Gladstone District Bushwalkers Club

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN OUR CLUB

Have you ever tried bushwalking? It is a great way to unwind from the stresses of life and to get exercise at the same time. Bushwalking is fun and a great way to meet people. The desire to explore the natural world around us is the heritage from which the country developed. Bushwalking is the true spirit of Australia. The Central Queensland region is well situated with many diverse areas for bushwalking.

CLUB HISTORY

The Gladstone District Bushwalkers Club has been operating since 1989 after two local sisters in the Gladstone Region in Central Queensland Australia, Mona Oliver and Brenda Beauchamp, had a vision of like-minded locals forming a club that would foster and encourage bushwalking as a recreational activity. The Club has changed very little from those early days and many of the original founding members are still actively enjoying Club Membership.

Its organisation is very low key. A general meeting is held monthly as advertised in the Club newsletter. All interested persons are welcome to attend these meetings. A monthly newsletter is sent to all members giving information on forthcoming activities including details on the degree of difficulty and type of country through which the activity will take place.

Whilst the activities are predominantly walking, members participate in related outdoor activities such as canoeing, cycling, navigation and camping.

CLUB ACTIVITIES

The most common Club activity is of one day duration. We leave town in the morning, drive to the area of the activity, and then spend much of the day walking, canoeing, etc. We carry our lunch and have it somewhere in the bush, often at a viewpoint, and make our way back to the cars generally aiming to return to town by about dark.

Activities vary from the coast to dry areas with no available water to locations with creeks and waterholes providing opportunities for swimming and relaxing.

Activities also provide an opportunity to appreciate the natural history and scenic attractions of our region.

Our members have a wide range of interests and are always willing to share their knowledge of the settlement history, geology, flora, and bird and animal life in the areas visited during activities.

Each activity has an appointed walk leader who should be contacted prior to participating in an activity as restrictions such as limited numbers or the need for 4WD vehicles may apply. Always turn up at the departure point at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time as we depart on time.

Other activities including weekend camps, longer through-walks and social activities are included in our calendar of events. On suitable occasions we share activities with neighbouring bushwalking clubs.