Verticordia grandis - Lesueur National Park

Wildflowers of Western Australia - Lesueur National Park

July 30, 2021

It may be raining and blowing a gale outside right now but as we get closer to the Djilba season (Noongar name for August and September season), you can already see the bright yellow acacias brightening up the bush from the Pilbara to the great southern regions.

We love the wildflower season in Western Australia. And this year is already proving to be a bumper season.

If you want to see some stunning wildflowers right now within 3 hours drive of Perth, then head north to the florally diverse Lesueur National Park. There are currently 3 set trails there (with a multi-day trail being built at the moment) and these will take you on a magical meander through some florally rich landscapes.

The Lesueur National Park is home to over 10 declared threatened species and over 900 species of flowers. It is a hub of diversity and the trails are well posted. Here are some captures from a recent scoping trip into this magical wildflower wonderland.

Mt Magog, Mt Talyuberlup and Wildflowers - Stirling Range National Park

June 10, 2021

Peaks, Wildflowers & Fascination in the Stirling Range National Park

The Stirling Range National Park is one of Western Australia’s most visited national parks and has been called a ‘coral reef out of water’ for its great floral diversity and environmental value.

Early in May (autumn in the southern hemisphere) we took a much-needed, unstructured day off and travelled the 5 hours south of Perth to hike Mt Magog and Talyuberlup, two of the more demanding peaks in the park.

From the very moment we turned onto Stirling Range Drive to access the trailhead, bright and glistening blooms covered in the morning dew and soft rain adorned the way.

On the trail too, which starts with a gentle slope and steadily becomes more demanding, an abundance of flowering plants lined the path.

Fascinated by the fabulous view of Mt Magog and Talyuberlup we hiked up its craggy & slippery granite footholds and muddy slopes, captivated by the floral natives that lit up the path all the way up to the increasingly challenging peak. Acacias, hakeas, banksias, bottlebrushes endemic to the area and a scattering of Kingia australis visible throughout, to name just a few of the more prominent plants.

The day was damp and the trail was challenging. We made our way over the densely vegetated ridge on the less travelled trail from Magog to Talyuberlup and by the time we had hiked all the way there and back, and down to the car, we were exhausted and wet but filled with a deep sense of wellbeing.

Sure, physical exercise results in a myriad of physical and mental benefits – our bodies have evolved for physical activity, but much of the feeling of wellbeing may well be due to the beauty we were immersed in.

When we fascinate, it was discovered in 1890 by American psychologist William James, we switch on the parasympathetic system and help the brain regenerate mental energy.

Fascination may be why natural organisms and environments can engender such a feeling of wellness and peace. Fascination, regenerates mental energy and although the body might be tired from the physical exertion, the mind is calm and fresh and more aware of its surroundings.

Below are some of the spectacular plants we saw along the way.

The first bright yellow & orange flower is a Hibbertia selkii. I was delighted to see this beautiful species of the Hibbertia genus just casually brightening up the side of Stirling Range Drive, it’s a priority 2 listed species, which means that we don’t really know too much about this species because there are less than 5 locations where it is found. It means that the species needs to be studied more but is possibly going to be labelled threatened.

In the middle is Hakea cucullata, or Scalloped Hakea - a pretty plated offering of curly pink tassels. This is quite a tall plant, a couple of metres or more, sometimes leaning right out from the edge of the road.

Next to it is another hakea, Hakea lissocarpha, also called Honey Bush, and is widely spread around Western Australia from Geraldton to Esperance, its flowers creamy with pink hues.

Hakeas are endemic to Australia – most are found in WA - and were traditionally used as a source of food by Noongars for their sweet nectar – sometimes they sucked it straight from the plant, sometimes the flowers were soaked in water. The fruit of some hakeas, which is woody and hard was also roasted until the seeds popped out and were eaten like nuts.

There are so many species of flowers in the Stirling Ranges - 1500 to be exact and many only found here, as in nowhere else on the planet. Like this one: Darwinia hyperifolia. There is always something to fascinate about.

Darwinia hyperifolia 1 Stirling Range.JPG

Here’s a short video of our exhilirating day!

BIOPHILIA – does spending time in nature really help?

April 24, 2021

Biophilia refers to our human love for all things living, but more specifically, to the idea that we possess an innate (even genetic) inclination to want to be around living organisms & systems and that it makes us feel better.

The Cape to Cape track - Western Australia’s epic coastal trail offers a range of natural environments and wildflowers.

Since the term was popularised by Edward Wilson in the 1980s, there have been many studies into the positive effects that nature has on our wellbeing.

Do humans have an affinity and an innate tendency to feel better when they are affiliating with living organisms?

Yes! And it’s not just nature-loving, tree-hugging ‘hippies’ who think so.

Numerous studies have concluded that being in contact with nature has strong positive physical & psychological effects. It makes sense, as a Japanese study on natural forest therapy points out, we have already spent almost 99.9% of our evolutionary history in natural settings. It’s only for a miniscule fraction of our existence that we have been industrialised and living in urban settings.

These positive effects include increased longevity, better physical health, mental recovery, increased focus and attention, positive thoughts and reduced stress. The reduction of stress is particularly important as stress is the cause of so many diseases and conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to depression to other autoimmune disorders.

Boranup Forest …. Karri, Marri, Jarrah, Grass Trees, Peppies … green living organisms all around

Another Chinese/Japanese study found that there were significant reductions in stressor markers when subjects spent time in nature as compared to urban settings. Including 12.4% reduction in cortisol levels, 7% decrease in sympathetic nervous activity (which alerts the body to respond to danger) 1.4 % decrease in blood pressure and 5.8 % decrease in heart rate.

In addition, the parasympathetic system function rose by 55% showing increased a relaxed state in participants.

In other words, stress can be relieved by being out in nature.

‘… exposure to natural stimuli can mediate the negative effect of stress reducing the negative mood state at the same time as enhancing positive emotions.’ (Berto, 2014)

Walking and spending time in nature may lead to longevity and healthier minds.

Another important positive effect of spending time in nature is the increase in Natural Killer cells and anticancer proteins with suggestions that walking through forests and other lush and natural environments can help in the prevention of cancer and other diseases. (Miyazaki, 2011)

The list of studies goes on, all supporting the central premise that generally, we not only feel better spending time amongst living organisms, but they lead to quantifiable improvements in physical and mental health issues.

But what exactly causes the benefit? This is still a mystery.

Qualup bells - in the spectacular Fitzgerald River National Park - Western Australia

Is it the colours? The green in the leaves of the Karri trees or the grasses in our wetlands? The deep blues in the sky and ocean?

The deep red in the West Australian earth and rock, the diversity of colour in our flowers?

Or is it the sensations of the wind in our hair, sand between our toes, the sound of birds calling out, the taste of salt and fire? Or the patterns that we see in bark and granite; in shells and fish, intricate yet familiar?

Are we really genetically programmed to be at one with nature?

But do your own research:

How do you feel when you are driving around a multi-storey car park, sitting in an airconditioned, neon-lit office, a supermarket?

How do you feel when you are out in the garden, dipping your feet in the ocean, walking among trees?

As we celebrate Earth Day once again during this time of Covid-19 pandemic I invite everyone reading this to reflect on how our urban and industrial environments are making us sick and how a simple stroll on a park, in a forest, on a beach, in a garden, or a simple grouping of pot plants in a corner can have such a positive effect on how we feel and on our mental and physical wellbeing.

