Our Structure and People

Walking SA is overseen by a board, with committees operating under the board: Walking SA Transport, Walking SA Recreation, Walking SA Education and Funding and Finance.

The volunteers across the board, committees and other roles undertake significant work and their contribution is greatly appreciated.

The primary role of the Board is to ensure good corporate governance and to establish the strategic direction of Walking SA. The Board is responsible for financial reporting and determining that the accounting policies used are appropriate to meet the requirements of the relevant State reporting agencies and are appropriate to meet the needs of our members.

The Board consists of volunteers and is comprised of highly committed members who possess diverse backgrounds bringing a range of skills including business management, community engagement, finance, policy, research, marketing, IT, trail design and maintenance. During the year the Board met regularly in accordance with the Constitution to maintain oversight of activities, including high levels of financial control.

Our People

Rod Quintrell

Rod Quintrell
Executive Director
Walking SA Board
Walking SA Funding & Finance
Walking SA Recreation
Walking SA Education

We welcomed Rod to the Board in October 2018. He has been a Trainer and Assessor for over 20 years with South Australia’s bushwalking training body, Bushwalking Leadership SA. His experience includes management with a local outdoor education company and a history as a therapeutic and non therapeutic program facilitator.

Rod took on the role of Chair in 2022 and then the role of Executive Director in late 2024, and is committed to the continued growth of participation in all types of walking, with a particular interest in nature connection. Priorities include promoting the many social benefits of walking, such as personal and community wellbeing with healthier less polluting populations, and our shared role as conservation stewards.

When not getting out there, Rod works with a local community based NGO in allied health. Rod’s experience and qualifications in the fields of mental health and outdoor recreation/tourism broadens our perspective.

Dean Withers

Dean Withers
Treasurer
Walking SA Board
Walking SA Funding & Finance

Dean was appointed Treasurer of Walking SA in October 2025. As a Chartered Accountant, he brings extensive financial expertise and strategic insight to the organisation.

Daniel Bennett

Daniel Bennett
Chair Walking SA Board
Walking SA Board
Walking SA Transport

Daniel is an award-winning landscape architect and urban designer with 25 years’ experience shaping better places. He is a Director of Sleepshill Design Office, an urban design and landscape architecture firm based in Adelaide working around Australia. He joined Walking SA as a Board Member in 2020 and is now Chair of Walking SA and a member of the Walking SA Transport Committee.

Being naturally curious, he has a creative and innovative belief in strategy and design, and can synthesise ideas into things… he prefers to challenge defining a problem, not solving a perceived one. He is focused on creating better places for people walking and cycling – making our streets safer and nicer places to be with shade, amenity, habitat and character.

He is an avid bushwalker, having completed all the major Tasmanian tracks including the Western Arthurs and the South Coast Track.

Julia Patten

Julia Patten
Ambassador
Walking SA Recreation

Jules is an ardent hiker and is passionate about finding ridgelines to traverse and mountains to summit! Jules is a hike leader and committee member with Adelaide Bushwalkers (ABW). After independently completing the Heysen Trail, Jules became a committee member for Friends of the Heysen Trail and is a Lifetime Member with them and here with Walking SA. Jules enjoys quietly trail-running in the hills alone at dawn or dusk to witness the variety of native birdsong and fauna as the daylight evolves. Also though, Jules loves introducing friends to the wonder of multiday hiking and broadening their horizons to new trails; many of which are Type 2 wilderness adventures interstate. At home by the sea, Jules and her husband are raising two sons and a menagerie of furry and feathered animals.

Patrick Saunders

Patrick Saunders
Ambassador

Patrick Saunders dreams of becoming the world’s first Autistic nonspeaking hiking guide.

Patrick is a nonspeaking Autistic advocate who has ADHD, Scoliosis, Apraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder which affects his motor planning and how he moves. But that hasn’t stopped him. At 7 years of age, he cycled 5600 kms across America on a semi recumbent tandem with his parents and at 8 he tackled the Mawson trail on the same bike and hiked the length of Yurrebilla trail in stages.

Since then, Patrick has hiked in the Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, White Mountains and Adirondacks in the USA, and you’ll frequently see him training for his next adventure bushwalking in the Adelaide hills on his favourite trails. Recently Patrick started volunteering with National Parks SA as a content creator to help support people with disabilities.

In 2024, at just 15, he became the first nonspeaking individual to address South Australia’s Parliament via letterboard, proposing an Autism and Neurodiversity Academy of Excellence to revolutionise teacher training. His ideas have earned him a $10,000 scholarship, influenced the National Autism Strategy, and led to meetings with key political leaders. Patrick is the youngest person ever on the SA Disability Ministers Advisory Council and the first autistic nonspeaker. He has appeared just about everywhere in the media and presents his experiences via spelling to small and large audiences.

Patrick couldn’t be more excited to be chosen as a Walking SA Ambassador.

To learn more about Patrick visit thestoryspeller.com and on Instagram @iamthestoryspeller

Trisha Lindgren

Trisha Lindgren
Ambassador

Meet Trisha Lindgren, a South Australian personal trainer, hiking guide, and Walking SA ambassador.

