ABC Compass Program

The Compass program went to air on Good Friday and the critics verdict is that it was fantastic: the winner of the Oscar for the best visuals goes to the Pilgrim Trail which was show-cased superbly!! If you missed the program you can click on the following link and watch it online:
http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s2848582.htm
Even without promoting the Camino Salvado Pilgrimage that follows our trail from St Josephs Church in Salvado Rd, Subiaco, they have already had well over a dozen applications for the walks later in the year: and these are people from just about every State in Australia: in other words, the Pilgrims Trail is now a National Identity! And all in under one year: that’s some achievement to be proud of. But there is still so much to do and improve upon, and we need your help and your input because a trail needs people: and we need you to help us to help them have a memorable experience.
If anyone is interested in joining the St Joseph’s Camino Salvado later this year, then click on the following link to find out more:
http://caminosalvado.com/

Grant Submitted

Fiat: "It is done".
This morning I handed in our submission for a Lotteries Grant to the Department of Sport and Recreation; and my particular thanks to Barry Woods for all his work, and to all of you who provided letters of support. Also, a big thanks to Glen Lewis of Epic Events who has done a fantastic job on the Camino Salvado web-page and who created the Google map that I have included in this Blog.
Now that the Grant has been completed, it's made me think that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket and perhaps we should look at raising funds independently. I would appreciate your feedback on this, especially from newcomers to the Blog. In the past, I wrote to some "people of means" regarding this suggestion, and I hope that now they see how real the whole project is and what a blessing it will be for WA, then perhaps they will consider donating to the Foundation, and help create an amazing experiences for future walkers.

Behind the Scenes

Only just over one week to go before the grant applications have to be handed in!! When I first applied for funding, I only gave a cursory glance to the paper work and thought, "This should be a breeze": that was extremely naive of me! In fact, I am now very thankful to the people at Lotteries West and the DSR for providing such paper hurdles to leap through. I'm half way through the Pilgrims Trail Foundation Constitution -all 48 pages of it (and all pro bono work by Barry Woods in Melbourne)- and I now have a deep respect for all those who actually run really big organizations and have to substantiate all their proceedings and actions.
One thing that has arisen from my reading so far is membership fees: this has been mooted as $10 to join and $10 annual subscription: and I would value your feedback before we make any decisions.
I've also been chasing quotes from trails Consultants whom we would want to provide an overall vision and plan for the Trail: and it's been an absolute pleasure dealing with them. They are all highly qualified professionals with a wealth of experience: I suspect that should we be be successful in our application for funding, then it's going to be a hard job to chose the "best of the best"!
My already high level of enthusiasm has been boosted further by offers of support from those whom I have already been in contact with regarding the trail, and who want to write letters of support for our application: to all of you, many many thanks.
Finally: the Pilgrims Trail continues to evolve as we search for the ideal path to follow. Looking at Google Earth there do appear to be tracks north of Bindoon that could take us off the Highway: for those of you who live in that area, I would greatly appreciate any information you may have on this area: just email me at pilgrim.trail@gmail.com or talk to Natasha Mossman or Paul Greaves (Ranger) at the Shire of Chittering.

St Valentines Day

What a great day to update the Pilgrims Trail: romance, discovery, adventure.. it's all out there waiting for us!
Talking of discovery: we're still looking at ways to improve the experience for the walkers. From feedback last year, we would prefer to avoid the Bindoon Hill section and there may just be a "back door" way of getting around that part. We're in talks with our friends at Bindoon Shire and once the weather cools a little, we'll be back out on the track seeing if it's viable.
I had a great meeting at the Swan River Authority who oversee developments along those beautiful lifelines known as the Swan and Avon rivers. It appears that there is a great deal of synergy between the two groups, and we are both keen to help each other make this "jewel in the crown" of Perth better known.
The Camino Salvado Committee at St Josephs Parish is already at work for their two Pilgrim Walks on August 30th and September 27th this year, so if you want to be a part of this group you need to book early because it's going to be very popular after the ABC Television Compass program on Good Friday.
And keep those comments coming: they really are helping us to make the Pilgrim Trail an experience for all Australians