2020 - The Year We Stayed Home

January 08, 2021

2020 was a year that will be remembered in history as a year of global disease, political disillusion, and forced distance from loved-ones. The tourism industry will most probably remember it as the year we stayed home.

The video below is a visual account of our 2020.

Cape to Cape Track in the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, WA. DRONE IMAGE: Gary Quintrell

Beyond sustainability – 3 important messages about the future of tourism in Australia

December 29, 2020

The 2020 Global Asia-Pacific Ecotourism Conference was held in Margaret River at the beginning of December 2020. Speakers and participants represented all areas of the tourism industry in the region, mainly Australia.

There were representatives from state and local governments, regional tourism organisations, relevant government departments, tour operators of all sizes and forms; and, some academics. Everyone present was passionate. Everything shared & discussed was important. However, there were 3 messages that really stood out.

1. Trails and ‘trail towns’ on the rise

As the popularity of human-powered tourism increases and more and more people take up hiking and cycling, trails and ‘trail towns’ around the world are going to play a growing & important role in determining the destination of many visitors.

This is great news.

I don’t know how many people walk the Cape to Cape track every year here in WA’s southwest, but I know it’s enough to help sustain several tour operators, including Edgewalkers, a number of driving services, multiple accommodation providers from high end to AIRBNB, caterers and all the other services and businesses in their supply chain, including food producers, small cottage food businesses, retailers, laundry services, mechanics, cleaners, gardeners.

With the WA government recently committed to spending $45 million in the development of trails, there is a distinct move towards developing the economies of some destinations by becoming trail destinations.

Collie and Dwellingup, also in WA’s southwest, are two locations already marked and in transition to becoming trail towns. As more visitors come for the trails, more jobs & businesses are created helping to increase the number of nights a visitor spends in the community and the revenue spent.

This increase in revenue can encourage bigger government investment in infrastructure, always needed in rural areas. Busselton’s new airport, for example, will be opening up the southwest to a whole wave of new visitors.

Alongside the economic benefits, the increase in people using the trails will also increase the need for clear and well-informed conservation and protection protocols to be practised by everyone. With an understanding that the economy of their community depends on the pristine condition of the natural environment, all stakeholders are also responsible for the trails and their condition; everyone is a conservationist.

Cupped Leaf Hakea - Stirling Range National Park PHOTO Erika Jacobson

2. Regenerative is the new sustainable

Sustainability is not enough.

Intrepid Adventures founder, Geoff Manchester, spoke passionately about the importance of tourism businesses, and all businesses, having the potential for being a ‘force for good’.

As a leading adventure company proud of its B Corp business certification, its adherence to Science-Based Targets & its undertaking of activities informed and aimed towards achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, Intrepid sets itself apart through its regenerative practices.

‘Regenerative’ was, in effect, the word of the hour.

According to ‘conscious travel’ scholar and consultant, Anna Pollock, even the best practices in sustainability will only lead to a ‘slow-down in our current passage to catastrophe’.

With 70 % of visitors to Australia stating that they are coming here to spend time at a natural location, there is, effectively, no tourism industry in Australia without a pristine and well-protected natural world.

Regeneration, we heard over three days, is the optimal goal.

Regenerative tourism is tourism that partners with nature so that it reflects our part in this living system. Regenerative tourism asks the questions:

How can a destination flourish? How can we contribute to a destination & all of its inhabitants (including the nonhuman ones) thriving?

Southern right whales in the Fitzgerald River National Park. DRONE IMAGE: Gary Quintrell

3. It costs more to do nothing!

That’s right.

Doing nothing about climate change, according to a recent Deloitte report: A New Choice: Australia’s Climate for Growth, will come at a great financial cost.

If their calculations are accurate, by 2070, if nothing is done to stop global warming, there will be a loss to the global economy of over $300 trillion dollars, and over 800,000 jobs.

If we start (right now) to do everything we can to minimise carbon footprints and stop the rising global temperature, by 2070, we will have added $680 billion to the economy and 250,000 jobs.

I don’t know how the figures were calculated, and personally, these stats matter less to me than the massive loss of natural habitats and the extinction of flora and fauna species. But I know these calculations are crucial and perhaps will be the most important factor in big businesses adopting more earth-conscious practices.

Mt Bruce - Karijini National Park PHOTO Erika Jacobson

**Hakea cucullata in the Stirling Range National Park**

3 Wildflower Walking Weekend Ideas ... that you can do right now!

July 28, 2020

MULLEWA

Distance from Perth: 450 km
Where to Stay: Old Pindar Hotel - so quaint and friendly.
Walk: Bushland Trail Walk
Drive: Northern Loop & Southern Circuit
Time visited: 15 July 2020

You’ll be delighted at just how much is already in flower in this area at this time. The drives are great ways to also find out more about the culture of the district, but make sure you park up somewhere safe and take a wander because when you walk, you can spot all the tiny ones you can’t see from the car. You will love it!!
Here are just a few of the flowers we saw. Pop into the Visitors Centre and have a chat with the lovely staff there.

And for a great view of the town and short, but beautiful walk, head to the Bushland Trail Walk and be right among some beautiful Hakeas and Eremophilas. Also, the wreath flowers might be out very close to Pindar - follow the signs.

RAVENSTHORPE RANGE

Distance from Perth: 500 km
Where to Stay: Our favourite place to stay in the area- is the Blue Vista Cottage which is 35 km south of Ravensthorpe towards Hopetoun - it is delightful and you cannot find friendlier and more attentive hosts! But if you don’t want to add any more distance to your journey, there is the Ravensthorpe Motel (call ahead of time) and also the Green Haven Tourist Park.
Walk: Ravensthorpe Range Walk - start at Archers Lookout - access Floater Road via Old Newdegate Road off Hopetoun-Lake King Road.
Time visited: 3 July 2020

Start at the lookout and walk up the hill and as far as you like - a few kilometers are enough to see so many species in flower there.
We were early in the season and so from now (the publishing of this post) until October, there will be so many species around, you won’t know where to point your camera. Look below at some of the beauties we saw.

STIRLING RANGE NATIONAL PARK

Distance from Perth: 400 km
Where to Stay: Stirling Range Retreat is a great and central place from where to explore wildflowers all through the National Park. You can camp, use the power sites for caravans or rent a simple cottage or a really cozy rammed earth bungalow, your choice! Super friendly management and the facilities are excellent.
Walk/Drive: Stirling Range Drive - Mt Magog or anywhere in the park.
Time visited: 9 July 2020

There are a lot of places to explore in the National Park, but if you drive down Stirling Range Drive you will start to see flowers from the car and you can stop and walk around and see lots of them in bloom. Make sure you look down to see if you can spot any of the tiny orchids or smaller flowers that are found only inches from the ground.

The suggested walk is the lower part of the trail towards Mt Magog - but you don’t have to climb right to the top 500 metres or so is enough to see stunning wildflowers right now! Like these:

REMEMBER:
1. Park safely (away from bends or crests)
2. If you are on the road for extended periods of time, wear a high visibility vest so that drivers can see you.
3. DO NOT pick any flowers or damage their environment in any way!

Enjoy the delightful beauty of our wildflowers and make sure to tag #edgewalkers on Instagram or @Edgewalkers on Facebook and we will repost on our pages.

**Kirra Diconza, environmental scientist, yoga teacher & Edgewalkers guide.**

Why I love the Cape to Cape

July 17, 2020

Blues, yellows, greens, reds, whites, pinks; so many different colours and shades of the southwest coast.

