The Highway Man Passes Through

GRANT John Cadoret or John as he prefers to be called, unless you are his sister or parents, was taking a well-earned rest on the side of the road between Bunnan and Scone.

Grant John Cadoret, the Highwayman, takes a rest on the Bunnan Road on Australia Day.

John said he has been travelling on foot for the last 38 years and is known as the Highwayman.

“I have come from Dungog recently where I had to camp from the rain ‘till it passed,” said Mr Cadoret.

“This is my first time on this road, I think,” he said.

“I have been through Scone a lot of times and Merriwa down the Golden Highway,” John Cadoret said.

John started this journey in 1978 when after working in a bank for four and a half years in Melbourne he decided he could not be a desk jockey for the rest of his life.

An initial three month holiday has simply been extended.

John had hitchhiked around Australia before travelling only on foot for the last 30 years.

“I remember when the Pacific and Hume highways were two lane roads,” he said.

The only break from his travels was when for three months he went to help his dad.

John is now on his way to Ballarat in Victoria to visit his sister and brother.

“I don´t have a mobile phone so I keep in touch with my sister by a letter every month or two and a call from a public phone box,” he said.

“I travel about 20 kilometres a day now, when I started I used to do about 30, I thought I had somewhere to be.

“I grew up in Western Victoria, I prefer the dry heat, the humidity is a bit hard sometimes.

“I generally have an idea of what direction I will take but, after Ballarat I might come back up the Newell, I like a variety of landscapes,” said John.

John travels through the eastern seaboard states and covers both inland and coastal areas, he camps mainly out of townships as he said it causes less hassle, he gets what he needs and move on.

The Highwaymen understandably goes through some shoes, he has size 11 feet and had to buy a pair in Muswellbrook after one of his new shoes fell apart prematurely.

John usually has a few people a day stop and talk and is apparently getting some attention via Facebook in recent times.

He always likes someone to stop by and have a chat, so when you see the Highway man with the red bags stop by and ask about his travels.