, but Canberra man John Studholme has walked five days and four nights from outside the capital to Nelligen to lobby for a capital-to-the-coast hiking trail. Mr Studholme, 65, was joined by his son Tom Studholme and Tom's girlfriend, Bridie Campbell, as they trekked the 115 kilometres starting just outside Braidwood on Friday. "The idea is to get away from the car and get out and enjoy the wilderness and environment that we've got," Mr Studholme said. By Monday, Mr Studholme reached the already established Corn Trail, a 16-kilometre hike just outside of Braidwood which would be part of Mr Studholme's dream trail. He was joined by environmentalists concerned that section of the future trail would be jeopardised by NSW state logging nearby. Friends of the Forest liaison Joslyn van der Moolen was concerned burn-offs performed after logging could spread into the nearby national park. She also said logging was disturbing native wildlife, including the greater glider possum, spotted quoll and masked owl. The greater glider is listed as vulnerable nationally while the spotted quoll - or tiger quoll - and masked owl are listed as vulnerable in NSW. "There's an immediate concern that the post-harvest burn will escape," Ms van der Moolen said. Forestry Corporation documents for the logging show the majority of the wood is set for pulp or firewood. Mr Studholme said the buffers between the park and the logging sites were minimal. "It's not just that it's visible, it's that it affects all the native wildlife ... it affects the very pristine Buckenbowra River," he said. He said he'd had conversations with people in the Forestry Corporation about the trail, as well as NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro. Mr Studholme reached Nelligen, what would be the end of his capital-to-coast Camino trail, on Tuesday. "We are sore, tired, dirty but elated at having achieved something special," he said. He said when he returned to Canberra this week he'd start putting together his formal pitch for the Shoalhaven and Queanbeyan-Palerang councils. "I've done things like the Camino in Spain. Often I walk this and I go 'What's the difference?'. It's the same idea of a grand journey," he said. Mr Studholme said the whole trail closely followed a cultural and trade route used by Indigenous people across the region, later used by Europeans to haul wood and food from the coast. He said that, just like the Camino, this trail would see hikers passing through small villages, clearing their heads and meeting new people along the way. "It's a dream," he said. "It could take 20 years. It's about building legacies for future generations."

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