Ashleigh Laffan meets CatMan on River Rd in Murchison North during his cross-country kindness mission.
Locals enjoying the Shepparton lake precinct were treated to an unexpected splash of colour on Monday, January 19, when CatMan Ken rolled into town, pushing a wheelbarrow overflowing with brightly coloured belongings.
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Dressed in his unmistakable orange and yellow cat costume, CatMan was impossible to miss as he made his way around the lake.
Also known as Kentaro Jin, CatMan is a Japanese-Australian man on a mission — one that has seen him walking across the country for the past two years, from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Sydney.
Now passing through the Goulburn Valley, CatMan’s journey is about far more than the kilometres he clocks up each day.
His mission is to spread kindness, love and positivity, while inspiring people to chase their dreams.
Taking a short break from the highway, CatMan spent Monday looping Victoria Park Lake and soaking up the local atmosphere.
“I like Shepparton — it’s a beautiful place to stop, and the people are very friendly,” he said.
“I’m off to the All Nations Cup tonight. I just love spreading positivity.
“The town has been so welcoming, the caravan park is even letting me stay for free.”
Murchison mother Ashleigh Laffan has been following CatMan’s journey for several months after first spotting a post about him on a Nagambie community Facebook page.
“When I saw the first post saying he was in Nagambie, we went over to find him,” Ashleigh said.
“We saw him heading towards the bakery, so we went in and grabbed lunch, but when we came back out he was gone.
“I kind of came to the conclusion that he probably stayed in Nagambie for a week during the heatwave and the Longwood bushfires.”
Determined to share some kindness in return, Ashleigh followed CatMan’s social media updates, hoping to track him down alongside her four children — Levi, Lyla, Logan and Lainey.
By chance, she spotted him on the outskirts of Murchison the week before his arrival in Shepparton.
“Last Friday we headed back to Nagambie to the splash park, and on the way home I saw him walking along River Rd in Murchison North,” she said.
“I quickly went home to pack some snacks — chips, fruit, chocolate and water — and the kids were so excited.
“They even packed Cheese and Bacon Balls because the packet had a ‘cat’ on it, just like how he’s dressed.”
Spending around five minutes chatting with CatMan, Ashleigh said he told her children his dream was to become a real-life superhero by inspiring people to overcome challenges and follow their dreams.
“He was energetic, thankful and incredibly kind,” she said.
“He had all sorts of trinkets in his wheelbarrow from his travels, along with a didgeridoo, a donation box, camera equipment and bags.
“We were so happy to finally meet him.”
Ashleigh’s children — Lainey, Lyla and Levi at the back, with Logan in front — proudly show off the CatMan stickers they received during their visit.
Lainey, Levi, Lyla and Logan Hetherton were thrilled to finally meet CatMan after tracking him down on his journey through the region.
