Survive First Aid’s Remote & Wilderness First Aid courses in SA are already filling for 2026

Posted on by Walking SA

Survive First Aid is offering a specialised one day Provide First Aid course designed for those who live, work, or adventure in outdoor environments where definitive medical care can be reached within 1 hour of the incident occurring and where communication and access are easily obtained.

These courses are relevant to teachers, instructors, rangers, guides, students, program managers – indeed anyone who works/plays in the outdoors.

2026 course dates:

  • Monday 13th – Thursday 16th April 2026 (during School & Uni Holidays)
  • Monday 13th – Thursday 16th July 2026 (during School & Uni Holidays)
  • Monday 7th – Thursday 10th September 2026 (during Term 3)
  • Monday 14th – Thursday 17th December 2026 (Week after School & Uni Students have finished)

These courses are being held at the Belair Volunteer Centre within Belair National Park.

Private Course options are also available.

Further course information can be found at survivefirstaid.com.au/courses
or you can book onto specific SA-based courses.

Great news around a massive expansion to our national parks

Posted on by Walking SA

Nearly 30,000 hectares – the equivalent of 18,000 Adelaide Ovals – have been added to South Australia’s national parks, helping to protect threatened species and attract visitors to the state.

The important and very pretty Horsnell Gully Conservation Park, in the Adelaide foothills, has seen an increase in size – this is great news considering its position in the Adelaide Hills face zone and proximity to Hansen Mine and their ongoing expansion. The park is home to the endangered southern brown bandicoot and has increased 93 hectares – up almost 70 per cent – after land formerly part of the adjoining Stonyfell Quarry.

In the Mid North near Burra, SA’s newest national park has been created: Jaki Ina – Worlds End Gorge National Park, co-named with the Ngadjuri people.

Nilpena Ediacara National Park – the centrepiece of the bid for World Heritage for the Flinders Ranges – has been expanded by 26,000ha.

The Coorong National Park is being expanded into a former cattle station near Goolwa – to be transformed into vital wetlands habitat.

Expansion of parks
Expansion of Coorong National Park

WalkFest 2026 on Sun 29th March 2026

Posted on by Walking SA

Discover walking and hiking opportunities at the WalkFest in Belair National Park. We’re bringing walking to all people and all communities with a range of guided walks and hikes and an expo of walking clubs, adventure and tourism providers and outdoor retailers. South Australia’s bushwalking clubs and Walking SA are coming together to promote walking opportunities with this unique day in Belair National Park.

This year’s theme, Outdoor Re-Creation, continues our focus on access and equity to the outdoors for all and will include a special celebration of the milestone of 40 years of walking for the Friends of the Heysen Trail, and 80 years for Adelaide Bushwalkers club.

  • Expo of walking tours, walking destinations, outdoor retailers, walking clubs, free entry. 9am to 1pm.
  • Join a guided hike where our guides will show you the natural bushland, woodlands and trails in the park. With walks ranging from easy to challenging, and from 45 mins to 3 hours, there are child friendly, pram friendly, dog friendly and Accessible walk options. Choose from one of 25 walks that depart the WalkFest site between 7:00am to 1pm. Secure a place on a specific guided walk by registering online from early-March 2026.
  • Opening of the bushwalking season to celebrate the start of the South Australian bushwalking season. With the arrival of cooler autumn weather, hiking is an ideal outdoor activity.
  • Bushwalking equipment and experience demonstration stage.

Exhibit at the WalkFest

We welcome walking clubs, like-minded organisations, outdoor retailers and nature based tourism operators and others to exhibit at the WalkFest.

Exhibit at WalkFest

Big Win for Road Safety!

  • Response
Posted on by Walking SA

Example of new speedlimit sign for 40km/h limit, showing times of operationWalking SA welcomes the first rollout of 40 km/h time-based school speed limits in South Australia, now active near:

  • Marryatville High School, Kensington Road, Marryatville
  • Goodwood Primary School & St Thomas School, Goodwood Road, Goodwood

These limits apply on school days between 8:00–9:30am and 2:00–4:00pm.

Signage is live, and some sites now have upgraded safety cameras to enforce the changes.

This is a critical step toward protecting and encouraging more children to walk to and from school, and we couldn’t be more behind it. Let’s keep driving slower, looking out for kids, and building safer streets for our communities.