Pilgrims Progress

It's been a busy week and more of it to come. I met with Dianne and Bruce Pope who are very keen to offer "refuge" to walkers as they go through the Chittering Vally. Dianne and Bruce have a heritage property near Blue Plains road that would be an excellent spot to have morning tea or an early lunch as you walk on to Bindoon. It also made us think about the future placement of resting points for walkers along the route. This was a subject that we raised at a meeting in Bindoon later in the week with a group of interested parties from the Shire of Chittering, the Shire of Victoria Plains, the DSR and New Norcia.
The meeting was principally about looking at alternatives to the Great Northern Highway north of Bindoon: and it's a big challenge! However, although there is no obvious solution, we are planing meetings with local land-holders to let them know what we are planing and to find out from them what is possible: whatever happens, it will raise awareness of the Trail locally and give us an opportunity to share our experiences.
Several other practical issues were discussed and the level of enthusiasm and support continues to amaze and encourage me!
Maggie and I then traveled onto New Norcia where we had a bite to eat at the Hotel and then had a delightful chat with Camel Ross, the CEO of New Norcia. I now have no doubt that we need to inform all walkers that if they intend to stay in New Norcia, then they will have to plan their trips well in advance: New Norcia is not equipped for casual "drop ins": there is no alternative accommodation: and public transport out the village is very infrequent! In other word, like all good trail walking, everything needs to be planned, down to the last detail, and that includes accommodation and transport, as well as good boots of course!

Pilgrims Progress January 2010

Well, the new year has shifted into top gear straight away and already, Easter is just around the corner: and that means the ABC's Compass program will be going to air featuring the Camino Salvado which followed the Pilgrims Trail to New Norcia! For us that means there's lots of work to do to prepare the trail for this years 2 planned Camino Salvado Pilgrimages later on in the year.
My good friend Ean James and I have sat down to discuss our options for this years walk, and although we both agree that the route is continually evolving, for this year we will be using basically the same route as the 2009 walkers.
We are in the process of submitting a funding application for a Trails Consultant to formalize the route so then we can look at signage along the way, a proper web-page and leaflets for walkers.
Mike Foley, the CEO at the City of Swan has been tremendous in helping identify a public right of way out of Walyunga in the longer term: like so many people whom I have approached, he has freely given of his own time to help, advise and encourage us. Diane Pope is another who has very kindly offered the use of her facilities at Enderslea Farm in the Chittering Valley and we will be getting together shortly with her to look at how we can accommodate our needs with her kind offer.
Today I had a meeting with Mike Woods, CEO of Mountain Designs, and a man of great energy and vision: he is closely involved with the Bibbulmun and Munda Biddi trails here in WA. He shared his ideas for the Pilgrims Trail and was keen to help with establishing the trail on a permanent footing.
Next week there is a meeting of those who indicated they would help in seeking an alternative route away from the highway, north of Bindoon: this is our biggest challenge and all offers/help/inspiration/prayers are gratefully accepted!
As always, your input is essential if this is truly to become a trail for the people of Western Australia, so do please send in your thoughts and ideas.

Pilgrims Progress: Easter 2010

A note for your diaries: on Good Friday 2010 at 7.30pm on ABC TV, the Compass program will featuring the Camino Salvado which was the first walk to follow the Pilgrim trail from Subiaco to New Norcia.
So make sure the kids are snuggled up in bed, enjoy an early tea and perhaps have a cold beverage handy in the fridge, because it should be historic viewing!

Terms and Conditions

The information on this site is provided as a service to the community by the The Pilgrim Trail Foundation. It is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. Nevertheless, the authors of this site expressly disclaim liability for any act or omission made in reliance on that information or for any consequences of them.
The views expressed in articles or commentary are not necessarily those of the Pilgrim Trail Foundation. The Pilgrim Trail Foundation makes no claim as to their accuracy. The Pilgrim Trail Foundation accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of material or information on this site.
The Pilgrim Trail Foundation is not responsible for any other sites you may access via this site. Any links provided to other sites are for convenience only and the Pilgrim Trail Foundation will not be responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred by you in accessing such other sites.
Where you wish to send us any information over the Internet, the Pilgrim Trail Foundation will not be responsible for any unauthorised access to that information.

