Australia Day 2011

I've just listened to Michael Parkinson giving an Australia Day talk on the ABC, and what he said re-enforced in me what a truly astonishing country we live in! On one level we seem to be waiting for things to "get better", and yet this small country has made astonishing strides since settlement began in the eighteenth century: just imaging what the next 200 years will bring! Here in WA we have wide blue skies, the freshest of air, the awesome ocean; the stark, harsh beauty of the bush and endless resources fueling a booming economy. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to: we should be jumping up and down for joy to be here in this great State.
In 200 years time, there will be towns and villages leading up to New Norcia along the Pilgrims Trail. There will be cafes and restaurants, pubs and comfy B&Bs for the weary travelers: and there will be thousands of Pilgrims using the Pilgrims Trail. Why? Because one thing that seems innate in our humanity is the desire to seek a connection with the sacred and the spiritual, and the Pilgrims Trail gives walkers that opportunity to take time out and review, renew and reconnect with their inner self.
So this Australia Day: dare to be excited about, and for, our wonderful country. Write down your dreams: make that your first step towards making them a reality. I hope that helping bring the Pilgrims Trail to completion will be on your list: its definitely on mine!
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

The Decade of the Pilgrims Trail

New Year: New hope: New challenges. Welcome to 2011.
Next week we have the first Board meeting for the Foundation for the year and we will look at the draft Management Plan that Colin Ingram has produced. We will also be looking to increase the size of the Board to broaden the skills base we need so that we can create a world class Trail.
Then its "hitting the road". Colin and I will be meeting again with all the relevant Cities, Shires, Government Departments and land holders to gain their support for the next stage, which should bring us close to finalization.
Its going to be a busy time and we will appreciate all the support that you can give us. Any suggestions or inspirations that you may have will also be gratefully received.
To all our supporters, their families and friends, may you have a wonderful, exciting and adventurous New Year.

The Northern Alignment

Although I haven't posted anything for November, it has in fact,been a very busy time with trail walks and meetings. Maggie, Colin and I have walked almost all of the new northern alignment, and even though the weather has been fairly hot, the walking has been excellent. From the picture you can see that as well as beautiful scenery, we also discovered busy bees hard at work on the edge of the forest area! There were also reminders of how tough life is in the bush with ample remains of our marsupial friends and the active presence of snakes and lizards! For those with an "avian bent", the bird life is fairly awesome as well!
We had a meeting amongst ourselves in order to see where we need to involve others with specific skills to help further the aims of the Pilgrim Trail: and we had a fascinating meeting with representatives of the defense force, as part of the new alignment follows their boundary fence. The people we met with were most helpful in bringing us "up to speed" with their needs, and general discussion produced ideas on the mid to long term future of the land and our Trail.
Colin is now working on the "Master Plan" that he hopes to have ready in the next couple of weeks: and then its meetings, meetings, meetings!
With the season of Advent just around the corner, its a good time to remember that the first Christmas began with Joseph and Mary taking a long trail walk to Bethlehem: they eventually found a good site for the night and since then the whole world hasn't stopped celebrating it all! May this Christmas be your best ever, but spare a thought for all those less fortunate than ourselves, who are still doing it tough on their particular Trails!

Almost there......

Last weekend, having met so many friendly flies the previous weekend, Maggie and I decided to re-acquaint ourselves with some of their myriad cousins a bit further north!
We began our trek from Calingri Rd and headed south along the buffer zone next to the Military Training area. There's a clear trail next to the fence that borders the farm land on the west side of the buffer zone, and walking is pretty easy. If you're into paleontology, there are plenty of skeletal remains to examine - too our untrained amateur eyes, they seemed to be of the marsupial variety!
We made it down almost to half way before we had to return to our car: but the signs are promising.
At the southern end of this track there is a boundary fence on the Dewars Pool Rd stating that entry is only at the permission of the owners: at the northern end, it's open access: another mystery to solve!
IF we can make use of this trail, then we have good track all the way from Chittering Rd to 5ks short of New Norcia and that's so much better than 45kms along the highway!
To see the trail go to:
http://maps.google.co/maps/ms?ie=UTFmsa=0msid=101825537550456146464.0004933225d1540f08dc3

Another link in the chain

After a productive board meeting recently, Maggie and I set out to have a look at part of an alternative to the Great Northern highway north of Bindoon. The result was very exciting!
Instead of heading up to where Chittering Road meets the Highway, we turned right into Julimar Rd and then into Julimar Forest along the western boundary road: this goes due north, though you would never pick it as it meanders through the edge of the forest and is great to walk.
It crosses Flat Rock Rd and then touches the end of Stephens Rd before turning into Northern Boundary Rd and thence Dewars Pools Road! If we can now walk through the buffer zone alongside the Military area, then we reach the lower end of Old Plain Rd and - hey presto - we're into New Norcia without touching the highway - and the trail that we walked was outstanding: a fantastic complement to the first 4 days.
It does add some kilometers, but they're well worth it!
This just gets better and better: please keep your fingers crossed that the next link in the chain falls into place too!
To see the route go to:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTFmsa=0msid=101825537550456146464.000493321100a9389143d