You can find out more information about this important road safety initiative on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s website.

Turns out, what’s good for heart health is also good for business!

Posted on by Walking SA

The Heart Foundation is excited to share the latest research on the health and economic benefits of making town centres and main streets more walkable.

This is an update to our 2011 paper of the same name and has again been prepared by Dr Rodney Tolley. Dr Tolley will be presenting a webinar on this paper on Thurs 4 Dec, co-hosted by the Heart Foundation and Mainstreet Australia. Details below.

This second edition builds on the 2011 paper and broadens the scope to examine two increasingly salient, and often contested, factors affecting walkability in commercial streets:

  • car parking provision and
  • traffic speed.

There is evidence that visitors to town centres and main streets do not put a high priority on car access and parking. Instead, they most value the walkable, amenable, people-oriented public spaces that create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments.

Improved walkability and higher quality business districts which offer enjoyable, comfortable experiences result in more people visiting more often, staying longer and spending more.

The paper’s summary of recommendations are:

  1. Improve walking, wheeling and bike riding access to town centres and main streets to deliver greater footfall.
  2. Enhance amenity in town centres and main streets by ensuring connected, comfortable and attractive environments with places to dwell and ‘sticky streets’.
  3. Reallocate some car parking spaces to create higher quality environments for walking, wheeling and bike riding.
  4. Reduce the maximum speed limit of traffic in town centres and main streets to 30 km/hr or less.

You can read the full report on the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Active by Design publications and policies page.

To find out more and register for the webinar visit: healthyactivebydesign.com.au/habd-news/webinar–good-for-business-4-dec-2025

Beach walking season is upon us, stay informed on the Algal Bloom

Posted on by Walking SA

It’s heading into beach walking season! There are resources available to be informed with clear and timely Algal Bloom updates.

  • Website: Get clear facts and timely advice on the algal bloom at any time by visiting the dedicated State Government website algalbloom.sa.gov.au – start with the health advice: algalbloom.sa.gov.au/health-advice
  • Algal Bloom Hotline is now available by phoning 1800 774 779 – this free SA Government hotline is available seven days a week, 9am-5pm, including public holidays.
  • Daily beach condition updates – BeachSafe app: Surf Life Saving SA have current, and useful information on beach conditions posted daily. This includes bloom updates through photos, observation of water discolouration and of the presence of foam. Download the iPhone or Android app.

2024/25 Annual Report, Walking Awards and AGM

Posted on by Walking SA

Walking SA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 16th October at our new office at 55 Exchange Place Adelaide with an attendance of people from member clubs, organisations, supporters and the public. We greatly appreciate the attendance and engagement with those there on the night.

Thank you to Denise Schumann AOM, co-author of our excellent Kaurna Interpretive Sites Along Karrawirra Pari / River Torrens. Regrettably co-author Aunty Lynette Crocker was unable to attend. Denise presented an engaging talk highlighting how the Kaurna People understood their landscape through a cultural lense and presented a number of early European paintings of the Kaurna on their Country.

Neil Hendry, President of the Friends of The Heysen Trail, and Melanie Sjoberg, Vice-President of the Friends of The Heysen Trail, presented on the key influence the volunteer organisation has had on the trail being completed 40 years ago. They highlighted the ongoing work to improve and promote the trail, keeping the trail alive today.

Walking Awards

We presented the awards for the annual Walking SA Walking Awards. The awards recognises and promotes the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia:

Bushwalking Leadership Graduations

As part of Walking SA Education, our first bushwalk guides were presented their graduation certificates. Congratulations to all.

Walking SA Education is offering bushwalking training and accreditation. This is a new addition to the range of services and support provided by Walking SA for the South Australian walking community. Our aim is to provide accessible training and accreditation for volunteers, youth leaders, teachers, personal trainers, support workers, therapists and outdoor educators at the nationally recognised standard.

2024/25 Annual Report

The 2024/25 Annual Report was distributed at the AGM and Rod Quintrell, Executive Director of Walking SA and Daniel Bennett, Chair, spoke to the report identifying a range of highlights from the past year.

View the 2024/25 Annual Report

2025 Walking Award Winners – Recognising contributions to walking in South Australia

Posted on by Walking SA

We presented the awards for the annual Walking SA Walking Awards. The awards recognises and promotes the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia.