The Pilgrim Trail Foundation does not endorse any of the accommodation, transport or service providers listed on this site.  The Pilgrim Trail Foundation  will not be responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred by you using these accommodation, transport or service providers as a result of using this website.

We've just got back from a fantastic holiday that was delayed due to my unexpected heart surgery. For someone who is hoping to establish a permanent Track through some astonishing countryside here in WA, I have to admit that we found New York an absolutely awesome experience: and Central Park in fall just has to be seen to be believed! It has a majestic beauty.
Whilst I was away my colleague Ean James chaired a meeting with various stake-holders in Bindoon, and it seems that now we are ready to apply for a grant to help fund future development of the Pilgrims Trail. This will have two parts: the first is to get appropriate sign-age for that part of the route which is already "there", such as the route through the city and up as far as Walyunga National Park. The second part is to establish what is the best route from Walyunga to New Norcia: is it the present one via Bindoon and up via a track yet to be determined off the Highway? Or is it further east via Toodjay and then north from there? The latter option will add an extra couple of days, but has the advantage of following the original route which the monks themselves followed: and it's not highway!
Tomorrow is the first get together of those who walked the inaugural Camino Salvado and should prove an ideal opportunity to air the options.
I'll keep you posted!

Pilgrims Progress III

Last week a meeting was held at the Department of Sport and Recreation to review the impact of the Pilgrims Trail on the Monastery town of New Norcia.
New Norcia is unique in Australia, but like the rest of Australia, it continues to evolve and survive in its sometimes difficult, rural setting. It is a fragile Community with a deeply spiritual focus which makes it even more precious in these economically driven times.
The Pilgrims Trail, as indicated in its Mission Statement , aims to “Establish a permanent Trail between Subiaco and New Norcia which is respectful of the local environment and cultures....” and following our discussions, it was decided that until a permanent trail was fully functioning –which realistically was thought to be about 3 years away- walkers should only consider following the Trail in groups; and that these groups should liaise well in advance with the Community at New Norcia, so that no unnecessary strain was placed on their already constrained resources.
However, should walkers wish to follow the lower part of the trail over one, two or three days then they would see a part of WA which is quite beautiful and just on the doorstep of the City: the glorious Swan river: Bells rapids through to Walyunga National Park, and walking the Chittering Valley is a very different experience to driving through it!!
The Parish of St Joseph's in Subiaco has already penciled in two dates for their Camino Salvado in September 2010, and we continue to work on moving the trail away from the Great Northern Highway and make the experience even more enjoyable for them. In the near future we hope to apply for funding to take this project to the next level: we need your support, encouragement and where possible your active involvement so please use the comments section to let us know what you can do to help create a little piece of history for all West Australians.

Pilgrims Progress II

On 29th September 2009, the leadership group of the Camino Salvado met to review the first walk that follows the current Pilgrims Trail. The Camino Salvado is a Pilgrimage, based on the ancient Camino Di Santiago in Spain, and is organised by the Parish of St Josephs in Subiaco WA.

Points raised were:

• The current Pilgrims Trail needs to be re-routed away from the Great Northern Highway north of Bindoon. Information provided since the recent Camino, and local knowledge suggests that the route can be rearranged to avoid all but the last 5 kms (approx) of the Great Northern Highway: ie on roads/trails towards Toodyay, travelling north from Walyunga National Park; utilising Julimar Road and fire trails and the Old Plains Road. Also, it was suggested that a route through Bindoon Agricultural College would also help avoid taking on the road trains.
• Safety is integral to the walk and permanent road signage through the Chittering Valley, to warn drivers that walkers use this route, will need to be considered: and all road walkers must wear appropriate “High Visibility” vests.
• Accommodation: Some was excellent and some less so. For groups in the future, paying a visit to all proposed premises prior to the Camino, and getting written confirmation of all details in order to avoid protracted waiting for facilities on arrival after a long days walk, should save a lot of headaches.
• Support Team: This was considered invaluable to the success of the Camino in terms of carriage of luggage, transporting pilgrims from and to finish/start points and ongoing support during the day. For future groups, it was thought that if 30 was the optimal number, then the breakdown should be 25 walkers and 5 support crew.
• Future Caminos: For 2010 there will be two Caminos to cater for an anticipated increase in numbers:

Monday 6th September
Monday 27th September

These points will be taken to the next meeting at the DSR on the 7th October.

