Joe and Alan were childhood mates — they never realised they shared a secret

A photo taken of Joe* in 1971 shows him long legged and tanned, his childish face shaded by a large hat as he holds a sturdy stick, ready for adventure.

The group of adults who took the 12-year-old on bushwalks throughout Tasmania gave him a nickname.

Now 63, he has been haunted by those walks in…