Mental health advocate Bailey Seamer is preparing to walk 5000 kilometres across Western Australia, from the remote Kimberley community of Kalumburu to Albany, in a bid to highlight the mental health challenges facing regional and remote communities.

Beginning the journey on July 24 with her dog Rusty, Ms Seamer expects the trek to take about nine months, stopping in towns including Broome, Port Hedland and Karratha along the way to deliver free mental health presentations and connect people with support services.

Her expedition comes as Australians living outside major cities continue to face significant barriers accessing mental health care.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows there are about 142 psychologists per 100,000 people in major cities, compared with just 20 in very remote Australia.

There are also only two psychiatrists per 100,000 people in very remote areas, compared with 19 in cities.

The statistical divide rings loudest in the State’s north.

In the Kimberley, the total suicide rate is more than three times higher than the national average, making it one of the most disproportionately affected regions in WA.

“I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that asking for help automatically means help is available,” Ms Seamer said.

“In many of the communities I’ll be walking through, that’s simply not the reality.

“You might make the brave decision to reach out, but there isn’t always a psychologist down the road or a local service with capacity to see you.”

Ms Seamer, who lives with major depressive and bipolar disorders, said the expedition was inspired by requests from regional Australians after she completed a walk along the east coast in 2023 and fundraised over $100,000 for the Black Dog Institute, supporting their ongoing commitment to mental health research, resources, and services.

“I wanted to go where these conversations are often the hardest to have and where accessing support can be the most challenging,” she said.

She said the initiative aimed to complement existing services by helping people understand what support was available, including local providers, telehealth and crisis services.

“Sometimes the biggest barrier isn’t asking for help, it’s knowing where to start,” she said.

The journey will also test Ms Seamer personally as she crosses some of Australia’s most isolated landscapes.

“The isolation will absolutely be challenging at times,” she said.

“But I’ve also learnt that isolation and loneliness aren’t the same thing.”

She said walking had become an important part of managing her own mental health.

“Walking didn’t cure my mental illness, it just changed my relationship with it,” she said.

“It taught me that I don’t have to control the entire journey. I just have to focus on taking the next step.”

Ms Seamer said she hoped the walk would remind people living in regional and remote WA that “your postcode should never determine whether you can access support, or whether you feel seen, heard and valued.”

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