Heidi Douglas, an almost-40-year-old woman from Deniliquin NSW, is doing just that.

Nearing the end of her round-Australia trip, she called Tenterfield home for almost a week during the end of September.

Ms Douglas said she has always wanted to travel around Australia on horseback, saying that it was the freedom and the experience that lured her to the trip.

"It is something I have always wanted to do. I turned 38 and decided to leave. I thought I had better do it before I get too old," Ms Douglas said.

Ms Douglas is using the trip to help raise money for Youth Off The Streets, a charity run by Father Chris Reilly that helps homeless children and teenagers find a home.

"A lot of things go wrong, a lot of things go right, sometimes things go your way and sometimes things go against you," Ms Douglas said, who is not unfamiliar with setbacks herself.

Only four weeks after beginning her trip from Melbourne in October 2006, she had to temporarily pause her trip when all four of her horses died from salmonella poisoning.

"I had trained those horses for two years to get them ready for the trip. After they died I went to a dog meat factory and bought horses to replace them. They turned out great," Ms Douglas said.

Ms Douglas plans to reach her Deniliquin home by Christmas and end a trip that has taken he through all the states and territories on the Australian mainland.

It seems, after all her travels though desert and over mountains often alone, that the thing she is most worried about is returning to the routine of everyday life.

"I'm a little worried about returning to a regular life, I haven't worked in a full-time position since October 2006. I think I'm going to miss my horses."

B To donate to Youth Off The Streets, visit www.youthoffthestreets.com.au or phone 1800062288.