Takes you places!

General

From The Editor | Spring 2024

When Kerry told me she was happy to write up her walk of Italy’s St Francis’ Way, I was delighted on two counts. First because it would make a great story. Second, because selfishly, I want to do it too. We don’t have to be hard core all the time, and who doesn’t become a better person when faced with Italian hospitality. Except maybe the breakfasts…

And aren’t the photos fabulous!

I was equally delighted to find that Stephanie had another ...

Walking in the Green Heart of Italy

The Via di Francesco or St Francis Way starts in Florence then continues on to Rome via Assisi.  This route is 550 km and takes 28 days of walking.  In October 2023, Martin, Bruce and I walked the southern section from Assisi and stopping at Rieti.  

The Chasm | A Poem

(Inside ‘The Fortress’ in the Grampians)

We trod soft between stone sentinelsof a time before fishin a land thick with scrub where ancients stamped their printson the face of living rockin mournful contemplation  of the passport to insanity

nearby     the chasm reached deep into the mountaina slit    a womb wide enough to climb intoif you dared

the first climb painless just a taste an hors d’oeuvre to get you into hook youand just beyond that the fallstraight down far enough to kill youif you fell

slippery wet with weeping into Middle-earthour last ...

ABW In The Footsteps Of Matthew Flinders

Most of us are familiar with the exploits and misfortunes of the brilliant explorer and cartographer Matthews Flinders RN who sadly died in 1814 at the young age of 40.

After being held by the French on Mauritius for 6 years, he finally reached home and his wife in 1810 after having been away for 10 years.

As part of the great voyage of discovery, the Investigator was to chart those parts of Terra Australis (now Australia) not already charted by the ...

Three Climbs Of Mount Zeil

Mount Zeil is the most famous mountain you may never have heard of. Hiding away in the arid inland, it is not only the highest peak in the Northern Territory, it’s higher than any peak outside of the Eastern states. To be honest, it’s not much to look at, but the way it rises from the plain out to the west of the West MacDonnell ranges makes it a spectacular climb, and only difficult because of its remote location. 

All of ...

Qualification FAQ

Are you thinking of joining ABW but put off by the idea of having to qualify? Well, join the club! That’s exactly how I felt when I first looked at becoming a member. 

I was a fit, experienced, multi-day walker and, to be honest, the thought of having to go on trial grated a little. Nobody likes tests.

Looking back, I now see a lot of good reasons why qualifying exists. And I also see that it didn’t make any difference to ...

From the editor

Welcome to our first Tandanya magazine for a while, and a new beginning. A few words about this edition are worthwhile. 

Jules’s article is the jewel in the crown. It’s her words and photos from a travel diary, lightly edited and formatted into a web document. That’s also her photo on the cover. What makes it unique is the honest approach; there’s no bravado or exaggeration. Anyone planning the trip will get a clear view of the challenges ahead.

Lee’s article is ...

6 Days on the Mount Anne Circuit

When hearing about a hike, the temptation to ask ‘how far are you hiking’ is innocent enough; however this question is fraught with uncertainties – and the truth is, there is no correct answer. As a South Australian completing the Heysen, I could cover 30-35km a day or 6km an hour if that section of track was favourable. For this Tasmanian Mt Anne Circuit, there were many sheer ridgeline-kilometres that took 2 hours to achieve each 1km. Timing and tyranny ...

Planning Walks in the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees is the mountain range that runs east to west from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.  It forms the border between France and Spain.  It’s an area rich in agricultural and mining history, prehistoric remains and large forests.

I had come across this blog that got me interested in further research and the first walk I led for the club in 2018 began to take shape

Pushing through the cattle

It soon becomes apparent that there are very many walking options along ...

in verse

Why Walk

why do you walk

I asked him bare faced

in a moment when we trekked 

on the rim of the world

while the sun shone and shone

blowing bright clouds like kisses

across ultramarine skies

that had no right to be so 

so blue

so intense that the laws of physics

failed to make sense of it

why do you walk I asked him

and he thought a moment

looking around 

just to be sure

it’s this

I walk because of this

all day at work

I fold myself behind a screen

juggle numbers

clockwork cogs of finance

pull strings ...

Tasmanian Bush Safety: 1977 and Now

From the Archive: a pamphlet produced in 1977 shows just how little has changed.

See the end for suggested 2024 updates.

PREPARATION FOR THE TRIP Plan your route beforehand and obtain intormation from experienced walkers or people who are familiar with the area. Do not undertake too much within the time available and recognise your limitations in relation to the country to be covered. Obtain the best maps and always carry a compass. Learn how to use both of them. Don’t underestimate ...

Kaurna Place Names: A Brief Guide

What better way to relaunch our journal than by paying respect to its name and the people it comes from.

The Kaurna of the Adelaide plain have country from Parawa in the south to near Crystal Brook. By the 1860s, their language was no longer spoken, but several early efforts to write it down have survived to this day.

Adelaide. Looking southeast from point near Strangways Terrace. By S. Calvert 1850-55

Tandanya of course is named for the location of the city of ...



Swan Reach Conservation Park - Night Hike, 7 Dec
Half-day Oaklands Park & End-of-year lunch, 11 Dec
Sellicks Beach to Port Noarlunga - Night Hike, 14 Dec - 15 Dec
Onkaparing River East, 22 Dec
Belair National Park - Bah Humbug Hike, 25 Dec
Hiking gear for hire at reasonable rates. Try out gear before you buy your own.
Checklist of equipment, food ideas, water, first aid list, rules, minimal impact bushwalking and what to do if you get lost.
Meetings 7:30pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month, in the hall at the North Adelaide Community Centre.
Joining ABW takes you to new places you may never have heard of, off the beaten track, and to have new experiences.