My eyes are peeled on the rocky ground, trying not to stumble, however, my feet know where to go. My eyes keep wandering, they glance up to the stunning horizon of the endless Indian Ocean. There I can see a crystal vision of seaweed floating in the water, as the offshore wind hits the top of the waves, creating rainbows in the spray.

What such a perfect haven for a pod of dolphins to play in. Look over there, a school of Australian salmon, what a sight to see jumping and flickering all trying to get their feed. My eyes fall back to the ground, again the floor beneath me has changed.

Now to soft moist sand, how I want to take my shoes off and feel the coolness of the gritting sand. What such a spectacular experience, from high rise to low. The Cape to Cape is so different at every turn.

I could be climbing rocks, sinking in the sand, or trudging up the iconic red, western Australian bush roads.

If flora is your thrill, your heart will skip a beat with the treasure you will find. Sweet little orchids hiding in the grass to gigantic Karri, Eucalyptus diversicolor trees to wise old Jarrahs, Eucalyptus marginata, djarraly in Noongar language - see how they tower over you.

Boranup Forest … Marris, Karris and Jarrahs as well as Agonis flexuosa and grasstrees, Xanthorrhoeas.

Fallen trees housing fungi, moss, and lichen during wetter times. Nothing is more spectacular than the iconic grass trees, xanthorrhoeas. Here you will find them with several heads. Did you know they grow only 2.5 cm a year?

With the stunning array of biota, the Cape to Cape track is never dull.

One day or more of hiking on the Cape to Cape, allows yourself to truly connect with nature. The abundance of beauty you will encounter is endless. You will step off the Cape filling full and proud. As your legs have worked hard, but your mind is put at ease.

Winter Walking on the Cape to Cape Photo Donna Wolter. — **Winter Walking on the Cape to Cape** **Photo Donna Wolter**.

Cape to Cape Winter Walking - Makuru Walking

June 12, 2020

Maybe it’s because the first time I did it, it was winter; or, maybe I just love how the track feels both peaceful and wild during this time, but for me winter or makuru is a very special time on the Cape to Cape. Here are some winter scenes on the track from the last 4.5 years.

WILD COASTAL BEAUTY

Nowadays camping on the Cape to Cape track is supposed to only take place in designated spots. But when I first walked the Cape to Cape end to end in 2016, walkers were still able to camp anywhere on the track, as long as you were out of the way of vehicles. My first night, it was August, was on a sandy ledge protected between large boulders opposite Sugarloaf rock. Waking up to a chilly crisp morning, the ocean wildly spilling onto the rocky shore, it was magic. A bit like the image below.

Sugarloaf Rock Photo Paean Ng — **Sugarloaf Rock Photo** **Paean Ng**

A lot of people think that winter in the southwest is all grey clouds, wind and rain but believe it or not, below is a scene from a chilly winter morning just before walking across Smith’s Beach. Don’t you love the blues and the sparkling clear water against the mossy emerald rocks?

While the chance of rain is definitely higher, during Makuru, or the height of winter (June/July), there are some perfect walking days throughout the season.

Always check the weather for storms and dangerous weather, otherwise, gear up!

**Smith’s Beach North - sparkling clean water.**

**Winter/ Makuru is rainbow season on the Cape to Cape**

**Wilyabrup and the Indian Ocean Photo: Donna Wolter**

SAND

WIND

FUNGI

Winter is the time of mushrooms. I had never paid much attention to this kingdom until I walked through the glistening wet Boranup Forest. If you walk through this majestic realm of giant Karri trees in winter, with your eyes to the ground or to the fallen tree trunks, you are sure to see some of the hundreds of species of fungi that exist in the southwest. Click here for an article about southwest fungi and a simple 9 km loop through Boranup Forest, if you are keen.

If you are at all inclined to walk the Cape to Cape track end to end in winter: go for it!

Here I am about to start on the last section on the last morning of my first end to end. I had had a great sleep at Hamelin Bay Caravan Park, where you can have a hot shower and do a better job than I did getting the dirt out of your fingernails ;-) before heading out towards the Leeuwin Lighthouse.

Whether you are thinking of attempting to walk the whole 125 km of the track and camp along the way, or just wondering a casual meander for a day: rug up, put on some wet weather gear and get out there.

I think you’ll LOVE it!

Kilcarnup Beach on the Cape to Cape track, Western Australia

7 Reasons to go out hiking in nature...

March 15, 2020

After yoga class a couple of weeks ago, I asked my friend Jenny Rossen a.k.a. the Sandcastle Girl … former sand castle builder & entrepreneur, present-day mum, health freak and yogini… how I could tell people that walking in nature was so good for them.

‘Well it’s bloody obvious,’ she said. ‘I could list 7 reasons just off the top of my head …here I’lll write something for you. ‘

So she did.

Warning: like me, she’s a bit of a hippy … but I reckon she’s got some great points!

What do you think?

1. Walking in nature helps us reconnect with our radiant life force or the nature of our being…

We are energy – some call it ‘life force’; it is the energy that animates our physical form, flowing through it and around it. Modern physics, e.g. theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, explain the duality of matter-energy, time-space, and particle-wave by showing that matter and energy are interchangeable.

If you go to any yoga class you will be reminded that this “Qi” (as the Chinese call it) or “Prana” (as it is referred to in Hindu tradition) is flowing in all living things and we are part of nature.

Quite often, in a sweaty yoga studio we stand on a little yoga mat attempting to harness “the force” - as known by 1980’s self-help hippies and anyone who knows Star Wars, attempting to get in “the flow”… it works.

However, if you really want to reconnect with ‘high vibrations’ you need to get out in nature.

Did you really need to be told that? Don’t you already KNOW that our energy is reinvigorated when we go and walk in the natural world?

Well, it’s easy to forget that when you are out walking in the open air breathing the ions from the roaring ocean and bathing in the vibrations of the trees, surrounded by an intimate group of people who are most likely very similar to you in many ways; this is when you get recharged; this is the awesomeness of being on country, this is the flow of nature to which we are integrally connected.

2. Get out of WIFI range and energy of other people electronic magnetic field (EMFs)

The invisible “smog” created by the electricity that powers our civilisation is giving children cancer, bringing people down with immune system disorders, causing miscarriages and suicides.

It is not just the above-mentioned hippies and weirdos wearing alfoil hats who believe this; scientific evidence is always revealing more about how our modern life is making people sick.

Almost everyone is being exposed to new forms of pollution with countless sources of radiation in your own home: cell phones, television, microwave ovens and our best friend, the computer - and how do you stop using your computer?

But there is more, WiFi & our devices all give off radiation.

Hidden Sources of EMF in your home are electrical wiring, dimmer switches, plumbing, radiant electrical heating and your neighbour’s WIFI, to name a few.

Bad news is that is just the beginning of the list. Don’t get me started on 5G!!

The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls the electronic smog "one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences" and stresses that it "takes seriously" concerns about the health effects of this modern phenomenon.

So, turn off your WIFI at night, don’t charge your phone by your bed and get out in nature away from all the electronic smog.

Have a phone holiday and give your body a “smog” 2-day break on the Cape to Cape… with Edgewalkers, of course 😉.

Patricia Carmichael Breathing on the Cape to Cape.JPEG

3. Breathing deeply

When you breathe in a certain way it turns on your body’s ability to heal.

That’s it!

When you breathe deeply your body starts to heal.