Lots happening

Since the last Camino walk from St Josephs, there has been a flurry of reporting on the event, and on the trail. Chris Olney wrote an article for the Catholic record which was very professional and very good! That same "organ" of the west Australian catholic press is also serializing a journal that I kept whilst we walked the first Camino this year: next week is week 3! But most exciting of all in the media was Dawn Greens article in the national magazine, Great Walks, for which she wrote an article entitled "Pilgrimage of Passion". It's about her trip along the Pilgrim trail that she organized herself and completed with her husband: it's a wonderful article and well worth a read. But please remember, Dawn was in frequent correspondence with me about the trail, because as of this moment, there is no signage and there is still a vast amount of work to be done to bring it all into fruition. (read on....)
Which leads me onto the realignment of the northern section of the trail. Essentially, we need to get the trail off the Highway between Bindoon and New Norcia: this creates issues of access and also availability to accommodation as the trail will have to move eastward. The good news is that should we succeed then the trail will be even better than before, but you wouldn't believe how many people one has to talk to in order to get things up and walking! The greatest news however is that everyone we talk to is still very positive about the whole concept and very supportive: it's just that crossing those "T's" and dotting those "I's" seems to take forever!! One thing the trail has taught me is patience - everything happens in its own time!

Camino Salvado 2010 Part II

Maggie and I met up with the second group of walkers of the 2010 Camino Salvado at the State Equestrian Center at Brigadoon. It was a hot days walking and they were most grateful to be able to drop their "bundles" and and take off their boots in the shade of the trees surrounding the paddock next to the center. The "cannon" reticulation device came as a refreshing surprise as it showered us all when we least expected it! The staff were most friendly and left us to our own devices whilst food and drinks were happily eaten. Then Hamish, the CEO, invited us inside and what an amazing surprise that was. This is a world class facility here in our own backyard, and most people don't even know it exists! Like most organizations, it relies on the goodwill of its supporters, and these need all our help, if we are to maintain this awesome facility.
I urge as many of you as possible to take a trip out to Bells Rapids for a picnic, but do stop at the Center in Cathedral Ave, and you wont be sorry! Even better, join as a member and enjoy the spectacle of indoor riding!
Whilst the walkers are walking, Colin and I are still working on the northern alignment of the trail and are in talks with stakeholders that will hopefully lead to a better, safe, more enjoyable experience. We also need sponsors and members to help fund what is ahead for us: to be able to sign and tell the story of the Pilgrim trail! So please, send me an email to indicate your interest and I will get back to you.

Since we completed the Camino a couple of weeks ago, life has been hectic in the flow on effect.
Colin, Maggie, Ean and myself have reviewed the trail and found possible camping sites along the way which is very exciting: so it’s back to relevant Shires to continue the conversation with them.
Also, the sheer enthusiasm from the walkers after walking the 22kms along Old Plain Road and not on the Highway has renewed our vigor to find the elusive alternative that will take us from Bindoon to New Norcia a long way away from albeit friendly, yet scary truckies!! We have identified a number of possible routes and are in negotiations with the relevant authorities: it all just takes time, but we’re not in a hurry – we just want to do it well!
Thank you to those who have dropped me emails, keep them coming as I really appreciate them.

What an experience!! Maggie and I, along with 25 other walkers have just completed the walk from Subiaco to New Norcia. To say the scenery was spectacular is an understatement! Once we'd got over our tired feet, we went back with Colin Ingram our talented trails consultant, to review the trail so far: he's very impressed.
A big breakthrough was to bus walkers for the last day from the Highway, inland 10ks to Old Plains road and walk to New Norcia that way: instead of trucks and road trains, we met one car in 4 hours and the views were stunning with the Canola crops a blazing yellow all around!
Colin and I both agree that the race is on the re-align the last couple of days with the view of finishing via Old Plains road. If any of you have any insights or suggestions, we would be very happy to hear from you.
Another groups from St Josephs Church is due to leave in a couple of weeks and the scene will have changed as the Canola will be cropped and the cereal crops more advanced, so nothing stands still in nature.
Walking the whole trail reminded me that we have so many stories to tell along the route: the adventures of Dom Salvado as he set out to establish the New Norcia Mission: his work with the indigenous peoples: the stories of the Nungyar people in Walyungar: the story of the Swan river and the Swan River Colony!! This trail will be such a treasure for the whole of Australia.
There are other ventures that we are investigating to complement the trail, so watch this space!

