Month: September 2020

Walktober Ambassador Ali Clarke

Posted on by Walking SA
Walktober Ambassador Ali Clarke with her three children

Walktober Ambassador Ali Clarke with her three children

We welcome Ali Clarke as a Ambassador for Walktober.

Born in Brisbane, Ali Clarke has called Adelaide home for twenty years and joined ABC Adelaide in 2016.

When not running around with her three children, she is involved with the Sport SA Hall of Fame, volunteers for Netball SA, loves watching sport and finds any excuse to explore South Australia’s beaches and country towns.

“Getting out and going for a walk is so important – I love taking off with our entire family, or even just finding time to myself, where I can take a break from everything, breath in fresh air and watch the world as I pass by”, Ali says. “I love doing any of the nature trails – from Morialta to Linear Park … and then of course there are some stunning costal walks down along The Fleurieu.”

Tune into Breakfast with Ali Clarke on your next walk this Walktober on 891AM or the ABC listen app weekdays from 6am.

Help South Australia reach its goal of one billion steps!

Posted on by Walking SA

Wellbeing SA is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all South Australians and next month we are excited to launch our first Billion Steps Challenge. This Challenge is about bringing people together and inspiring people to find more ways to move throughout their day.

When does the Challenge start?

Thursday 1 October 2020, at the start of Walktober.

How will the Billion Steps Challenge work?

We will be encouraging all South Australians to sign up to the Billion Steps Challenge via the Open Your World website and all steps (or other forms of physical activity) logged from October 1 will be automatically added to South Australia’s total.

We would love for the Walking SA community to register online and log their steps for South Australia.

Spread the word

Challenge your friends, family and workmates and let us know your progress by tagging #SABillionSteps #10000Steps #OpenYourWorld.

Draft Pastoral Lands Bill up for review – access for bushwalking

Posted on by Walking SA

Government review of Pastoral Act may impact access for recreational bushwalkers in the Flinders Ranges

Twelve months ago the State Government commenced consultation around revising the Pastoral Act. We encouraged people to submit input to preserve access to these remote locations for bushwalking.

Much of the land in the Flinders Ranges north of Hawker is not private freehold land but instead is leased from the State Government to pastoralists to undertake grazing ventures, whilst recognising the rights of Aboriginal people. As the land is leased, people can undertake recreational off-trail bushwalking in these remote locations. They must notify the lessee of their intentions to walk, and the lessee can only deny access in certain scenarios.

The Draft Pastoral Lands Bill 2020 is now up for public review. We’ve read through the bill, and are pleased to see that the rights to access pastoral lands to undertake bushwalking activities has been retained, and indeed improved. Of course with this right comes some responsibility, and the bill clearly states the offences and rights of different parties.

Have your say at yoursay.sa.gov.au/decisions/draft-pastoral-lands-bill.

The public consultation period closes 5pm Sunday 18 October 2020.

Turn the school run into a walk

  • Media Release
Posted on by Walking SA

Download media release (PDF)

Heart Foundation and Walking SA logos

This Walk to School Safely Day (Friday September 11), the Heart Foundation and Walking SA are urging children and parents to change their habits and get more active as they travel to and from school.

Heart Foundation CEO SA Imelda Lynch is encouraging families to put their health first by seeking out more active ways to do the school run and leave the car at home.

The National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children get at least an hour of physical activity a day, but only one in five Australian children are currently meeting the guidelines.

“This is a concern because physical activity is good for children’s physical health, it reduces the likelihood of childhood obesity, and it is also important when it comes to their mental health, academic performance and concentration in school,” Ms Lynch said.

“Walking, cycling or even scooting to and from school are some of the easiest ways to increase children’s activity levels,” Ms Lynch said.

National data show that over the past 40 years, children walking and cycling to school has declined from 75 percent to 25 percent.

In South Australia on average 52 percent of school children live within two km of their school, but only 20 percent actively travel to or from school. 1

“This figure is worrying but could be improved if the school run was used as a way to incorporate include more activity into the daily routine,” Ms Lynch said.

Parents and caregivers will also benefit if they join their kids walking to school.

“Physical activity can help reduce the risk of heart disease in adults, which is the single leading cause of death in Australia, claiming 48 lives every day,” Ms Lynch said.

Walking SA Executive Director, Helen Donovan, said children who walk to school are happier, healthier, less stressed, and more attentive during the school day. Walking to school also offers the opportunity for strengthening social bonds with family and peers through the incidental chats that naturally occur. These healthy behaviours, when established in childhood, are more likely to be sustained into adulthood.

“Parents want the best for their kids. One of the ways to develop healthy, happy, confident kids is to build a walk into every day,” Dr Donovan said.

“Governments can help by shaping the urban environment for safe, enjoyable walking on connected networks. This requires more investment in pedestrian and cycle paths, safe crossings, and lower speeds on local roads,” she said.

