Walking Interest Group
Coordinator Phil Hewitt. Please respond to email invitations.
Walking Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 9am on The Esplanade by the ANZAC monument at the jetty.
Walking Group Restarted 7th March 2024
Hello Club Members
The Walking Group went into aestivation over summer and I propose it restart in a different format. There have been many requests to restart the walks locally and with less distance. So I’m proposing that Members meet once a month and whoever turns up walks. I do not propose to lead the group anymore as I have conflicting arrangements, but happy to continue to act as Coordinator for any communications. I’ll try to get there when I can.
Current Arrangements
Day and Time: Members meet the first Thursday of each month (the same day as the Coffee Group). Arrive to start walking at 9AM. This is important as people will not know you’re coming, so please get there before time or you might get left behind.
Location: Adjacent the Brighton Jetty.
Walk Routes & Duration: Walk North or South along the Esplanade Shared Use Path. If wind is strong, maybe walk through local streets parallel to these routes. Return to start by 10AM (1 hour) and, if you’d like, join the Coffee Group in the Espy Hotel.
Aims: This arrangement means anyone who would like to walk can do so – even on their own. That’s the healthy bit. Then there is a social opportunity straight after the walk.
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Previous Years/Formats
As a social club, we walk 1 to 11/2 hours and will start locally with easy walks and see how we go.
This year (2023) walks are on Mondays once a month and start at 8:30 am (subject to change). We may bring the start time forward if very hot. After our walks we meet in a nearby cafe, even if we cancel the walk due to poor weather.
We use the Whats App to easily and quickly reach each other and reply to all of us as a conversation. This cannot be done with a simple SMS as one of us could send the SMS but no one but the receiver sees the response. I will continue to use email for other information and programs etcetera.
To confirm you are walking on a particular walk, please send a Whats App message.
Next Walk Monday 25th July
Loop Through Carrick Hill Estate and Springwood Park
Start: 8:30 am. If you live in Brighton, Seacliff area leave home about 8 am
Meeting place: In carpark at the southern end of Carrick Hill Drive (i.e. at the top of the hill), Springfield
Walk duration: About 2 hours. We will walk at Sherpa pace (slow) so we can all keep together. Overall it’s an easy to moderate walk but the decent to our cars at the end will require care and balance. If you have any, bring your walking poles.
Walk details:
1. Short steep climb, then over rolling hills mainly along a single file track around the back of Carrick Hill Estate. This forms the upper section of the Waite Loop. After 45 minutes we will rest at an area for views across Adelaide.
2. From here the path widens and is flattish, before a short climb to Springwood Park beef stud.
3. We will turn toward home walking along the farms stony gravel track. Looking back over your left shoulder you’ll see views to Mt Lofty, to your right the City, and ahead the western suburbs and Gulf St Vincent. After about 45 minutes from our last stop we will again stop at the Brown Hill Creek trig point which was established in 1837.
4. From here we will continue along the Brown Hill gravel track and then make our steep decent back to our cars.
(Note: dependent on ability we may decide to use an alternative route back to the cars instead of 3 &4 which is slightly longer, but less steep)
Weather: What’s App messages will confirm the walk during the last 24-hours prior to the walk.
Registration: Please let Philip Hewitt know only if you are coming. That way I will send you an invitation to join the What’s App group.
Coffee: Best option is to have coffee at the Finniss Café, 28 Finniss Street, Marion.
Date: Monday 20th June
Cancelled due to weather
Date: Tuesday 26th April
Southern section Coast Walk to say Marino and return
Hi Walkers. Our next walk conflicts with ANZAC Day and is in the School Holidays. I’m suggesting we do a shorter walk (about an hour or so) on Tuesday 26th April and locally on starting at 8:30am.
Meet at the Seacliff SLSC heading south in the easy section Coast Walk to say Marino and back.
Coffee at SLSC. What do you think? Any other thoughts? Phil.
Date: Monday 21st March
The Waterfalls Walk Belair Recreational Park.
Start: 8:30 am. If you live in Brighton, Seacliff area at that time of day it might take up to 30 minutes to get there due to school traffic.
Meeting place: Enter the main gate of the Belair Recreational Park off Upper Sturt Road near Laffers Road at drive say, 100-200 metres to a carpark on the left. This is before the Toll Building so is free. See RED blob on map below.
Walk duration: About 2.5 hours. We will walk at Sherpa pace (slow) so we can all keep together. Overall it’s an easy to moderate walk but there are a few challenges along the way. If you have any, you may consider bringing your walking poles (but only needed for a few sections).
Walk details: The start is somewhat confusing with so many paths and I’ve been known to take the wrong one several times!!! Hopefully that won’t happen and we will get to enjoy all of the planned walk. The path is flat and easy and mainly single/double file.
We will then head along Workanda Track to Echo Tunnel under the railway. Please bring a small light/torch as it will help you enormously as its quiet long and dark. The ceiling is low so we will be hunched over. If the drain section is dry, we can get down on that flat area.
Workanda Track continues as a walking path and after a short gentle section the track starts to rise steeply with a few steps but then levels off and is undulating. We will reach the Lower Waterfall Lookout (never any water to speak of). From there we will head 300m along the Workanda Track before taking a sharp left up a rough hill walking path and then walk along flat ground near the top of a cliff to the Upper Waterfall Lookout.
It’s a short walk up the hill before heading home along the Queens Jubilee Drive. It’s a well formed wide gravel roadway mostly a gentle downhill so we can walk in groups.
Once we reach Old Government House we can turn left and take the path through the Adventure Playground. First toilets are here. The path continues its way between tennis courts and play areas with Minno Creek bridge crossings before returning to the carpark.
Weather: We will walk this regardless of weather.
Registration: Please let me know by What’s App message.
Coffee: We should finish around 11am. If we decide to have coffee the best recommendation is Sheoak Café, 38 Sheoak Rd, Belair SA 5052.
Date: Monday 21st February
Loop Through Carrick Hill Estate and Springwood Park
Start: 7:30am. If you live in Brighton, Seacliff area leave home about 7am and arrive around 7:20 or so
Meeting place: In carpark at the southern end of Carrick Hill Drive (i.e. at the top of the hill), Springfield
Walk duration: About 2 hours. We will walk at Sherpa pace (slow) so we can all keep together. Overall it’s an easy to moderate walk but the decent to our cars at the end will require care and balance. If you have any, ring your walking poles.
Walk details: Short steep climb, then over rolling hills mainly along a single file track around the back of Carrick Hill Estate. This forms the upper section of the Waite Loop. After 45 minutes we will rest at an area for views across Adelaide.
From here the path widens and is flattish, before a short climb to Springwood Park beef stud.
We will turn toward home walking along the farms stony gravel track. Looking back over your left shoulder you’ll see views to Mt Lofty, to your right the City, and ahead the western suburbs and Gulf St Vincent. After about 45 minutes from our last stop we will again stop at the Brown Hill Creek trig point which was established in 1837.
From here we will continue along the Brownhill gravel track and then make our steep decent back to our cars.
Weather: We will walk this if the temperature forecast is below 26 degrees. If it’s about that then please watch for What’s App messages.
Registration: Please let me know by What’s App message.
Coffee: We will sit outside for coffee. Either at Beltana Café, McLeod House, Waite Road, or else, on our way home at the Finniss Café, 28 Finniss Street, Marion
If you are not part of the Walking Group you can still come along, but please SMS Phil Hewitt at least 2 days before the walk.
Walking_Group_Program_Revision_2.pdf
The first walk is on Wednesday 27th October and a full program is in the attachment.
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