Trisha has been exploring the Adelaide Hills since 2018, a journey that sparked her transformation and led to the creation of Walking on Country, a hiking program supporting First Nations women. In 2023 she placed runner-up on Channel 9’s The Summit, demonstrating resilience, leadership, and a deep love for the outdoors.

Through her work, Trisha aims to make hiking more inclusive and culturally safe, empowering women to discover their strength on Country. She is proud to join Walking SA in inspiring people to connect with nature and explore the incredible trails of Kaurna Country.

Cherie Rothery

Cherie Rothery
Chair Walking SA Recreation
Walking SA Recreation

Cherie joined Walking SA Recreation Committee in November 2025. She is a keen bushwalker, trail runner and has taken part in various ultra events across South Australia.

Cherie is currently on the Wise Women Walking Club Committee, and also volunteers with Friends of Cobbler Creek Recreation Park, Northern Running Group, Ultra Series SA and at local parkruns. Past occupations include teaching, guide/walk leader, gym instructor and various administration roles. Her primary role now is support work for aged care and NDIS.

Cherie is passionate about encouraging people of all abilities to experience the many paths and trails South Australia has to offer. She is keen for people to get out and immerse themselves in nature, boosting both mental and physical wellbeing.

Kathryn Galpin

Kathryn Galpin
Board Member
Walking SA Board

Appointed to the Board in August 2025, Kathryn contributes valuable insights from her work with the South Australian Tourism Commission, strengthening Walking SA’s connection with the tourism sector.

Tanya Bacic

Tanya Bacic
Chair Walking SA Transport
Walking SA Transport

Tanya brings over two decades of experience in transport planning and traffic engineering, having worked across both the public and private sectors in Australia and internationally. She’s passionate about creating safe, sustainable, and active transport solutions, and is a strong advocate for walking and cycling as healthy, practical, and accessible ways to get around.

Walking has always been part of Tanya’s life – from childhood walks as the main way of getting around in a single-car household, to her daily routes near home along the Coast Path (pictured), through the Flinders Ranges, and while exploring cities around the world. Some of her favourite walking experiences come from simply wandering, discovering new places, unfamiliar streets, and neighbourhoods up close.

With more than 25 years as a transport engineer, Tanya has seen firsthand how pedestrians are often overlooked in transport design. That insight inspired her to join Walking SA and help put walking first. She believes walking is the best way to truly see and understand a city, and when time is tight, it’s also how she stays active and healthy by walking (and cycling) for transport.

Gordon Lehmann

Gordon Lehmann
Walking SA Education

Gordon joined Walking SA in October 2024 on the new Walking for Education and Training Committee, a new committee focusing on bushwalking leadership training. He has had extensive experience running training, assessing and advising trainees. He has been a Trainer and Assessor for over 20 years with South Australia’s bushwalking training body, Bushwalking Leadership SA. He did his Bushwalking Leadership Training in the early 1990s and holds the old version of the certificate, the Bush and Mountain Walking Leadership Certificate. With a professional background with the Department for Education as a high school teacher he has extensive experience working with young people.

Scott Polley

Scott Polley
Walking SA Education

Scott joined Walking SA in October 2024 on the new Walking for Education and Training Committee, a new committee focusing on bushwalking leadership training. He has had extensive experience running training, assessing and advising trainees for the community and tertiary students. He has been a Trainer and Assessor for over 30 years with South Australia’s bushwalking training body, Bushwalking Leadership SA. He is also Deputy Chair of the Nature Based Outdoor Network of South Australia (NBONSA).

Dan Anderson

Dan Anderson
Walking SA Education

Dan Anderson is a lecturer in Outdoor Education at Adelaide University, where he works with future teachers and outdoor educators. His teaching and research interests include outdoor education pedagogy, bushwalking, nature connection and the ways outdoor experiences can support learning and wellbeing.

Dan has been involved in outdoor education and bushwalking in South Australia for a number of years and enjoys spending time walking and exploring across the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges. He joined the Walking SA Education Committee with an interest in supporting quality education, training and leadership in bushwalking.

David Waters

David Waters
Chair Walking SA Finance
Walking SA Funding & Finance

David is a passionate trail walker, and with his experience with trail planning and development, and working in the local government space, and work in tourism, he joined our Funding Committee in October 2021.

As the Director Community Capacity at Adelaide Hills Council he has portfolio responsibility for community wellbeing, communications, events, economic development/tourism, arts/culture, customer service and community engagement among other things. Previous to that role, he held management roles in the infrastructure and natural assets/biodiversity space in state and local government, as well as having a civil engineering degree.

Naomi Struve

Naomi Struve
Walking SA Board

Naomi joined the Walking SA Board in October 2024. She is a passionate hiker and advocate for Reconciliation. She has been walking for all of her life and would like to use the opportunity to share her skillset to support walking in South Australia, to enable more people to experience the benefits of being in nature, staying fit and connecting with community.

With her professional background as an experienced Manager she has high level strategic thinking and risk management skills, proficiency in business improvement, and strong engagement skills with diverse stakeholders.

As a member of the Friends of the Heysen Trail her long term projects include walking the Heysen Trail, the Mawson Trail and the Walk the Yorke, which gives her great joy to experience beautiful, hidden parts of SA. Walking is about being on Country, respecting Country and acknowledging the Traditional Custodians. She would like to support walking as a tool to build bridges and better understanding through Reconciliation.

Ian Radbone

Ian Radbone
Walking SA Transport

Ian joined the Board in October 2017, broadening our perspective on walking for health and transport. With a background in transport research, public sector management and planning at the University of South Australia and in all three levels of government, he has a wealth of experience in transport planning, advocacy and policy development. He is a keen cyclist, and is a past Chair of the Bicycle Institute SA, which advocates for a safe and pleasant environment for transport cyclists in South Australia. He is also a former president of the SA divisions of the Planning Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Urban Studies.

Kristen Willson

Kristen Willson
Walking SA Board

Kristen joined the Board at the 2023 AGM. She is working as a professional bushwalking leader with Big Heart Adventures and is also on the board of the Wise Women Walking Club. Prior to this she was worked as a GP for 15 years. She is passionate about preventative healthcare and the benefits that time spent outdoors has on both physical and mental wellbeing. She is enthusiastic about getting more people out walking and enjoying these benefits.

Gill Peacey

Gill Peacey
Walking SA Board

Working professionally in the volunteer and visitor program space with the Department of Environment and Water, Gill brings a national parks and DEW perspective to Walking SA and our Recreation Committee.

Lisa Murphy

Lisa Murphy
Walking SA Funding & Finance

Lisa is an avid hiker and nature lover. After starting her career in disability, employment services and teaching, she joined the travel industry in 2009 to feed her addiction of adventure travel and trekking around the world. In 2015 she set up her own business and walking program for women with the purpose of getting women who lacked confidence and experience out on the trails. The program grew to include day walks, overnight hikes for beginners, workshops and multi-day experiences. After introducing mindful moments on walks, and a deeper interest in why connecting people to nature had so much of an impact on their wellbeing, this led Lisa to becoming a certified Nature Therapy Guide in 2021.

With a passion for connecting people to the “more than human world”, Lisa has witnessed profound impact on those who take the time to immerse themselves with green and marine spaces.

Her love of walking and seeing more people enjoying the benefits of walking and being in nature is a natural fit for volunteering with Walking SA and is a member of the Sponsorship committee.

Travis Saunders

Travis Saunders
Walking SA Education

Travis has experienced the life-changing benefits of planning adventures and achieving goals on running tracks, bushwalking trails and off the beaten path around Australia and overseas. As a former geography and environmental educator Travis is excited to join the Walking SA Education and Training committee. He is passionate about creating a world where everyone can have opportunities to get fit, have adventures, be included and have access to the great outdoors.

He is an accredited running coach, qualified bushwalking guide, adventurer and founder of Inclusive Trails; an Adelaide based business offering expeditions, bushwalking programs, run coaching and mentoring for neurodivergent adults.

Travis has worked as a disability support worker for more than 10 years, has taught in schools all over the world and worked with autistic students for more than 20 years. In recent years he has been Vice Chair of Autism Camp Australia, and a member of the Australian Autism Research Council. Travis and his partner created The Parenting Spectrum, an award winning podcast about autism and family life for the ABC, featuring an episode where he cycled 5600kms across America with his autistic son.

Jeremy Carter

Jeremy Carter
Walking SA Recreation

As a prolific and accomplished hiker working in web development, graphic design and marketing Jeremy has merged his passions. Among his many accomplishments are the design and maintenance of both the Walking SA and Friends of the Heysen Trail websites providing strategy, marketing, newsletters and equipping hikers with online planning tools.

Joining as a Board Member and on the Walking for Recreation Committee in 2013, and after eight years on the Board re-focused his attention to the Walking for Recreation Committee.

Geoff McCaul

Geoff McCaul
Walking SA Education

Geoff McCaul is an experienced outdoor educator with nearly 20 years of bushwalking and expedition leadership across Australia and internationally. Since 2008, he has led a wide range of programs for schools, universities, and outdoor organisations in diverse environments including the Flinders Ranges, Victorian Alps, coastal and arid regions, and Tasmania. He has also delivered international trekking and alpine programs in the Indian Himalaya and the Peruvian Andes, with personal mountaineering experience in the Andes including ascents of Cotopaxi (5,897 m, Ecuador) and Huayna Potosí (6,088 m, Bolivia). Geoff also holds a Top Rope Instructor qualification in rock climbing and is a Flatwater Instructor and Assessor for Kayak and Canoe. Since joining Walking SA in 2024, he has contributed to the development of the Walking SA education scheme and is passionate about promoting best practice in bushwalking, risk management, environmental stewardship, and inclusive access. He is currently a Remote Bushwalk Guide, Trainer, and Assessor for Walking SA.

Bill Gehling

Bill Gehling
Walking SA Transport
Walking SA Transport

Bill has been involved with Walking SA since its inception, as the founding President of Walking SA. He has also been involved in the leadership of Bushwalking Australia, and skilled in drafting policies, he brings valuable experience and perspective to Walking SA. Bill retired from the Board in October 2024 to focus on the Walking SA Transport Committee.