In July 2017, Libby Packer's nephew, Michael* [name changed], was diagnosed with psychotic depression.

He was unable to overcome his illness, and just twelve months later in July, 2018, he died.

The diagnosis came as a shock the family along with the knowledge that he had been fighting mental illness for a number of years before that.

Michael was admitted on three separate occasions to two private medical establishments in Sydney which specialise in treating patients suffering from depression. However there was no alternative for the family other than seeking treatment in expensive private establishments. Unfortunately, private hospitalisation is not an option for many families in rural areas.

After her nephew's death, Libby Packer and her brother, David, Michael's father, along with other members of their family, started planning a 1000 kilometre walk from the small town of Warialda to the steps of parliament house where they would present a petition asking for better quality mental health care in the bush.

The walk took Libby and her family through towns and villages like Gunnedah, Manilla, Dunedoo and Gulgong with Mudgee being roughly the halfway point at around 500 kilometres walked.

Unfortunately, Mudgee was their last stop. Libby was hospitalised with pneumonia and her recovery means she cannot continue the walk to Canberra. Her brother David, Michael's father, continued the walk into Mudgee in her absence.

The Mudgee Guardian sat down with Libby and David to talk about the trip, what they hope to achieve and their experiences talking with people and medical professionals along the way.

Libby and David said they were amazed at the positive reception they've received from strangers on their walk.

"It's really been amazing," Libby said.

"From when we started in Warialda it was brilliant. The guy there who is the mayor of Warialda was there to farewell us off. We both lived in Warialda as kids and he was there to send us off,"

"People would drive past us knowing who we were you get into a town, you'd go into a cafe or a pub and people know exactly who you were and what you were doing.

Something both David and Libby observed was how much not only farmers but the small towns they live near have been negatively affected by recent drought and how it worsens mental health in those areas.

"You'd get into a town and you walk through these little towns, and half the shops in the main street are all closed and you go into the pub and the publican who owned it would say 'you're the only customer I've had today and it's three in the afternoon'," David said.

They also found that many of the doctors and nurses they encountered felt powerless to meaningfully help those that suffer from mental illness.

"When Michael was in Sydney, they'd get the medication and things right but he wanted to come home to Mudgee and as soon as he came back here, the doctors and the nurses in the hospitals - they were well intentioned - but they used to say to us 'we're not skilled in this, all we can do is put you in an ambulance and send you to Bathurst or Dubbo.'" David said.

A Facebook page, 'Gone Bush For Rural Mental Health' was created to track and document the walk as well as raise the profile of the initiative. An e-petition was circulated for a time but after a month it stopped taking new signatures, so David and Libby hope they can make more ground with paper petitions.

"No matter where you live, everybody in Australia is entitled to quality mental health care. Everyone." Libby said.

David and Libby said they can't understand why there aren't more mental health professionals moving to rural areas.

"Since Lib's been sick. We tried to get a doctor's appointment here when we first arrived because she wasn't well and we struggled to get a doctor's appointment in a week and I don't understand why medical people wouldn't want to come to a town like Mudgee," David said.

"My son used to say to me 'dad if I need to get to the doctor in Mudgee, I'll be lucky if I can get in to see anyone within a week.'"

"I don't understand why that is, surely towns like this should be quite attractive. That's just GPs but you've got make it attractive enough for these skilled people to come from the city and say 'Sign a contract to work here for twelve months in this town and then you've got some sort of continuity,"

"Maybe I'm talking pie-in-the-sky. But that's what I'd love to happen. Financial incentive, housing incentive. Come and operate this place we've set up."

Despite Libby having to end the trek early, they're still encouraging people to sign the paper petition which will be handed in at Parliament House on the original planned date of May 29.

If you'd like to sign the paper petition, the Mudgee Guardian office has copies to fill out

If you or anyone you know needs help: