She wears boots, grabs her backpack and yes, she’s an explorer!
Dora (The Explorer) Simpson is leading the charge for The Fast and the Curious team in this Sunday’s BDO Arrow Experience Wangetti Edition, hosted by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
The team of teachers, teacher aides and guidance officers work with the Cairns Hospital Education Program and were motivated to take part as a team-building activity.
“The team we have at the hospital is quite large now, we all work really well together and we thought ‘what’s something fun we can do together’ and then one of the team saw the posters for the Arrow Experience in the hospital lifts,” Miss Simpson said.
“A couple of us already go on bush walks with our families so it was a great connection,” she said. “We have a great connection with the Hospital Foundation through the volunteers who work here with us at the hospital playroom and ward, so it was a great fit.”
Funds raised from the community trail walk will go towards an ultrasound machine for the Sub-Acute Care Unit, an off-site 48 bed facility in Manoora that provides care for older people and those needing rehabilitation, such as patients recovering from a stroke or a hip operation. It also is an enabling environment for the care of people living with dementia.
The Fast and the Curious team of six was the fourth highest fundraising team (at the time of writing) and said fundraising had been easier than they thought.
Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Jenny Coates congratulated the team on their efforts to date.
“We have more than 130 walkers registered, we’ve got more than $38,000 raised and we’re excited for this Sunday’s event,” Mrs Coates said. “We’ve actually moved this year’s event from the Arrows of Mt Whitfield to the stunning Wangetti Trail – it’s a lovely meandering walk through the rainforest – no stairs and some stunning views of our beautiful region,” Mrs Coates said.
This is to coincide with Cairns Regional Council’s 150th celebrations.
“This is a great result all round: better care for vulnerable patients, reduced pressure on health services, and a tangible example of community support making a difference with this equipment.”
The BDO Arrow Experience: Wangetti Edition invites participants to walk from Ellis Beach to Palm Cove while raising funds for health care close to home. The event will be held on Sunday, July 26, 2026, with registrations open to individuals, families, community groups and corporate teams. The Foundation has obtained approval to close the trail from 6am for the duration of the event.
Visit www.arrowexperience.org.au for more information.
Photo: Cindy Marron, Linda Shannon, Foundation Fundraising & Marketing Manager Jenny Coates, Dora Simpson and Tania Shaw.
