Month: August 2022

Stop the spread! Bushwalking guidelines to protect our environment

Posted on by Walking SA

The current risk of Foot and Mouth Disease (F&MD) being introduced to Australia is a reminder for all bushwalkers to take precautions to combat the potential spread of soil borne diseases, the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi (pronounced fy-TOFF-thora), and even weed seeds! Each of these issues can cause significant destruction – to animals, plants, and the ecosystem.

Help stop the spread by complying with these guidelines:

Vegetation affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi

  • clean your boots before you leave home
  • park your car in designated car parks only
  • keep to designated roads and walking trails at all times
  • use hygiene stations where provided
  • Respect instructions from private landowners regarding areas of access
  • clean your boots when you finish your walk. Don’t take boots or shoes home to clean.

How to keep your footwear clean:

Hard brush for cleaning

Hard brush for cleaning boots and shoes

Bushwalkers are encouraged to carry a hygiene kit in their backpacks to keep footwear clean.

A ‘hygiene kit’ should contain:

  • hard brush to clean footwear
  • spray bottle of disinfectant
    • methylated spirits (undiluted) or
    • household bleach (diluted 1 part of bleach with 4 parts of water).

Cleaning procedure:

Hygiene station for cleaning boots

  1. if a hygiene station isn’t located on your walk, select a hard, well drained site for boot cleaning
  2. remove all soil and plant material from one boot at a time using the brush
  3. disinfect the entire sole using the spray bottle before placing the boot on the ground
  4. allow the sole of the boot to dry for approximately one minute
  5. step forward to avoid re-contaminating your footwear
  6. repeat steps two to six for the other boot
  7. finish by disinfecting the

The Aussie Camino

Posted on by Walking SA

Guest post by Luke Mills

History of pilgrimage

Luke Mills on the Aussie Camino

There are many different reasons why people travel – health; to broaden the mind by seeing other places and other cultures; for holidays; while working for multi- national companies; and for sport. People today, both young and old, are travellers. It is only within the last fifty or so years that the terms globe-trotters, and jet-setters have been coined. A pilgrimage has a different objective. It is a journey with a religious purpose, to visit holy or sacred places called shrines associated with a saint where people can feel near to the saint either through relics or miraculous stories.

It is as well to remember that Australia has no history of pilgrimage. Australia is not a country that people associate with pilgrimage, For pilgrimage to become part of the Church’s witness in a particular country one needs saints and a kindling of the desire to visit places associated with their lives. Although there are many Aboriginal sacred sites and Aborigines go “walkabout” to reach them that is not pilgrimage in the Christian sense when pilgrims are intent on honouring those who lived and died for the faith. There is no tradition of Christian pilgrimage in Australia as there is in countries such as Spain, France, ltaly and the Holy Land. With the canonisation of Mary MacKillop in 2008, the tradition of pilgrimage has begun to take root in Christian consciousness.

In April 2013 Luke Mills, Steven Murphy, Anthony Mills and Michael Dillon from St Francis Xavier College set out for the journey to where it all began. This was a first ever – there is no record that any other pilgrimage has ever been undertaken before from Portland, Victoria to Penola, South Australia.

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Walking SA AGM 2022

Posted on by Walking SA

Thursday 20 October 2022
AGM: 6:30pm
Trails presentation: 7pm
Followed by Walking Awards award ceremony

Torrens Rowing Club
Victoria Drive, Adelaide SA 5000

Join us to hear from our Guest Speaker Mary-Anne Healy, Director, Community and Nature Partnerships, Department for Environment and Water, who will discuss trail updates for National Parks and Wildlife Service SA (NPWSSA). Trails, camping, and future plans for NPWSSA – hear it all, direct from the source, with an opportunity to ask questions!

Thanks to EXURBIA The Adventure Supply Co we have a Lucky Door Prize, a Salewa Denali II Tent valued at $429 up for grabs. The Denali II is a large 2-person, 3-season, double wall dome tent for hiking and trekking.

Public welcome, please register for free ticket.

Register for ticket

Torrens Rowing Club is located on Victoria Drive, just north of the Adelaide CBD, on the southern bank of the River Torrens next to the City Bridge and Jolly’s Boathouse.
Please note the venue is accessed by stairs.

Nominations for the Board

Nominations for membership of the 2022/23 Walking SA Board are invited from anyone with a passion for raising the profile of walking, improving walking environments and getting more people walking. We are particularly interested in applications from members from our walking clubs.

Please refer to the Nomination Form ( Microsoft Word, or PDF.)

Please send your completed nomination form to:
Helen Donovan, Executive Director
Walking SA
Level 4, 25 Leigh Street, Adelaide SA 5000
or email office@walkingsa.org.au
by Thursday 13th October 2022.

Getting there

Please note the venue is accessed by stairs.

Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/6d5sECmBaqcLXzVj6

By bike: there are some bike racks nearby.

By public transport: 10 mins walk from the Adelaide Railway Station, or from the nearby tram stop.

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.