Lotterys Funding

Firstly: apologies for the long gap between posts - I don't know what I've been doing, but I promise you that I've been extremely busy doing it!!
We were delighted to receive news that we have been successful in our grant application to Lottery's West. After some deliberation we have awarded the contract for Trails Consultant that Lotterys stipulate we use the funds for, to Colin Ingram.
Having Colin on board is a real coup for us as he has a mammoth amount of experience in Trails and Tourism here in WA: and it's been a real pleasure going through the details of the Pilgrims Trail with him and seeing his excitement for the project. We have really stepped up to the next level.
Now we have to go through everything all over again, but this time in the finest detail with a view to further grant applications and also to present our case to private individuals and organization who may wish to sponsor this spectacular venture.
Maggie and I are preparing to walk the whole route with the up coming Camino Salvado in 10 days, and I have to say that the joy and delight of been out on the Trail again is just as good as the first time: this will be a jewel in the Crown for WA for decades/centuries to come. The photo above shows the two of us with current Board member Ean James on the right: next to him is Paul Udinga -an amazing guy and the Ranger at Walyunga: and next to him is Colin Ingram our very own Trails Consultant doing "due diligence".
Keep the emails coming: I really appreciate them. And remember that the Trail isn't "open" as such, as there is still much to do with regard to signage and educational material etc. But there are many sections that you can walk and savor. Enjoy!

Another link in the chain

Thanks to some fantastic cooperation from Mike Foley and his team at the City of Swan, we now have confirmation of a track that follows Stock Road - marked on maps but not actually in existence - that links the north west tip of Walyunga National Park with Shady Hill View Rd in lower Chittering. This means that there is potential public access all the way from Subiaco to New Norcia!! We still have to 'scope the area and talk to the Rangers in the Park, but we hope to do that in the next couple of weeks.
Whilst painting shells for the Camino Salvado, it came to me that we can use the Scallop Shell as our sign indicator for the permanent trail when we get funding for it: also I'm working on a Logo for the trail and would appreciate any ideas and feedback on that.
We also have to formalize a Board, so if anyone would like to put themselves forward, then I would appreciate that too: we do have some amazing people already who are willing to lend their support, but enthusiasm is the life-blood of any long-lasting endeavor!

Pilgrims Progess: back from holidays

They say that travel broadens the mind: but they omitted to say that jet lag dulls it once you get home!
We've just returned from 3 weeks visiting family in the UK and Ireland, and also noting that there are some fantastic walks in both countries. We took the easy option and drove through the Cheddar Gorge which was very impressive and well used by local hikers. Talking with old friends who walk the Moors in northern UK, one was reminded of how lucky we are with the weather in this country: they spoke of the rain-proof gear they have to use because of the machine-gun like effect of the rain in the howling winds they often have to endure! But still, on a sunny day in summer, they really are the "Blessed Isles".
Before we went away, I had very useful meetings with the City of Perth, the Swan River Trust and the Shire of Chittering talking about the Pilgrim Trail and how to develop appropriate signage and how to improve the Trail.
For all potential walkers, please remember, until we get funding THERE IS NO SIGNAGE ON THE CURRENT ROUTE. The Pilgrim Trail is still in development, and it will be some time before we can declare it "officially open". However, there is goodwill all around, and though progress is slow: there IS progress and we WILL succeed. We await the results of our application for funding from the Lotteries Commission so that we can appoint a Trails Consultant to advance the process.
If anyone would like to become involved with the Pilgrim trail, we would love to hear from you

Pilgrims Progress: linking it all together

There has been a tremendous response to the Camino program on ABC with almost 50 applications to join the two Camino Salvado pilgrimages that follow the Pilgrim trail. Whilst this is very encouraging, we do have to remember that the Trail is still very much a work in progress. At this stage, although there is a theoretical path out of Walyunga Park to Lower Chittering, in reality there is no trail there: Stock Road may appear on the maps, but it has never been constructed and at present, its just wild bush and a few fences! The City of Swan is looking into creating an emergency fire route that we could use as a track, but that may take several months.
Also, for those who wish to walk the route themselves, there are no shelters or camping grounds once you leave the environs of Perth or Bindoon, and public transport out of New Norcia can be as frequent as Halley’s Comet!! In other words, anyone planing to walk the Trail needs to think about overnight transport to take them to places where they can stay and transport to bring them back to Perth from New Norcia. In our next round of funding applications, we will be looking at providing shelters at appropriate sites for those who wish to walk the Trail unaided.
We will also be looking at ways of how to best learn the Histories and Spirituality of the areas the Pilgrims Trail passes through. One suggestion has been to use local WiFi networks that can be picked up on iPhones etc: all suggestions would be most appreciated!
Thanks for all your support and encouragement: and please keep the feedback coming: it really does make a difference!

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.