There is no point in writing any more, it’s very simple but for some reason we need to keep reading it and hearing about it.

Just breathe – go outside (or do it in your car at the lights) and breathe deeply this turns on your parasympathetic nervous system and starts your body healing.

(I am sure we do not need to hear about sabre tooth tigers anymore.)

Paradoxically, it is usually that moment when we really need to remember this, when something bad happens, when we get bad news or we get frightened (by the press) that we hold our breath.

So just imagine taking 2 … or 8 days off walking and consciously breathing? This breathing alone will completely reset your dial.

You can do all types of breathing. Pranayama breathing in one nostril on out the other; or the one Anthony Robbins prescribes: tapping your fingers and counting. Wim Hof is trending at the moment and he is all about the Kumbhaka breath-holding system. The Hawaiian breathing techniques are also easy to practise. Google them people.

Just stop and take a full breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth with the sound, ‘Ha.’
The out breath is whispered loudly, and is twice as long as the in-breath.

A wonderful by product of conscious breathing is that it can turn off your brain and the breathing itself becomes a meditation.

I know one Guru who would make all his followers do Pranayama breathing every sunrise and sunset. In this way opening the channels for meditation.
Take time out, walk and breathe, that’s the third reason I can think of.

4. Creativity and Spirituality

Creativity – Well, Erika knows all about this; and, she’s probably written about it before - Stanford University researchers concluded that walking boosts creative inspiration and increases creative output by an average of 60 percent. I did not check these figures 😉.

I say let’s get walking.

And if you have a problem that you need to ‘nut out’, why not go on a multi-day hike?

By the time your hiking holiday is over you would have worked out a creative solution for whatever challenges you have, so they say. I sure do solve a good problem while on a walk.

Erika sure thinks it’s worth it – she teaches that at Murdoch and she wouldn’t be running the retreats if she didn’t!

Spirituality – There is something spiritual about moving with the body cadence swinging your arms and putting one foot in front of the other, isn’t there? Or is it just me?

The tradition of the old English poets like Wordsworth & Keats, who would go on long walks together and both the poetry and trail became very popular.

There is a new book out called Path to Enlightenment that talks about the pilgrim writers and spiritual nature and meditation of taking long walks.

Notice the metaphor walking the path to enlightenment. Is it significant?

5. Walking is health for your body

Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health – duh – did you really near to hear that …. again?!

Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, increase muscle strength, help with digestion, tone your body, reduce body fat, improve your mood, reduce stress; improve circulation, coordination & sleep. Why wouldn’t you want to walk?!

Research has shown it is best to walk twice a day.

BTW - sleep is when most of the healing of the body happens, when we builds stamina and boost our immune system.

Okay so that’s it, the jury is out – let’s all go walking every day for at least 30 minutes and preferably two times a day. Start off with a 2 day walk; a walking boot camp down south with Edgewalkers to get you going, then incorporate walking into your daily routine when you get back home. There’s an idea!

6. Detox - give your digestion a break

We all know we should give our digestion a little break. The digestion track from our mouth to our bottom is about nine meters long. So, it makes sense to divert the traffic for a while and give your food highway a chance to rest.

Some people only drink water to detox and others believe that juice fasting is better as it floods your body with nutrition. I know one man who only drank and ate watermelon for two months until he literally pooped water melon. He did this as part of recovering from a car accident and his healing time was astonishingly fast.

Edgewalkers provide vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks at all their events, it might be a good detox for all of you who eat meat daily… they also eat a variety of organic fruits.

It is easy to be “good” when someone is preparing the food for you and after a morning or afternoon of walking your appetite will be ready to really enjoy the delicious, plant-based meals.

Special dietary requirements can be accommodated too, if you ask them!

It is not just what we eat but when we eat and what is eating you. Mindful eating and creating a ceremony around food helps with digestion. Breakfast, lunch and dinner time is an occasion on the walks when you’ll have a moment to sit and eat your meals in peace, grateful for the sustenance.

7. Meditation and yoga

Walking, breathing, forest bathing or being in nature can all be a meditation. And so on the Edgewalkers walks you’ll find time to meditate as well, if you want.

I know Erika has been experimenting with this but this will be in place during the 2-day walks for those who wish to participate. We will set aside time for sitting mediation and soft yoga stretch meditation; time for silent walking mediation and a discussion of a variety of meditation modalities.

These tools are offered so that you are assisted in being brought into the moment. Meditation that has you sitting in your room on a pillow trying to turn your mind off can be a real challenge. But when you are walking in nature or have the chance to stop at a breathtaking spot, then it is easier to see that it is all meditation.

This is to help enhance self-awareness, “who am I” connection with self – “where am I” connection with space and who is it that is watching the mind.

For those of you who find that all a bit too hippy-trippy, then there is the meditation of putting on some funky tunes on the head phones and kicking down the limestone paths and enjoy the now-ness of great music in the great outdoors. Why not?

Thanks Jen…

3 West Australian Writers on International Women's Day

March 08, 2020

“I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead… I think I shall write books”
Louisa May Alcott

I recently watched Little Women, the 2020 remake of this classic story about 4 sisters living with their mother during the civil war while their father fought at the front.

For me, however, this story was mainly about Jo, the intrepid second-oldest sister who was always stepping out of line. It’s about Jo defiantly cutting off her hair to help her family; about Jo wanting to do more than just get married, about Jo wanting to make a living from writing.

Watching the movie sent me back to a memory of 8-year-old me sitting on a low branch of a young jacaranda tree, Little Women in hand, thinking ‘Maybe, I too could be a writer. I want to be just like Jo!’

This International Women’s Day I pay tribute to 3 WA writers, who wanted to write books, who started word by word, and who didn’t stop until they made it happen.

I acknowledge them for the inspiration they have been to me & for the inspiration they can be to all of you also wanting to follow in Jo’s footsteps.

DR ELIZABETH REID-BOYD

Dr Elizabeth Reid-Boyd and I met when we were both 17 and attempting to complete our first degrees at the University of Western Australia. We spent a lot of time drinking coffee, sizing up boys and talking about the books we would write… and yes, we did a little bit of study.

Already independent at 17, Reid-Boyd had many odds stacked against her. After that first year of Uni, we travelled our different ways, met up in England a few times in the late eighties and then lost touch for some time.

When we met again in 2000, I was not surprised to find out that Reid-Boyd had already completed a couple of degrees including a PhD in Gender Studies.

Today, she is a respected academic & feminist at Edith Cowan University, she writes regularly for the Australian & as well as many book contribution and articles.

At the same time, she is the author of a dozen romance novels penned under the name elizaredgold.com ! I was so honoured that she dedicated one to me:

This is what International Women’s Day means to her:

“For me, IWD is a chance to honour women past, present and future. Each year I discover more about the amazing work women do in so many different ways, in every part of the globe, to create a better world for everyone. It leaves me inspired and grateful.”
Elizabeth Reid-Boyd.

DR JULIA LAWRINSON

Dr Julia Lawrinson is extraordinary in so many ways… and yet, she went to an ordinary high school in suburban Perth and even did her stint as a teenager working at Hungry Jacks.

When Lawrinson and I job-shared at an International language school in West Perth, 20 years ago – she was doing her PhD and writing her first novel Obsession.

I attended the launch of Obsession which went on to win the Premier’s Award in 2001, and the launch of her second book Skating the Edge. Last year Lawrinson published her 15th young adult fiction, which won Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book, and I am sure she is working on her 16th right now.