The Annual Walking SA Walking Awards program provides a key vehicle for the promotion of the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia. The Awards process is an opportunity for public and peer recognition of achievements in walking, and demonstrates to volunteers, community groups, the recreation industry, business, government, and the wider community the significant and positive impact that can be achieved through improvements to walkability.

2025 Annual Walking Award Winners

2025 Award Winner: WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club Inc

WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club Inc

2025 Outstanding Group Contribution to advance walking inclusivity in South Australia

Awarded for 100 years of walking – an amazing achievement. The club are trailblazers for recreational club walking in SA and still going strong. They have a long legacy of offering walking opportunities which continues to this day, with fantastic club membership retention.

2025 Award Winner: Lorraine Thomas

Lorraine Thomas

2025 Outstanding Individual Contribution to walking in South Australia

Awarded for her contribution to the board and recreation committees of Walking SA, membership and walk leadership in the Adelaide Bushwalkers, Retire Active SA Bushwalkers and other clubs, friends of parks and nature groups and for her trail work with Walking Trails Support Group.

Walking SA AGM 2025

Posted on by Walking SA

Want to find out a little more about Walking SA? Come along to our AGM and hear more about the cultural communication, and 40 years of volunteering on the Heysen Trail.

6:30pm Thursday 16 October 2025
Walking SA, shared with the Conservation Council of South Australia
55 Exchange Pl, Adelaide SA 5000
(located within the Ri Aus Science Exchange building)

Public welcome. Light refreshments provided.

Walking Awards

Let’s celebrate! The Annual Walking SA Walking Awards provide promote the achievements of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia. The Awards are an opportunity for public and peer recognition of achievements in walking, and demonstrate to volunteers, community groups, the recreation industry, business, government, and the wider community the significant and positive impact that can be achieved through improving walkability. If you know someone that should be recognised put them forward – a little recognition goes a long way.

Schedule

6:30pm Welcome
6:35pm – 7pm AGM
7pm – 8:15pm

Two presentations:

  1. Densie Schumann AOM and Aunty Lynette Crocker, co authors of our excellent Kaurna Interpretive Sites Along Karrawirra Pari / River Torrens will speak on cultural communication.
  2. Melanie Sjobeeg and Neil Hendry, from the Friends of The Heysen Trail, will speak on 40 years of volunteering on the Heysen Trail.
8:15pm – 8:30pm Walking SA Award Presentations

Walking the Adelaide100® in one day

Posted on by Walking SA

On Sunday 3 August Retire Active SA Bushwalkers walked the entire Adelaide100® trail (even the unfinished bits!) in one day by putting all their different grade walking groups on the trail. Great job and very well organised.

Celebrating their 40th birthday and following on from the club’s all-in-one-weekend walk of the Heysen Trail back in 2000, the club walked the proposed full 120km Adelaide100® trail with 10 groups of walkers. The walk involved 111 walkers who walked a cumulative 1,313km on the day.

To facilitate the walk, the club arranged two buses which each started out early and proceeded west to either Kingston Park or West Beach. Each bus collected four different groups of walkers and dropped them at their walk commencement point. Walkers then spent the day walking back to their own vehicles. At the conclusion of each of the walks refreshments were enjoyed at Norton Summit, Blackwood, Hindmarsh and Glenelg.

The WEA Ramblers who celebrate 100 years as a club this year also joined in the day.

Everyone enjoyed the diversity within the terrain of their walk and sense of being part of the greater whole.

Outdoor First Aid Course – South Australia Only!

Posted on by Walking SA

Survive First Aid is running an adapted version of ‘Basic First Aid’ which is designed for those who live, work, or adventure in outdoor environments where definitive care (Medical Centre/Hospital) can be reached within one hour and where access and communication are easily obtained.

Sunday, 14th September | 8am–5pm
Belair National Park Volunteer Centre

This course is being exclusively offered to those who spend time in outdoor environments, including:

  • Weekend Adventurers – bushwalkers, mountain bikers, paddlers, climbers etc.
  • Outdoor educators, guides & facilitators
  • School & uni students (16+) studying Outdoor Education
  • Rangers, researchers, & conservationists
  • Nature-based social workers, therapists & practitioners
  • First responders working in semi-urban, metro-fringe or regional areas.

