Walk With Us - 23 June 2012
The 5 Lands Walk 2012 will be held on Saturday 23 June. Put the date in your diary to join us for the Walk or any of the events along the way.
The 2011 Walk was a huge success, with over 1,200 people registered to walk and we estimate 2,500 actually walked the 5 Lands Walk. We estimate that over 9,000 attended at least one part of the walk.
The organising committee conducted a survey of 2011 participants, and plans underway will take many of those suggestions into account.
Each Land is now planning its events, and we will again see the participation of the Aboriginal community and a wide range of ethnic groups from the Central Coast.
The 5 Lands Walk has been recognised by Central Coast Tourism as a "Flagship Event" on the Coast and Tourism NSW has provided a grant to assist in the promotion of the event in Sydney - so we will be welcoming many new friends from Sydney to our beautiful coastline and lively communities.
If you'd like to help your local committee with planning or on the day, please contact your "5 Lands Walk Land Leader":
MacMasters Beach - Tony Powell - tonypowell.macs@gmail.com
Copacabana - Linda Spedding - linda.spedding@gmail.com
Avoca Beach - Pauline Wright - pwright@pjdonnellan.com.au
North Avoca - Allan Ray - alan@berowrawaters.com
Terrigal - Tim Orgias - tim@inrhythm.com.au
Registration form
Pre - registered walkers can avoid delays on the day and will receive their map, discount vouchers, wristband and survey. Prizes will be drawn at the Finale at Terrigal including 4 night accommodation Package at Star of the Sea Terrigal, In Rythm Drumming course and Seafood Voucher.
And there's a photo competition, designed for both "happy snappers" and keen photographers alike. Details of the competition, including entry form will be posted here early in 2012. Photos need to be taken over the period 1 May to 16 May 2012.
Youthconnections.com.au
We're proud to announce that the 2012 Walk will again be supporting youthconnections.com.au. This community group helps young people 13-19 on the Central Coast access employment, education, training and recreational opportunities so they can reach their full potential. Go to their website to learn more about the vital work they do for the youth of the Central Coast.
About the 5 Lands Walk
The 5 Lands Walk is a community-based cultural, physical and spiritual event based in Gosford City on the NSW Central Coast
It connects:
- Five beachside communities - the 5 Lands of MacMasters Beach, Copacabana, Avoca Beach, North Avoca and Terrigal
- The local Aboriginal community.
- Local ethnic communities.
The 5 Lands Walk is not a race, nor an extreme bushwalk. It's a journey through and with the communities of the Central Coast, experiencing the diverse cultural offerings of the communities and the landscape in which they dwell.
In fact, you don't have to complete all the walk to enjoy the wide variety of actvities and experiences - you can sample just some of the programs. But completing the walk will maximise your experience.
The intention of the Walk is to engender a sense of belonging and connectedness in the communities that participate. And have some fun, too.
Spirituality in this context is not conventional, religious-based spirituality, but the spirituality any participant may personally feel through enhanced connection with People and Place. You will define and experience this in your own personal way.
The 5 Lands Walk programme comprises three elements
- A walking route that follows our spectacular coastline for nine kilometres, encompassing beaches, headlands, bushland and the specific Five Lands.
- Cultural and fun events near the Surf Clubs at each of the beaches, hosted by each of the 5 Lands, including multicultural programmes from ethnic groups located on the Central Coast.
- An Aboriginal program of activities undertaken by the local Aboriginal community through Aboriginal community groups that overarches the event and binds it spiritually.
The walking route and each Land through which it passes offers you connection with:
Through these connections, you can experience
- the art, music, dance, culture and food of each community
- travel through bushland, beaches and the built environment,
- personal participation in events as diverse as whale watching, cultural workshops and kite flying.
Through these activities the 5 Lands Walk fulfills its vision of "Connecting People to People and People to Place".
Check the page for each Land and lead-up event to see what's happening where and when.
The walk is timed around the winter solstice, so celebrates to coming of warmer seasons and longer days. This is the time of year when the humpback whales northern migration past our beaches is well underway.
The humpback whale is the totem of the Darkinjung people of the Central Coast, so the whale forms an important part of the symbolism of the Walk. Presentations on whales and whale watching are a popular and spectacular part of the event, and you have an excellent chance of seeing whales during the day from the beaches and headlands.
The ethnic communities to be hosted by the 5 Lands in 2012 are
- MacMasters Beach - Mauritian
- Copacabana - Greek
- Avoca Beach - Filipino
- North Avoca - Chinese
- Terrigal - African
The Aboriginal community will participate in ceremonies during the lead-up events and on the day of the Walk, ensuring that events are physically and spiritually safe for participants. They will also spend part of the day at North Avoca offering cultural events, workshops, stories, song and dance.
The power of the 5 Lands Walk to successfully develop relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people on the Central Coast has been recognised by its winning the Cultural Award of the NSW Local Government and Shires Association in the category Aboriginal Cultural Development for Aboriginal Arts in 2010. It was also awarded Community Event by Gosford City Council at its Australia Day Awards in 2012.
You may walk as much or as little of the route as you wish and when you wish.
You may choose to walk only one or two of the sections between each community, depending on your ability or interests. You may choose to walk none of the walk, but still visit any Land whose program is of interest to you. The route is on beaches, paths through bushland, roadways and roadside footpaths. It can be undertaken by any able-bodied person, including children.
And you can leave your wallet at home! There are no charges to participate in any of the events of the 5 Lands Walk on 3 July, including shuttle buses. However, you may wish to purchase refreshments from cafes and shops located in most of the Lands.
Parts of the route are in reserves or beaches where dogs are not permitted. Please respect this. Where dogs are permitted, please keep them on a lead for the comfort of your fellow walkers, unless the area is a specified "dogs of leash" zone. Beaches and bushland tracks may not be suitable for child strollers, wheelchairs, walking frames or bicycles.
We hope that the Walk will proceed regardless of the weather, but the route may be altered if necessary. Shuttle buses may be used where obstacles such as flooding need to be avoided.
If circumstances are extreme, we may need to cancel the event, but our expectation is that we will proceed - rain, hail or shine.