The first Camino for 2012 completed

And I think that it went very well although feedback has highlighted the fact that the trail lacks any distinctive markers and navigational "aids". So although we have a route, we still have to achieve "Trail" status. That means we urgently need to source funds to complete the job that began nearly 4 years ago!

Ean, Maggie and I had a very informative meeting with the Whadjuk group from SWALSC last week. I found it extremely rewarding to hear the stories that they told and their obvious comfort with the concept of the Trail passing through Walyunga National Park which is of great importance to them. They offered some really creative suggestions and ones that we will seriously try to incorporate into our Trail Experience. One phrase that was used by one of the Board Members lingers with me, and that was that Walyunga is a "Happy Place". I hope you get to experience that for yourself one day!

I am meeting with CAC to discuss our proposed access agreement with them next week - we both want to "make it happen", but we need to get it right.

After 8 months, several phone calls and emails, we still have to hear back from a Government Department about one small section of the Trail - does everyone run into challenges like this with Government Departments?

Hopefully my next post will be able to report progress.

It's been a long time!

Fountain at Versailles

The young bride and I have been on extended Sabaticcal in Versailles, France and returned to Oz only a few weeks ago: but that doesn't mean that work on the Trail has stopped! Thanks to some great work by Col Ingram, Ean James, Clive McIntyre, Greg Clune and Roger Walsh, the PTF has continued to meet and make progress.

Also, as I write, the first Camino Salvado of 2012 is wneding it's way through blustery showers in the lower Chittering Valley to complete day 3 of the Camino. We hope and pray that as well as showers of rain there will be showers of blessings for them too!

The Draft Strategic Plan is now finalized and in the near future I'll add a copy of it to this Blog. The alignment is almost settled with one private landholder having signed an agreement, one other has indicated their intent to sign and a Government Department that has taken over 8 months to say they haven't got all the information that they need at this stage!

At this point we're looking to the long term management of the Pilgrim Trail and we need your feedback. The Trail is already there and so there are no significant ongoing management issues: in fact if we can learn from the Spanish Camino, everyone organizes themselves privately, the regional authorities manage their sections of the trail and the local entrepreneurs service the Pilgrims that use the route - and it's very successful. I have no doubt that in 10 to 20 years, thousands of people will be using the Trail every year and it will be a "Jewel in the Crown" of WA tourism. We need to plan for that and we need your ideas.

This week I am making a presentation to the Whadjuk people who are the traditional owners of a section of the Trail in Walyunga National Park: I am honoured and excited to be able to do that.

We also have some great news Maps for the Camino that I will also add to the site - courtesy of Clive McIntyre.