The learning is focused on:

  • Prompt care in outdoor settings, using available supplies.
  • Responding effectively where access to medical help is available within 1 hour.
  • Practising outdoor-specific scenarios that reflect real-world incidents.
  • Communicating with emergency services and delivering concise handovers.
  • Managing injuries in environments with variable weather, terrain, and equipment.

Nationally recognised:

  • HLTAID009 – Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • HLTAID011 – Provide First Aid

Course Cost

$195 per person

Discounted by $30 ($165 per person course cost) for:

  • Walking SA members
  • NBONSA-Nature Based Outdoor Network of South Australia
  • OEASA – Outdoor Educators’ Association of South Australia
  • AusCycling – SA Clubs and Community
  • part-time students (16+ years old).

Discounted by $50 for full-time students (16+ years old) – $145 per person course cost.

Enrol now

Survive First Aid are also running Remote Area and Wilderness First Aid Courses.

Want to become a professional Bushwalking Guide?

Posted on by Walking SA

Bushwalk Guide Foundation Training & Assessment at Para Wirra 4 – 10 October — Book now!

Ever thought about becoming a professional outdoor guide? The outdoor sector in South Australia, is small, but significant and growing. And, we currently have a guide shortage. There are paid and voluntary roles waiting for the right people in education, tourism, community and in our amazing bushwalking clubs.

Learn some cool skills (or have existing skills formalised) to level up your bushwalking game.

The course, written to current best practice and Australian Adventure Activity Standards, draws on the skills and experience of our team of bushwalk assessors.

The seven days, based at Para Wirra, are split in two:

  1. Training – 4 days based at Para Wirra, and
  2. then Assessment – 3 day self reliant group assessment walk in the surrounding area.

The Bushwalk Guide Foundation has a limited endorsement for leading walks in controlled locations such as Kuitpo or Mt Crawford. It is designed as a stepping stone to the full accreditation, Bushwalk Guide, which endorses guiding and leading group walks in more uncontrolled conditions and overseeing other groups in the area. Ideal for School Teachers and Overnight walking guides.

Upcoming training courses with Walking SA Education

Upcoming training courses with Walking SA Education
Course dates
Personal skills
Bushwalk Skills – Day Walks 2026 or on request
Bushwalk Skills – Overnight 2026 or on request
Leadership skills
Bushwalk Guide – Day Walks 2026
Bushwalk Guide – Foundation October 2025 – Find out more
Bushwalk Guide – Overnight October 2025 – Find out more
Bushwalk Guide – Remote Areas Late 2026 or on demand

For further information or to book, please visit walkingsa.org.au/education
or reach out to us at education@walkingsa.org.au.

Looking to explore other events?

Feeling climate anxiety?

Posted on by Walking SA

So, the year has been hectic so far – the slow motion destruction of the ongoing algal bloom in our coastal waters and a sharp drought turning our country brown.

What can we do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our planet moving forward?

Firstly – Get outdoors, walk that dog, make that club walk, do the trail catch-up with friends, have that family picnic. It’s important to stay connected to the earth, be as healthy as possible and to keep moving.

Secondly – if you feel the need to take action, do so. Acting locally can make a big impact so attend planting days, get involved in community groups, bushwalking groups, and conservation projects, or write a letter to your local or Federal MP and express your concerns. Together we can make some noise to ensure future policy and programs are considered through informed environmental perspectives.

Thirdly – choose when and how you engage with the news. Choosing one or two issues that mean the most to you can help you stay involved without getting overwhelmed. You do not have to be up to date with every bleak news item or revelation. It is important we consider our zone of influence, that is what we can do, and resist feelings of powerlessness through engaging in too much sensationalist doom scrolling.

Fourthly – if you are feeling impacted, speak up. You are not alone in feeling this crisis – it’s affecting everyone, of all ages. Talk to loved ones and friends, and consult your GP or a mental health professional.

Finally – consider what you can do to tread lightly on your patch of the planet. Reach out to your council, local friends group or Conservation SA for ideas.

Be Here Now – Ram Dass

Helpful links:

Make Walking Great Again, Wed 15 Oct 2025

Posted on by Walking SA

Join us again to hear the latest on walking for transport on projects, initiatives and ideas to improve walking in South Australia!

Wed 15 Oct 2025
9am to 1pm
Networking and light morning tea included.

