Adele Dec 08
Hello everyone, and Merry Xmas from me and from the Great Walk.
We've had a wonderful year - our twentieth year walking and talking and being together in WA's amazing bushlands. We've been in the deep south, with towering Karri and Jarrah trees, goblin swamps, rugged granite outcrops and a wild and wind-lashed ocean. And we've been in the middle east, in the Great Western Woodlands (now the largest temperate woodlands in the world) with Salmon gums, Quondongs, vast granite outcrops, and wide, flat salt lakes.
This will be my last note as your co-ordinator. I have enjoyed the role - it is always daunting to take on such roles and we all have such busy lives - but it is always worth it when you do. You always get so much out of it. Thanks very much to the 'team' for all your hard work and input in the last couple of years especially, but with some of you for many years past. To Lisa for being such an efficient and organised secretary. To Tony for your diligence and time with the position of treasury - much of it after you had 'resigned'. To Ian and Beryl for keeping the truck for so long and to Ian for all your driving of and work on the truck and bus.
We've reunited with members of old and reminisced about our stories and our many adventures together, and we've welcomed new members into our fold, had new adventures and made new stories with them.
To John for frequently being our only truck (and sometimes bus) driver, and for all your running around. (And for your newly aquired 'patience and tolerance'.) To Cath and John and Co for being such great equipment co-ordinators. To Deb for her great love, energy for and caring for the Great Walk and her wonderful networking skills. To Gerard for all the great photos and putting together of the newsletter. To Joanna for being our web woman. To Michael for being our membership man. To Basil for being such a consistent instigator and organiser of wonderful walks. To Vera, Jozina, Lorraine, Yamuna, and Katrin for being such valuable committee members. To Zane for your enthusiasm. To all those who volunteer for roles on the walks. In short to everyone who has contributed to our being able to continue to walk, including of course all out walkers! I hope I haven't missed anyone out!
We've been bogged and stuck on giant hills of sand, rained upon so hard we had to break walk rules and hide away in caves, and managed to puncture, hole or shred five tyres in one five day period. And with the Kimberly walk coming up we will surely have more adventures ahead of us.
So - lets keep walking together, and lets keep caring for and being vigilant about how we talk to and treat each other. Happy camping for the summer campers!
Love and light, Adele.
Adele Foote