Welcome

Welcome to the Pilgrim Trail Foundation Blog. This is an interim site whilst we begin the task of putting together a Web Page that truly reflects what we have achieved.

From the seed of an idea planted on a hillside in northern Spain in 2008, the thought that we could create a Trail based on the ancient Camino Di Santiago here in Perth Western Australia, seemed like a crazy idea at the time. But at the time I was a little crazy anyway, so when we came back to WA we started work on a "Camino" based around the travels of Dom Rosendo Salvado, a Spanish Benedictine Monk who came to Australia in the 19th century to live with, learn from and often help, the local Indigenous peoples. He also founded Australia's only Monastery Town/Hamlet of New Norcia 150 kilometers north of Perth.

From those early "trail blazing" days, we have created the Pilgrim Trail Foundation, a Charitable organization to help tell the stories surrounding Dom Salvado and most particularly too, those of the Whadjuk and Yuet peoples who have lived in this area for about 40,000 years!

We have set in place the foundations of something that will be a gift to all Australians for hundreds of years to come. Walking is great for our physical health; sharing stories and learning from the wisdom of others is what enriches our lives: but the magic of the Pilgrim Trail is .... well you'll just have to find out for yourself. But I promise you, you will have a very special experience.

Introducing the Pilgrims Trail - a new Heritage walk for Western Australia

On 5th September 2009, 28 People walked into the Monastery town of New Norcia, 125kms north of Perth in Western Australia. The journey was inspired by the memory of Dom Rosendo Salvado, the
Benedictine monk who had founded the town in the nineteenth century. It had taken the group six days and five nights to travel the distance, and since that first walk, well over 250 people have experienced the Trail in small organized groups.

The path they followed started in Subiaco, followed through to Kings Park the CBD and down alongthe Swan river to Guildford. From there it travelled through the Swan Valley to Walyunga National Park – a place of spiritual significance to the Nyoongar people who have links to the area dating back 40000 years. The trail then followed through the Chittering Valley and onto Bindoon. The last 50kms being along the Great Northern Highway to its destination of New Norcia.

Since that time, the route has changed significantly, and we no longer walk along the Highway, but have moved inland through Julimar Forest and private farms to the north, before following Old Plains Road to New Norcia.
The work of securing this alignment has taken a huge amount of time and effort by the volunteer members of the Pilgrim Trail Board - now a registered Foundation and a Charitable Institution.

The Pilgrims Trail Foundation.

We have now established a permanent alignment which allows walkers to discover what wonderful treasures lie just on the edge of the beautiful city of Perth WA. For safety reasons, and to comply with the wishes of the Private Landholders, we have limited Trail Access to the months of April through to the end of September - otherwise, heat, flies and fire are a real danger.

This year we have assigned oversight of the Trail Walkers to Inspiration Outdoors, whose website link occurs on this site. They are enthusiastic about their challenge and our Foundation believes this is a necessary "step up" in management to cope with the increasing demand for usage of our Trail.

THE MAP OF THE PILGRIM TRAIL

Just click on the links below:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

The Mission

The Pilgrims Trail Mission

To establish a permanent Pilgrims Trail between Subiaco and New Norcia which is respectful of the local environment and cultures, and is safe for those who use it. Complete.

To establish a Foundation which will monitor the maintenance and development of the Trail for future generations. Complete with Charitable status.

To foster an awareness of the Pilgrims Trail, and to encourage as many people as possible to experience the benefits and delights of using the trail. Work in progress.

Mission accomplished (well almost)   :)