The Science Exchange
53-57 Exchange Place Adelaide
Enter off Pirie Street

Cost
FREE

Presented by
Walking SA
Event Partner
NEO Traffic and Transport

Speakers

  • Amy Child, Transport Leader, Mott MacDonald
  • Stuart Pope, Project Manager, City Projects, City of Norwood Payneham St Peters Council
  • Anna Gurnhill, Active Living Advisor, Heart Foundation
  • Tana Tan, Research and Evaluation Lead, Safe System Solutions

Proudly hosted by WalkingSA Transport:

  • Daniel Bennett, Sleepshill Design Office
  • Tanya Bacic, Transport Manager, City of Unley

The Walking SA Transport Committee is entirely voluntary, receiving no funds for our continuing advocacy in making walking great again.

This event is put on with thanks to the generous ongoing support of WalkingSA, the peak body in South Australia for all types of walking.

Tickets
Download flyer

Major Concerns Raised Over South Australia’s Draft Residential Street Design Standards

  • Media Release
Posted on by Walking SA

Download Media Release.

The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) and Walking SA have joined forces to raise urgent concerns over the State Planning Commission’s recently released “Draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division” and the accompanying “Draft South Australian Growth Areas Technical Manual”, as both documents fail to meet contemporary standards for safe, healthy, and sustainable residential street design.

The current draft standards, if adopted, would guide the design of future major residential developments across South Australia. However, we are deeply alarmed by several omissions and provisions that run counter to contemporary urban planning, health, and road safety practice. These include:

  • No requirement to consider public transport infrastructure in new residential
  • A disregard for leading design guidance, including the South Australian Government’s own Active Travel Design Guide.
  • Provisions for residential streets to be designed for vehicle speeds of 60 – 70 km/h, a setting known to drastically increase the risk of road trauma.

“This draft takes us backwards,” said Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety. “It entrenches car dependency, overlooks decades of best practice, and sets up new communities to face long-term safety, health and environmental consequences.”

The evidence is clear: higher speeds in residential streets sharply increase the likelihood of death and serious injury. At 60 – 70 km/h, a pedestrian hit by a vehicle has a near 100% chance of being killed or seriously injured. Designing residential areas with these speeds in mind directly undermines the South Australian Government’s commitment to Vision Zero and its Road Safety Strategy to 2031.

“We need walkable, connected, safe communities,” added Rod Quintrell, Executive Director of

Walking SA. “These draft standards fail to deliver that vision. They risk locking in unsafe, inactive, and inequitable neighbourhoods for decades.”

The proposed design standards are also at odds with the South Australian Government’s Net Zero Strategy and its active bid to co-host COP31, which both emphasise walkable neighbourhoods and reducing car dependency.

Our organisations urge the South Australian Government to halt the adoption of the current drafts and undertake immediate revisions to:

South Australia has the expertise and ambition to lead in safe and sustainable urban development. We cannot afford to compromise the safety, health, and wellbeing of future generations through outdated and dangerous planning standards.

Contacts:

  • Brett Williams, Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) SA Chapter Committee member, Deputy Chair of the ACRS Local Government Network: bwtraffictransport@gmail.com; Phone: 0407 204 305
  • Rod Quintrell, Executive Director, Walking SA: office@walkingsa.org.au; Phone: 0457 006 620

About the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS)

The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) is the region’s peak membership association for road safety professionals, advocates, and members of the public who are focused on saving lives and serious injuries on our roads. The College provides an inclusive, collaborative environment promoting communication, networking, professionalism, and advocacy across all spheres of road safety including policy, advocacy, research, innovation, technologies, and management. ACRS membership includes experts from all areas of road safety including policy makers, academics, community organisations, researchers, federal, state, and local government agencies, private companies, and members of the public. More Information: www.acrs.org.au

About Walking SA

Walking SA is the peak non-government body for all forms of walking in South Australia, including recreation, transport, health and education. Our vision is for a world-class, walkable South Australia, where cities and communities are designed to encourage more people to walk more often. This vision is supported by the four pillars outlined in our Walking SA Strategic Plan (2023–2025): walkability, walk experiences, socially responsive and sustainable growth. As an advocacy organisation dedicated to promoting walking as a primary mode of transport and a cornerstone of healthy, sustainable, and accessible communities, Walking SA is committed to ensuring that walking remains central to the state’s future transport planning. More Information: www.walkingsa.org.au