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Join a club

bushwalkers cross a creek

Why join a club?

It’s fun, safe, adventurous and low cost!

Fun

  • Walking and outdoors adventure is more fun with a club.
  • Make new friends. Clubs are friendly places, and always welcome new members.
  • Meet people of all ages, and from all walks of life, who share your interest in bushwalking and outdoor adventure.

Safe

  • It is safer to walk with a club.
  • Clubs share loads of great knowledge and experience – often for free!
  • If you are unsure of your skill in map and compass navigation, the club leaders will be able to guide you safely.
  • There is safety in numbers. In case of an accident or emergency the group will be able to handle the situation much better than one or two bushwalkers on their own.

Adventure

  • Discover new places to walk – in your local region, the rest of the state, country and across the world!
  • Clubs often arrange weekends or weeks away exploring exciting walking destinations.
  • Choose from the full range of adventures imaginable:
    • from a 2 hour walk, bike-ride, paddle or social gathering,
    • to a multi-day wilderness trek, and
    • everything in between!

Low cost

  • Most trips cost nothing more than your fuel, food and gear.

How to join a club

Search for a club in your area on our website on the Clubs by Location or Name page or the Clubs Map page. From these pages, you can click through to the club websites to see their walks program and learn how to join. Some clubs may not publish the full program on their website for privacy reasons and you will need to contact the Club Secretary for details.

Remember that the best club for you may not necessarily be the closest club. Although some clubs are purely locally based, most bushwalking clubs offer activities throughout the region. Contact the Club Secretary to discuss your walking experience and the type of hikes and activities they conduct. This will help you to determine if their walks are pitched at the right activity level for you.

You can go on test walks with a new club to decide if it is the best one for you. Most clubs will allow visitors to attend one or two walks before deciding whether to join the club. Others will ask you to go on trial walks before allowing you to join, so that they can determine if you have sufficient fitness to safely undertake the types of activities they organise.

You will also need to consider whether the club members are in the right age group, whether they walk too fast or too slow for your enjoyment, whether the walks are on days that suit your availability, and whether they predominantly organise trips based on public transport or private vehicles. Even if the club usually travels by car, many clubs will assist you to organise a car share to the walk starting point.

If possible, attend a club meeting. Some clubs have regular club meetings where you can meet the members and committee, listen to a talk, or watch a slideshow on recent activities.

Read our pages on Getting Started and Safety before your first walk.

Once you have joined a club, plan to attend a regular walk each week or month so that other members get to know you. You shouldn’t worry if you don’t know anyone else on the activity. Bushwalkers are generally friendly people. Introduce yourself and start a conversation with other walk participants. You will quickly get to know people, establish friendships and feel welcome on a walk.