The Heart Foundation is calling for the government to develop and fund a State-wide Walking Strategy. The strategy will aim to get more people walking more frequently including a focus on ensuring safe routes for children to walk to school.

Media enquiries

Emily Goddard, Media Advisor
M: 0432 417 518 E: emily.goddard@heartfoundation.org.au

About the Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fighting the single biggest killer of Australians – heart disease. For 60 years, it has led the battle to save lives and improve the heart health of all Australians. Its sights are set on a world where people don’t suffer or die prematurely because of heart disease.

Find out your risk of heart attack or stroke by using our Heart Age Calculator. For heart health information and support, call the Heart Foundation Helpline on 13 11 12. To find out about the Heart Foundation’s research program or to make a donation, visit www.heartfoundation.org.au

About Walking SA

Walking SA is the not-for-profit peak body that leads, promotes and supports all forms of walking in South Australia, including walking for recreation, transport, health, wellbeing, organised events, adventure, environmental appreciation and fun experiences.

  • Our vision is to see more people walking more

Our members include walking clubs, informal groups, individuals and organisations whose aims and objectives align with those of Walking SA.

We provide leadership by:

  • Promoting opportunities to improve the health and lifestyle of South Australians through walking.
  • Offering expertise, guidance and advocacy for the development and maintenance of safe and supportive walking environments throughout South

To find out about Walking SA, including our database describing over 700 trails in South Australia, visit www.walkingsa.org.au

 

 

  1. GIS Residential data from 26,910 primary school students (2015-2018) and Way2Go school survey data from 11,944 year 3-7 students (2015-2018) ↩

Walking SA AGM with guest speaker Sophie Thomson

Posted on by Walking SA

Thursday 22 October
6pm for 6:30pm start

Adelaide Town Hall, Banqueting Room
128 King William Street
Adelaide SA 5000

Public welcome. Participant numbers are limited due to COVID-19 event planning guidelines. Please register to assist us in managing our COVID-Safe event plan.

Register for ticket

Guest Speaker Sophie Thompson

We are very pleased to announce that Sophie Thomson from ABC TV’s Gardening Australia will be joining us as our guest speaker. Sophie’s love affair with the environment and gardening was inherited from her plant loving parents whilst growing up and working at the family nursery in the Adelaide Hills.

In recent times, Sophie has mounted a successful mission to bring trees to those who lost their gardens in the bushfires in Kangaroo Island, created bee ‘hotels’ to protect existing native bees and encourage pollination, regularly advocated for saving significant trees in our environment (noting they improve our health and wellbeing and reduce the build-up and trapping of heat) AND she is an ambassador for Wild Orchid Watch! With over 35 years hands on experience, Sophie now believes that aside from the obvious environmental benefits, being in nature and gardening improves our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing as well as that of the broader community.

Sophie lives at Sophie’s Patch – a three-acre property in the Adelaide Hills, with husband Richard, five children under 18 and a menagerie of animals. Over the last eight years the Patch now includes numerous contained spaces as well as a fully productive organic vegie patch, more than 100 fruit and nut trees and what she hopes one day will be a breathtaking, climate compatible ornamental garden.

Nominations for the Board

If you wish to nominate for the Board you are encouraged to do so. Please refer to the Nomination Form ( Microsoft Word, or PDF.)

Getting there

Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/pi7odynxQHSBcGKe7

By bike: there are some bike racks outside the Town Hall on King William St, and a larger bike rack area around the corner on 25 Pirie Street outside of the City of Adelaide Customer Centre.

By public transport: the Pirie Street tram stop is outside of the Town Hall. Catch the tram from the Adelaide Railway Station, from the Entertainment Centre or from Glenelg.

By car: Use the Park Adelaide app to find street parking, displaying real-time info about available parking spaces, time limits, and parking payment. You can download the app free on Apple or Android. Multi-level paid car parking is available 4 minutes walk from the Adelaide Town Hall at UPark Topham Mall, enter from Waymouth Street (open until midnight). Also nearby is a 5 minute walk from Auto Park on Franklin, open until 10pm.

Adelaide100 Trail Launch, 7km showcase walk

Posted on by Walking SA

Join us to celebrate the launch of the first section of the Adelaide100® trail.

The Adelaide100® is a loop walking trail of over 100km that takes in the coast, waterways and hills of the capital city of South Australia.

The 7km showcase walk starts from Pinky Flat, following the linear trail along the beautiful River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri. Walking upstream past Adelaide Oval before crossing the river at Hackney Bridge and returning past the zoo and Elder Park. Passing the Festival Centre and Convention Centre, the walk continues under Montefiore Road, crossing the river over the weir before returning to Pinky Flat.

Sunday 11 October 2020
10:00am
Pinky Flat, Adelaide

Registration is free. Participant numbers are limited due to COVID-19 event planning guidelines. Please register to assist us in managing our COVID-Safe event plan.

Post a photo on social media with #adelaide100 for a chance to win a $200 Scout Outdoor Centre voucher.

Find out more