Not only a prolific writer, Lawrinson is one of the only women to have held the job of Sergeant-in-Arms in WA’s Parliament (any parliament actually) and also recently completed a law degree with honours including winning the Vice Chancellor’s Award for academic excellence.

Her thoughts on International Women’s Day:

“IWD is a reminder to us of how far we've come and honours those who fought for us to get here. It is also a reminder of how far we have to go to make sure there is true equity for women around the world.”
Julia Lawrinson

DR JENNY BROCKIS

Dr Jenny Brockis has just completed her 4th book - Healthy Happy Humans – adding it to her selection on books about keeping our brains optimised for high performance and wellbeing.

I met Brockis at a National Speakers Association speaker training course about 10 years ago and from the moment we met I just loved her story. She had been a nurse for a number of years and seeing the way doctors dealt with patients and the lack of knowledge around neuroscience and the plasticity of the brain, she decided to become a medical doctor herself.

Today Brockis is a medical practitioner, a speaker and a facilitator with a epic mission: to help optimise brains performance to enhance healthy workplaces and high-performance thinking that makes people happy.

“I see International Women's Day as a great reminder that we need to make every day matter for every woman, wife, mother and daughter. It's a day to unite everyone to think about what action we can take to create a world when women can always feel safe, be assured of an education and receive parity in the workplace.”
Jenny Brockis

Back to Little Women; back to Jo. I don’t know whether Little Women had an impact on either Reid-Boyd, Lawrinson or Brockis, but I know that there is something of Jo’s defiant attitude in each of them; and like Alcott, they have all chosen to do something splendid.

And you can too.

Edgewalkers will be running a Women’s Walking and Writing Weekend 20 - 22 November 2020.

Ulgii from a lookout point on the outskirts of the town.

Getting to the Tavan Bogd National Park on your own... and other tips

February 18, 2020

Getting there - Ulaan Baatar

Most people access the Tavan Bogd NP through Ulgii (also spelled Olgii & Olgy), the principal town of the Kazakh region in the northwest of the country. And most people access Ulgii by arriving first in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaan Baatar. If you are like me, then you probably do not want to spend too much time in a city and just want to get straight out on the trail, but it is definitely worth spending some time in UB before heading off to Ulgii.

Edgewalkers ... it takes a village ... with gratitude 🙏

February 14, 2020

Edgewalkers is a niche tourism & wellness company that I started in 2016 and I work hard and consistently to keep making every experience better for our clients.

But every Edgewalkers retreat or walking adventure that we have offered has been possible because a whole team of people have made it all possible.

From the images used in our marketing, social media and website, to the food and the transport we use to get around; the painting workshops and the accommodation that we use, and all the advice and help we have received over the years; It is a combination of all these people efforts that have been helping to make Edgewalkers a special boutique brand.

THANK YOU FOR OUR PHOTOS!

A thousand words aside, images are the first impression we make on you, our potential client and followers. Without photos there would be nothing to show you and nothing to sell. We have been so lucky with the talented photographers who have contributed to our brand and our connection to our clients. Thank you immensely!

Donna Wolter

The very first image on our website was a capture by Margaret River photographer Donna Wolter from Echoe Images. She has since captured so many wonderful moments from our Cape to Cape Walks, all our retreats and the Walking With Wildflowers Walks. So grateful for this incredible talent.

Paean Ng

Professional photographer Paean Ng from Astrordinary Imaging , is a key collaborator on our Night Photography Retreats and now equal partner in our Kalbarri Night Photography and Wildflower Walking Extravaganza. He is so generous with the photos he provides us to ensure we have high quality images all the time. I have recently been posting many of his images from our Kalbarri scoping trip. Love your work 😉!

Morgan Gillham

My dear friend Morgan not only agreed to come to Mongolia with me and follow the route I wanted to take in the Tavan Bogd National Park, but he also documented so much if it with his keen eye for composition and action. His wonderful picture of me stepping onto a rock with the green Osprey Pack on my back was responsible for my ongoing Osprey ambassadorship. Thanks!

Thomas Valentine

This gorgeous & affable Canadian client who recently walked the Cape to Cape with us, not only delighted us with many great stories & energy, but he also documented our November Cape to Cape Walk with some outstanding action images on the actual walk. I love seeing our guests walking through the stunning locations we travel to, it makes each person & the whole experience so memorable & relivable. Thank you!.

THANK YOU FOR OUR NOURISHMENT!

Conscious Catering Margaret River - Nicole Boeres

I think food is one of the most important ingredients to a successful event. Whether it’s lunch & snacks on walks or main dinners during a retreat, good quality & delicious food can really make an event excellent.

We first started working with Nicole from Conscious Catering MR in Sept 2018, and now she is our main source of life-affirming, plant-based & nutritious meals with attention to people’s individual dietary sensitivities & requirements. Nicole sources in season, local produce, is conscious of gut health and food combinations. Thank goodness we have your food Nicole!

THANK YOU FOR GETTING US THERE!

Southwest Driving Services - Cy Fort

Reliable, safe and so friendly, Cy has been driving us to the start of our walks since November 2017. Being a local he knows the area like the back of his hand, he always goes the extra mile (ha ha) and you can count on him to crack a joke or two while you are int he car. Seriously, thank you Cy.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

Tim Flanagan

If Tim Flanagan had not come on a Cape to Cape walk we would not be running our Walking with Wildflowers tours in the Fitzgerald Biosphere. Tim mentioned the wildflowers in the Fitzgerald River National Park so many times during our walk together that I had to go down and check them out as soon as I got the chance. Yes, I was blown away by this breathtaking and we ran our first walk the following year. This is our third year running our tour and I hope that, like all the other times, Tim comes along for a walk with us, he is ray of sunshine and positivity, as well as an incredible testament to the benefits of a daily walk… he is 81 and he walks a good 10 kms, at least, every day!
I am very grateful for this wonderful human.

Sue Leighton

Some people feel like old friends from the moment you meet them, and that is exactly what I felt when I met Sue Leighton, the dynamic, creative and community-minded organiser of the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show (among other community events) in the Fitzgerald Biosphere. Our stunning Walking with Wildflowers tours would never have gotten off the ground so flowingly and quickly without her support; she introduced me to all the right people, walked the trails with me, we delighted together at just how beautiful the wildflowers are. On top of all that, my dog Emi fell in love with Sue and her equally creative and talented husband, Colin. Emi stays with them when we do our overseas walks…. beyond grateful, love this woman.

Robyn Harris

Robyn is a gorgeous client who came to the Creativity Retreat, came to Mongolia and then offered to help during our Walking With Wildflowers Tours last year. I could not turn down this offer because Robyn is both a registered nurse, massage therapist and overall wilderness and outdoor action legend, she is also kind, thoughtful, reliable and so much fun to hang out with. It made all the difference to have her there during the walks last year, so, so grateful.

THANKS FOR YOUR COLLABORATION!

A huge credit of our retreats’ success is due to the talented artists & practitioners that have shared their insights & gifts with us.
Below are some of them, including Jane Tangney, Rebecca Cool , Meg Hodgson, Elaine Clocherty, Paean Ng, Sharon Ogle, Sana Turnock, Miranda Aitken, Ute Coleman, Donna Livingstone, Ruby Blue, Kelly Blackman… thank you so much, your unique contribution has made our retreats super special.

Focus on Wildflowers - The Fascinating Triggerplants

February 12, 2020

According to a Jewel in the Crown of Global Biodiversity Hotspot, there are over 280 species of these pretty flowering plants which comprise one of Australia’s largest genera. And guess where most of them are found?

