main

Navigation

Archive | Training

Lightweight Hiking

By on 22 October, 2022 in Affiliated club news, Training, Walks

Lightweight Hiking

As we all know, the lighter your pack, the more you will enjoy your multi-day hiking adventure in Australia or overseas.

With this in mind, Byron Community College recently ran a Lightweight Hiking Course which gave participants expert advice on choosing the lightest affordable equipment and dehydrated food.

A highlight of the Course was a gourmet hike cooking class with dishes such as:

  • Miso soup
  • Linguine with speck, hard fried in ghee and garlic and embellished with fresh snow peas and shaved parmesan
  • Thai rice with coconut milk, lemon grass, snow peas and chilli tuna fillets
  • Chocolate chia pudding with coconut milk
  • Billy tea

The Course also included a local day ‘off track’ hike and the option of overnight camping and hiking experience.

The Lightweight Hiking Course was presented by Steve Millard from Byron Hikers who has extensive experience planning and leading hundreds of hikes all over Australia and the remote Indian Himalaya. Steve loves sharing his knowledge to encourage more people to experience the simple pleasures of hiking in the wilderness. Most importantly Steve wants more people to become aware of the need for conservation of our precious national parks and natural areas. Email Steve at byronhikers@gmail.com for more information.

This lightweight hiking class will run again through the Byron College in February/March 2023. For those keen to learn more hiking recipes the book Xtreme Gourmet has lots of information on ‘high energy, lightweight recipes for the outdoor enthusiast’.

 

Canberra Bushwalking Club – Safe River Crossings Training

By on 13 August, 2021 in Bushwalking club management resources, Bushwalking safety, Events, Training, Walks
River Safety Training, Cotter River, February 2021, Canberra Bushwalking Club

At the start of 2021 Canberra Bushwalking Club held a challenging and interesting activity for members – a river-crossing training exercise. Held in the clear waters of the Cotter River, 26 club members attended keen to learn how to cross rivers safely.

The training was recommended for leaders and anyone contemplating walking in New Zealand or Tasmania. The course covered teaching participants how to assess a river, identify the safest crossing place and solo and team crossing techniques. Participants practiced these techniques in water up to thigh deep and also had the opportunity to practice swimming with a pack.

The day was highly successful with all participants agreeing that the course helped them to learn these essential life-saving skills. Watch more here to learn more about river safety.

Our Club of the Month: Canberra Bushwalking Club

Canberra Bushwalking Club was founded in 1961 and currently has over 400 members. While the Club’s main activity is bushwalking it also offers canoeing, canyoning, caving, conservation work parties, cross-country skiing, cycling, geocaching, liloing and social activities. Check out the Club’s Facebook page to see more.

Features of the Canberra Bushwalking Club include:

  • A range of activities – from easy urban rambles and walks suitable for families with toddlers, to multi-day expeditions in rough and remote areas
  • Training programs in navigation and other topics
  • Strong emphasis on safety
  • Modest annual membership fees (currently $40)
  • Non-members welcome on activities, with agreement of walk leader (up to 3 activities)
  • Participants covered by public liability insurance
  • Monthly meetings with guest speakers

St John Ambulance First Aid Course Updates

By on 20 June, 2021 in Affiliated club news, Bushwalking safety, Events, News Updates, Training

Volunteer St John Ambulance trainer, Belinda Keir, has been instructing First Aid at Senior level since before 2000. Belinda’s practical teaching methods have helped to raise the level of First Aid knowledge within bushwalking clubs. Belinda was recently awarded the Bushwalking NSW 2020 Chardon Award.

St John Ambulance first aid courses have recently changed so it is recommended that Clubs check course codes on the Bushwalking NSW First Aid Training page. The course code for Provide First Aid is now HLTAID011 instead of HLTAID003 and for Provide First Aid in a Remote or Isolated Situation is now HLTAID013 instead of HLTAID005. The change in course codes mean that all class ID numbers have been revised. You will need to quote the correct class ID to book any course. As our next Remote course is only a few weeks away, we would be grateful if this could be done as soon as possible.

People who have a less than 12 months old HLTAID003 or HLTAID011 Provide First Aid certificate can request a credit transfer for Provide First Aid in a Remote or Isolated Situation. This gets a discount in time (you don’t need to attend day one) but not a price discount. Credit transfers can take time to arrange and need to be organised well before the course. Please request a credit transfer form when you enrol and return it with evidence of your current HLTAID003 or HLTAID011 certificate. This will be verified by St John and if a credit transfer is granted it will be attached to the class roll.

