But rather than wallow in despair he decided to take the bull by the horns and walk more than 400 kilometres to raise money for research into fighting the disease in Australia.

Mr Cox, a couple of his mates and 23-year-old son James decided to walk with him from Sydney to Dubbo to raise money for Shake It Up Australia.

The Michael J Fox Foundation matches every dollar Cox and his mates raise, so effectively the $30,000 they have raised so far turns into $60,000.

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Fighting busted knees and ankles, the group started their adventure in Penrith on November 7, walked through Ilford, Rylstone, Lue, Mudgee, Gulgong and Goolma, and ended in Dubbo at Victoria Park last Saturday.

“We started the walk from the very place Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson began their expedition in 1813 to cross the Blue Mountains,” he said.

Cox does have connections to Dubbo - his grandfather; Norman Clive Cox was the mayor of Dubbo in the seventies.

"It was good to arrive in Dubbo and see a bunch of family and friends there to cheer us on," he said.

"I am a descendant of people from the first fleet-so good old convict stock, and I have an Aunt that still lives in Dubbo."

Mr Cox said he is enjoying good health at the moment and is determined to live life to the fullest.

"Most people associate Parkinson's with the shakes, about 75 per cent of sufferers do have that tell-tale shake, but when I take my drugs, and I exercise regularly I don’t have the shakes, so I am still in pretty good nick,” he said.

“That’s why I decided to have a crack at something pretty big while I still can.

“Doing this ticked a lot of boxes for me, exercise is good for me, the family connection to Dubbo played a part and of course raising money for an organisation where all of the money goes to research in Australia was important.”

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Mr Cox said the walk had many memorable moments, but the most enduring to him was the generosity of ordinary Australians.

“The generosity of people is amazing,” he said.

“In many cases, the people that donated to us were not that well off themselves, the farmer who came across to meet us on his quad bike and gave $20 bucks, the little old lady pulling whatever she had in her purse to give us. 

“All of us were blown away by the willingness of people to give to our cause.” 

You can still donate online at http://donate.grassrootz.com/shakeitupaust/our-fundraisers/coxys-long-walk.