Yes, that’s right! Here in Western Australia’s southwest and great southern regions we can find 70% of them!

Tavan Bogd National Park - Mongolia - Wildflowers - Edelweiss

Mongolia Walking Tour 2019 - Khoton Lake - Day 2

February 04, 2020

The spectacular Altai mountains are visible to the west and beautiful Khoton Lake to the east as we start to make our way along its contours. The area around the lake is populated with some dense clusters of larch trees (Larix sibirica) as well as hundreds of tiny wildflowers including the classic Edelweiss (Leontopodium nivale).

On the second day we cover abut 18 kilometres of very gradually sloping terrain that undulates over some grassy and boggy fields and many rivulets and streams.

So many freshwater streams along the way - in the Tavan Bogd National Park

There are many fresh water streams to cross along the way, sometimes we change shoes, sometimes we use stepping stones, sometimes we need help from the beautiful Mongolian steeds.

The terrain throughout the Tavan Bogd National Park varies a lot. On day 2 we experience the green, grassy and lush alpine environment around Khoton Lake and foot of the mountains.

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We also move deeper into the Tavan Bogd National Park and witness, sometimes from a distance, sometimes close up, local Mongolian nomads at their daily activities. It is our last night camping right on the lake and its tranquil energy.

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Imagination equals new knowledge...

January 25, 2020

‘Imagination reveals the possibilities beyond the edge of our reality’
LR Knost

Is imagination more important that knowledge?

I can tell you, because I trust the information I have read on reputable sites that the geology around Kalbarri is some of the oldest on the planet.

That the Kalbarri National Park spans 1,830 km² and contains breathtaking stretches of exposed Tumblagooda sandstone 1,500 to 3,500 metres thick, found nowhere else on earth.

I can tell you that it dates between 400 to 500 million years…and, just to blow your imagination off its hinges, it is sitting directly on rock that was around during the Proterozoic eon – a-billion-year span marking the appearance of oxygen on Earth.

This landscape gives meaning to the word ‘ancient’.

But when you are walking, in awe, through one of nature’s 400,000,000-year-old masterpieces you wonder, how did geologists arrive at these facts?

How did they think to match the etchings on the prehistoric rock to the earliest footprints of marsupials?

How did the aesthetic magnificence of layers of brown, red, orange, pink, beige and all shades in between, indicate to them that they must have been formed by different rivulets depositing sediment at different times? How….?

Imagination helps us to create knowledge beyond what we call reality.

Imagination & knowledge go hand in hand, don’t you think?

2019 - The Highlights

December 28, 2019

With only a few days left of 2019 I have been reflecting and revisiting some of the most significant moments of the year for us at Edgewalkers.

Every year, since our first retreat in April 2016, has been a wonderful journey for me at Edgewalkers and this year’s contribution to that experience has been huge. I feel specially proud of what we managed to deliver in 2019 and I love that slowly & organically, at Edgewalkers we are delivering quality & powerful retreat products, as well as becoming one of WA’s more intimate & boutique walking tour companies.

Our reliable & consistent offerings have received excellent reviews and stand as a testament that when you follow your heart (and work your little butt off) you can really find yourself in the right place at the right time. I am also very aware that many kind, talented and generous people have been major contributors to the success that we are enjoying and they are worth celebrating - read about these special humans here.

So 2019 has been a HUGE year on every level, but there were some moments that have really stood out for me personally. Here they are:

1. New Year’s Day 2019

The Grand Canyon was covered in snow on January 1 2019

The very first day of 2019 remains a top highlight of the year for me. Not only witnessing the Grand Canyon covered by a magical layer of pristine snow, but doing so with my sister and niece, was a fantastic way to enter into 2019.

I was lucky to spend two months in Arizona with family I had not seen for years, while scoping out possible hike and retreat locations. Another lovely surprise while I was in the US was that Lisa, from Pennsylvania, - client/friend who walked in Mongolia with us in 2018 - jumped on a plane to Phoenix in early January, hired a car and picked me up for a few days hiking through the Superstition Wilderness and Sedona. It was a perfect way to start the year and a small but delicious taster of the rich and extensive hiking opportunities in the US.

The Superstition Wilderness - Arizona

Grand Canyon - New Year's Day 2019

Red Giants - Sedona

The Superstition Wilderness - Arizona

Reavis Falls Trail with Lisa Franko

The Grand Canyon

2. The Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba … Thelymitra variegata …

I didn’t have to think long to come up with this top moment of 2019. It was such a great pleasure to finally see this most colourful and mysterious of our native sun orchids. The vibrant purple, red, orange, pink & yellow variations stand out against the burnt beige background of the drying bush. Each pattern on each tiny flower, unique.

I did not find the Queen of Sheba by myself. I had help from local orchid hunter and expert Terry Dunham at Tozer’s Campground on the west side of the Fitzgerald River National Park near Bremer Bay - it will be a moment that I will remember for a long time.

3. All the other wildflowers we saw for the first time…

Rose Coneflowers (Isopogon formosus) in the Fitzgerald River National Park - with Misako, Sept 2019.

Of course, the Queen of Sheba was not the only first sighting this year. There were lots of stunning moments over the season this year with lots of first sightings of flowers for me. Thank you to all the wonderful people that make this possible like the amazing people who came walking with us in the Fitzgerald Biosphere this year, including my dear friend Misako. It was so much fun.

Blue-tipped Smoke Bush

Flying Duck Orchid

Lemon Scented Sun Orchid

Cow Kicks Trigger Plant

Forest Mantis Orchid

Nodding Banksia

Dragon Orchid

Swamp Daisies

3. Malchin Peak, Mongolia …. again

The truth is that the whole of this expedition, with a sensational group of women, and some wonderful warm local hosts, was a highlight - so I guess climbing Malchin Peak was a highlight within a highlight!

When we got to the top of this 4,045 metre mountain in the Tavan Bogd National Park last year (2018), it was a breathtaking experience and felt like a huge accomplishment for all three of us - Lisa (US), Lot (Netherlands) and I were all overcome with deep joy.

I half expected it to be less impressive this year (2019) when doing it for the second time. I was wrong. It was a magic experience and I enjoyed every bit of banter, cajoling, complaining, gasping, and laughter as we all made our way, slowly, up the slippery scree face.

When you climb a very steep mountain it doesn’t take that long before there is a magnificent view and this was the case with Malchin Peak, which offered brilliant views of the Potanin Glacier right from the start of the ascent. Once past half-way we could see all the way to the Russian and Chinese parts of the Altai mountain range. Positively grand.

Thank you to the exceptional humans who have shared this adventure so far - I am so grateful.

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6. The Kamchatka Peninsula

The environment is rugged and wild, the scenery spectacular and the hiking a hearty and satisfying challenge.

I have been planning to go to the Kamchatka Peninsula for about four years and this year it finally happened - but it tool some doing!

First, I posted a call out on Facebook to see if anyone was interested in hiking through this region with me. There were a few interested people but it was Alex (pictured above), from Newcastle, NSW, who met me in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with a huge smile and a heart full of wonderment and adventure!

Together we negotiated Russian language, wrong addresses and local transport to get everything we needed before starting our hike: there were the permits needed to walk through the Klyuchevskaya Nature Park; there was getting bear spray & gas canisters for cooking; there was working out which bus to which town at what time; there was finding accommodation when we got there.. but we did it!