Please note that while class size limits are currently 18, this could change due to COVID. While the two remote courses are put on our calendar for bushwalkers, there is usually space in other Provide First Aid courses which are offered to members of Scouts NSW.

In 2022 it is anticipated that Provide First Aid in a Remote or Isolated Situation HLTAID013 courses for bushwalkers and Scouts will run at Barra Brui (St Ives) over two weekends in February, July and November.

Keith Maxwell has stated:

“I have always thought that an important role for Search and Rescue/Bushwalking NSW was to encourage the spread of First Aid knowledge throughout the bushwalking clubs. For example, the Bush Club runs its own stream of First Aid training. Training for their Club walks leaders is fully subsidised by the club”.

Kirsten Mayer, Executive Officer of Bushwalking NSW Inc said:

“First Aid training is important for our clubs and we are so grateful to the entire team of Scouts and St John Ambulance volunteers who facilitate and deliver this training. All of this volunteer effort keeps the price very low for our bushwalkers. We encourage our club members to undertake this training. We also encourage our clubs to consider subsidising First Aid training for walks’ leaders.”

Paddle NSW Training

By on 6 March, 2020 in Bushwalking safety, Training

Paddle NSW is currently offering Flatwater Leadership skills training with reduced prices for successful applicants!

The Paddle NSW Flatwater Leadership Course is being held on March 28-29 at Lake Parramatta, Sydney and on 4 April in Dubbo Central Western NSW. This two day training course is sufficient for a teacher or Sport & Recreation leader to take kids out on flat water so extensive.

The Dubbo course is heavily subsidised and costs only $150 per participant!

Click here to register for both courses.

Paddle NSW can also design tailored courses for 6 to 8 people in locations across NSW to upskill club members in basic whitewater skills or to upskill club paddle leaders. Contact Paddle NSW here for more information.

Bushwalkers & Rogainers 30th Annual NavShield

By on 2 April, 2018 in Awards & Recognition, Bushwalking safety, Events, Training

Press Release to Bushwalkers & Rogainers

30th Annual NavShield

23 & 24 June 2018

Great Navigation Training Opportunity!

Please add to your winter activities program

The NSW Emergency Services Wilderness Navigation Shield (NavShield), is a rogain event where teams
attempt to gain as many points as possible by finding their way on foot, through unfamiliar wilderness terrain
to pre-marked checkpoints.

The course covers an area of approximately 80 square kilometres with only traditional map and compass
navigation techniques permitted. There are both day and overnight event options.
The course is set by a team of skilled navigators from Bush Search and Rescue NSW (the oldest land
search and rescue unit in Australia) – the official Search & Rescue arm of Bushwalking NSW.

The course is set in a secret location (approx 2.5 hrs from Sydney) and will take place on the last weekend
of June 2018.

Encompassing the finest traditions and character of off-track bushwalking, NavShield is an opportunity to
get back to basics and work on important navigation skills, without the use of GPS technology.
It’s an ideal training opportunity for your club members to learn and practice on a fun and enjoyable
weekend. You can choose to make it as competitive or as amateur/fun as you like!

We ask all bushwalking clubs to please add this great event to their calendars and encourage teams to take
part.

With a successful 30 year history, we want to make this year’s event one to celebrate and are planning for it
to be a standout event. If you or your club has ever considered taking part, or perhaps attended past events,
we invite you to make a commitment to be a part of this 30th year celebration event.

To celebrate and thanks to the generous support of our friends in SES and RFS, we’ve reduced the entry
fee to only $40 per person. All the more reason to get involved!

Past events have seen entries from a variety of Bushwalking Clubs and Rogainers, Police, Ambulance, Rural
Fire Service, State Emergency Service, Volunteer Rescue Association and the Armed Forces.

Now is the time to organise and motivate your club to take part in this great event!

Registrations open 2 April.

For all details and registration, visit Bush Search and Rescue NSW.

David’s Lane Cove River Minimal Impact Training walks

By on 29 January, 2018 in Conservation, Training, Walks

David will be leading two Minimal Impact Bushwalking Awareness Walks in Lane Cove National Park and this webpage shows the planned route. To book for these walks go to: Bushwalking NSW Minimal Impact Bushwalking Training Events

The walk will start at the Koonjerie Picnic Area in the Lane Cove National Park:

The walk will parts of the Great North Walk on the east side of the river after crossing at the Lane Cove Weir:

The walk goes back across the river near Christie Park where the river is not very wide or deep, and there are many rocks creating the crossing:

The walk will finish at the Macquarie Centre:

From here a 545 bus can be caught back to the starting point or Chatswood Station.