Here is at short video of the adventure once we got to the Klyuchevskaya Nature Park - a UNESCO listed world heritage site.

5. Lake Baikal

Getting to Lake Baikal - the deepest freshwater lake in the world - was an adventure in itself. It took a 24 hour train ride from Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia) , a tram from outside the train station to the car rental place, directions on google maps and a 270 km drive out of Irkutsk in peak hour traffic 💪🏼😬to the cottage I’d rented on Lake Baikal... 😅deciphering Cyrillic letters, in the rain and the dark... on the right side of the road... loved every minute!!

After spending a couple of days walking around the lake, admiring wildflowers and being on my own, I spontaneously took the ferry to Olkhon Island - full of natural beauty & enshrined in shamanic mysticism, this place was a gem. There was wild camping right on the edges of the lake, wildflowers everywhere and despite quite a few tourists in the main part of the town, there were plenty of places for serenity and alone time.

7. Meeting Georgiana Molloy’s great great granddaughter…

You don’t know this, but it is looking like my play Wildflowers, about WA women and flowers, will be staged during the heritage festival early May 2020.

I started researching one of the characters in the play, early settler and of WA’s first botanist Georgiana Molloy, in 2012. Can you believe the thrilling surprise to find out, casually while sitting around over dinner after a hearty day on the Cape to Cape track, that one of our walkers, the dynamic Patricia (pictured above), is Georgiana’s great great grand daughter!

… a highlight!

West Australian Christmas Tree or Nuytsia Floribunda or Mooja or Kanyaa ...

December 25, 2019

There is one flowering tree that you are guaranteed to see if you visit the southwest of Australia in December: the Nuytsia floribunda, also called WA Christmas tree, also called Kaanya or Mooja.

You can’t miss the spectacular flowering event of the Nuytsia floribunda. With their profusion of yellow-golden blossoms, they stand like radiant beacons, luminous against the drying bush. Its common name, WA Christmas tree is apt, many trees are still flowering profusely during Christmas celebrations (it starts flowering in October), but also because, curiously, it belongs to the Loranthaceae family, the same as the mistletoe, another Christmas favourite.

Nuytsia Floribunda - West Australiam Christmas Tree

Like the mistletoe, the Mooja, one of the Noongar names given to this native Australian plant, is a parasite. However, instead of feeding off the branches of plants it sends its long roots far underground (sometimes over 100 metres) searching for other roots that it can tap into and feed from.

Another name that has been given to the Nuytsia floribunda is Kaanya tree or the tree of recently departed souls. Many traditional Noongar people from the southwest will not sit under a Nuytsia tree; or make use of any of its wood or flowers, as this tree is believed to be where souls stop on the way to the Kurannup, or the land of the ancestors that have passed away.

Whatever you choose to call it, there is no denying that its iridescent blooms light up the WA landscape and signal the start of summer.

Wilyabrup Cliffs … during the wildflower season

The Cape to Cape Track - our cultural heritage

December 17, 2019

I gasped the first time I saw Wilyabrup Cliffs appear in the distance framed by honey myrtle branches and a blanket of yellow acacias and pink pimeleas. I had no idea that this short 4.5 km saunter along the Cape to Cape track on that sunny WA spring day in 2015 would have such significant impact on my life and direction.

4 years on and this 125 km trail along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge is a central part of our Edgewalkers offerings and continues to be a source of inspiration and motivation.

This is the first on a series of short articles sharing some of the things I love about the Cape to Cape track.

Caves, grottoes and underwater streams are important part of the Wardandi heritage.

The Cape to Cape – our cultural heritage

“Every time you go to a sacred place, … every time you connect to country, Aboriginal culture becomes a part of who you are.” Josh Whiteland

I love that walking along the Cape to Cape track is foremost a journey into country. When we walk along some sections of the 125 km Cape to Cape trail that extends from Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) to Talanup (Augusta), we are sure to be walking along the same track traditional Wardandi people have used to travel up and down this ancient ridge for millenia. 48,000 years to be exact. That’s the age of some of the archaeological remains found at Devil’s Lair Cave just south of Margaret River – some of the oldest findings on the continent.

There is plenty of evidence showing that the Wardandi ‘…used tracks or native paths (bidi) running parallel to the coast and southwards from Koombanup (Bunbury) along Geographe Bay to places like Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) and Talanup (Augusta).’

Today there are local Wardandi operators in the southwest offering cultural tours & events during which they share traditional stories of creation, history, astronomy, botany & other knowledge. Award-winning Koomal Dreaming run by Josh Whiteland, cultural tours Ngalang Wongi cultural tours run by Troy Bennell & the Webb family-run Wardan Centre in Injidup (temporarily closed) are all a source of authentic southwest Aboriginal culture.

Our tenth retreat in Margaret River a the stunning J’s Retreat

8 Tips for Organising a Successful Retreat....

October 04, 2019

Apparently, I am an ENFP personality, so when I had the audacious idea to run a Creativity & Walking Retreat in Margaret River in April 2016, I acted before I had thought things through enough to scare me. Which was not necessarily a bad thing: it was a brilliant idea, I had a vivid vision of the concept: creativity, the content of the workshops, is one of my areas of expertise; I was contagiously excited about it.

Except, I had only been living in Margaret River for about five and a half minutes and never run a retreat before, ever.

‘How hard could it be?’ I thought. It was basically an extra long workshop with sleepovers, right?

You are right to guess that what followed has been a whole lot of delicious learning AND a lot of fun. I ran my eleventh retreat last weekend and I think I am starting to get the hang of it, with still much more to learn.

Here are some thoughts about running a successful retreat.

1. Nail the food!

The first retreat I ever participated in was a three-day silent Vipassana meditation course in the Perth hills. No speaking, no writing, no reading, no Yoga, just breathing …and (thankfully!!) eating.

What stands out from this retreat almost 20 years later? Honestly? The abundant stacks of steaming green beans, bok choi and other colourful vegetables that greeted us after each session, glistening with flavour and bursting with comfort and warmth.

I remember the tea and coffee stand with a huge glass jar always full to the rim with Granita biscuits and scotch fingers. I remember the thick chunks of toast and dripping jam for breakfast before the gruelling day of contemplation and silence.

Edgewalkers The Creativity Retreat - Margaret River - Delicious, nutritious and life affirming locally catered meals.

Whatever you do, make the food outstanding – I knew that whatever I did, the food had to be a hit.

During our first retreat I may have gone a little overboard. I stocked the fridge with 8 types of cheeses, every type of milk: coconut, almond, rice, soy, skim, whole…hazelnut. We had fresh sourdough bread, local jams, preserves and spreads, abundant choice of muesli, gluten free crackers, biscuits, chocolate, nuts, and several bowls full of fresh fruit, enough for each person to have a couple of pieces each of everything, bananas, oranges, apples, mandarins, grapes; yes, it may seem like overkill, but I knew that I’d regret running out of anything. I still go a bit overboard…but only get hazelnut milk if I am asked!

With the rest of the meals I played it safe by having four different caterers provide a range of meals from different cuisines: vegan, raw and super healthy, Indian hot and spicy, Mediterranean hearty and soulful, and homemade, baked & wholesome. Now, we have a local caterer whose healthy & delicious meals can accommodate clients, no matter what dietary requirement they have.

I hope not, but 20 years down the track the food from this retreat might be all anyone remembers, if so I also hope it is remembered with joy.

2. Choose outstanding locations & venues – no brainer!

In 2015 I did a multi-day, solo walk to the Annapurna base camp in Nepal. For 10 days I carried a (heavy-ish) backpack, slept in a sleeping bag on wooden cots covered by mildew and ‘well-used’ blankets; washed in sometimes icy, often questionable, clean water and used the same two changes of clothes and the same damp hand towel the whole time – I was in thru-hiking heaven.

But, ‘oh my gracious me’, as the taxi driver said when he pulled into the Hyatt where I had booked my one night stop-over in Calcutta before heading home, was I joyous to strip off my dusty, cruddy gear have a lush goddess shower in a spotless, white tiled bathroom and then throw myself on a king size bed with crisp, cool sheets and silky pillows? You bet!!

The spacious & architecturally designed homes I hire for our retreats have views (from everywhere you look) of either pristine Australian bush with Karri, Peppermints and Jarrah Eucalypts, vineyards with rows of perfectly manicured vines undulating towards the sun-setting horizon or the Indian Ocean in all its sultry, salty glow.

Make people feel special - the delighted look on the faces of everyone as they walk in on the first evening of the retreat always tells me that it has been worth the investment.

3. The content – do YOUR thing!

There were two components to the retreat.

1. Creativity: I was fully confident that what I had put together for an exploration of creativity using theatre and embodied activities would be well received, engaging, powerful and, most importantly, helpful. After all, what business would I have running a creativity retreat if I had nothing good to offer? Check the testimonials.

Erika Jacobson Creativity & Walking Retreat Margaret River Walks 2016 .jpg

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However, I was modest enough to know that it would be quadrupled in value if other artists were involved. I simply asked myself: what would I LOVE to do during a creativity retreat? So I looked for artists who could take us on a short but connected and intensive journey into their medium. A painter, a sculptor, a singer gave us gratifying and exquisite opportunities to play with our creativity. This was a huge success and I am grateful for all the artists that have contributed to our unique retreats: Jane Tangney, Rebecca Cool, Megan Hodgson, Paean Ng & Elaine Clocherty.

2. Walking: I can’t take any credit for the breathtaking vistas and inspiring natural environment we walk in, that came from the ultimate creative force – mother nature. I did, however, choose the specific walks, and for this I considered the distance, difficulty and ‘wow’ factor. I also made sure I did each of the walks several times before taking anyone on the tracks so that I knew them back to front; I even cleared fallen branches off the track.

NOTE: Don’t jam pack too many activities or too many other facilitators - for one of the first Walking & Writing Retreats we did yoga, sculpting, aromatherapy, sound healing, natural textile dyeing, walking & creativity, all in three days … at the end of it I felt I had been on a boot camp and worse, so did some clients.

Walking on the Cape to Cape is joy and wonderment for everyone!

So far, so good. But this is not a blow my own trumpet piece, above are the aspects of the retreat that I know I got right, but I’m not finished because, well, there are a few things that I had to work on to improve for the next ones…

4. Don’t be a solo act - get help.

OK…working alone has many advantages: flexible hours, quick decision-making, spontaneity; you can also cut costs by doing a lot of things yourself, like doing your own filing and making your own coffee.

However, holding a space for people to examine, unpack and transform creative blocks takes full attention, all I really wanted to be focused on was facilitating & guiding the work.

I realised that it is imperative to have someone (or a team) with clear roles and responsibilities; someone to serve food, get people blankets, clear up meals, do the dishes, refill the water, tidy up the space, take photos, drive.

During the first retreat I sort of had someone helping me, a dancer who could not afford the retreat asked me if we could do an exchange: her help in exchange for participation – I agreed. She had a vague idea of what she had to do… she kinda knew how to load a dishwasher and to set a table…she sometimes paid attention to what everyone needed, she almost let me focus 100% on the content and the facilitation…almost. It was OK, but it was not ideal; it was not the set up for the best results.

I’m still working on getting the right balance here.

5. Marketing: let’s face(book) it…social media works…but give it time!

Over the years with Act Out I ran a number of workshops and half-day/all-day events to which I had to attract people so I considered myself someone who can make use of her database and really get ‘bums on seats’.

So about a month and a half before the first retreat (I can hear you laughing) I wrote over 350 individual and 300 generic emails to people on my database, (yes, it took me days – 5 long days exactly) and tried to get them onside for promoting my retreat – no luck – just a lot of great & encouraging responses from lovely peers, friends and clients.

Then it occurred to me, duh, since I had the event posted on the Edgewalkers Facebook page (yes, go LIKE it now!), to write Facebook messages to my friends and acquaintances asking them to share the event - that was better, a few passed on messages, shared the event and helped promote the page. Then, double duh, with only four weeks to go before the retreat…I realised I could pay to advertise on Facebook and sell the retreat that way…it was a bit late for that one. I ended up slashing the price in half to sell it (see next session on pricing) but since then, almost every person that has come to all of our 11 retreats was attracted through Facebook & Instagram.

I drive 80% of traffic to the website through social media - it is an integral part of our marketing AND selling strategy so I am constantly learning how to do it better. Making videos, sharing stories and…you might cringe at this, but actually speaking myself on video and connecting with our potential ‘perfect’ client. I have learnt a lot from the amazing women at Wanderlust Entrepreneur.

Start marketing the retreat at least 6 months if not more before and keep doing it…all year round. I have had people tell me they have been following me for 2 years on Instagram or Facebook before they came to a retreat!

Night Photography Retreat - Margaret River

6. Price it right: cheapo begets cheapo

I am getting better at pricing! But the first retreat was priced at $1,050 this 3-night/4-day luxury accommodation, all meals and snacks plus hours of facilitation and workshops and guided walks and free books and four weeks on online coaching following retreat was an absolute BARGAIN…too much of a bargain!

As much as I truly enjoy working with people and facilitating a transformative result in their creative practice, this is a business venture where I get to do what I love but actually make a living from it. Of course, I was testing the water to see if there was interest so I was invested in running a retreat as long as I got my costs back.

After much coaching from business colleagues, friends and mentors, I have realised one thing: there is ALWAYS going to be someone who will find whatever price you put on your product too high. Even when that first retreat was reduced to half price (yes, it ended up being sold for $525!) there were people telling me they could not afford it, and asking if they could they get a discount - I’m not joking.

Do the math, make the sums, add a profit you would be happy with, and make it work for you and for everyone who participates. Don’t be fearful about it sounding expensive - your work is valuable and the people who value you and your unique offering are out there.

Edgewalkers Women’s Walking & Writing Weekend 2019

7. Get feedback … and listen to it!

I know that at the end of a retreat the last thing you want to do is to be sending out customer feedback forms… but DO IT! There are so many reasons:

We improve our product - during one retreat I scheduled two 12 km plus walks - it was OK for clients wanting to walk the Cape to Cape but it was too much for the clients who came to a weekend to nurture their creativity. Thank goodness I asked - this has improved their experience as an Edgewalkers client;
We get to see that our clients are satisfied and this will make them long term clients … I am so happy to say that most of our clients stay in touch and many have joined other events and adventures;
We know we value our clients but asking them for feedback shows THEM we value their opinion and experience;

8. Don’t give up - if you really believe that retreats are what you want to do, then keep going. It takes time to establish yourself, your client data base, your marketing strategy, your pricing…but it is SO worth it when you get to the end of a retreat and you KNOW you have delivered a beautiful and powerful experience that your clients have found beneficial AND you have made a great income doing something you LOVE …that is magic!