An explanatory map to enlighten walkers
When it comes to walks in the bush, there is a lot to be learnt from someone who can read the landscape calling on years of local knowledge.

ACROSS THE FOUR seasons to know what plants to look out for in the Hawkins Creek and Farm Creek catchments of Munibung Hill, Wendy Patrick is our ‘go-to’ person.  Wendy has been taking note of what plants live and thrive in the area for over 25 years.

To walk and observe is almost a daily activity and we are the beneficiaries of this extensive knowledge bank.  Diligently recorded and catalogued, the hundreds of images in the flora section of the MHCS gallery pages are a treasured gift; an invaluable library available for us to consult for reference and research purposes.

Some of the more common species that visitors will come across as they walk the tracks in the Hawkins Creek and Farm Creek catchments is now available in an information sheet. Divided into six sections, it is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying map.  Check it out on the Discovery and Learning page under Education and Excursions or view and download HERE.

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Rawdogging walks at Munibung Hill
With one of its origins being connected to travel, it can easily be applied to walking while gazing at a mobile phone.

How did ‘rawdogging’ become part of polite conversation? Arwa Mahdawi. The Guardian, August 21, 2024

“The word only ever used to have a sexual connotation. But thanks to semantic bleaching, it is suddenly everywhere”, writes Arwa.

It seems after much ado and speculation, the various dictionary Words of the Year bypassed ‘rawdogging’ in favour of ‘enshitification’ and others.  But that shouldn’t deter us from checking how it might have some relevance to Munibung Hill, especially when it comes to visiting and walking.

‘Rawdogging’, applies to walking while not gazing at one’s mobile phone, but paying attention to plant and animal life along the various tracks. Let’s pay attention with a couple of exceptions to the idea.

Our exception to the rule would be in the case of mapping a walk or
the taking of pictures for identification using iNaturalist (see below) or
to post on a phone gallery page. 

Other than those, ‘rawdogging’ walks at Munibung Hill are to be encouraged.

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Naturalising and pedestrianising our cities

Public nature makes for a city that gives its people a sense of identity. Visible life on display satisfies innate curiosities. A century ago, city planning was done by automobiles, This approach results in the absence of pedestrians in our urban spaces but that approach is being called into question.

The pedestrianisation of a street can create attractive public spaces which encourage walking and foster a sense of community. Crowds on the sidewalk mean eyes on the street. People tend to feel safe around more people. One feels a sense of belonging and connection to something bigger. Experiencing the spontaneity of city life and its associated mysteries keeps the city’s flavour alive. Architecture should ideally be an addition and not a substitution of the locals’ culture and ‘nature.’

Objectives of pedestrianisation 

Pedestrianisation has a myriad of benefits for the citizens. It does wonders to improve safety and increases mobility. It also benefits the environment by cutting down on the pollution of air and unwanted noise. Walking is promoted as a means of transportation, making the experience enjoyable. This enables citizens to be involved in various social, cultural, and tourism activities.

There are environmental, economic and social benefits associated with designing for pedestrians. Interested? … read on.

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‘Silent’ tourism trend Aussies are embracing this summer.   More Aussies enjoying these types of holidays and turning off their phones, Sophie Coghill · Reporter, Yahoo News, 29 Dec

Going for a bushwalk? 3 handy foods to have in your backpack (including muesli bars)

Now is the time to unplug and reset. Next year we enter a more dangerous world – but for now I need the silence of nature, Paul Daley, The Guardian. Nov 22, 2024.
A walk in the bush can bring a sense of perspective to how heavily the news cycles of everyday life can weigh you down.

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Making connections on the ‘roads’ less travelled
It was a wild and windy winter’s day in June 2024 when Andrew Slee set out on a walk from Quarry Road, Speers Point, to a Landcare site at Lucilla Ridge, Macquarie Hills and return.

WHY WOULD YOU do that? You may well ask. Well why not? You might reply.

Is there a background story that might contain the reasoning?  And might that be something to do with making connections?

Connectivity is a buzz word used by planners who are attempting to redesign how we get around.  We might ask:

• why would you drive, when you can walk?  while others have been saying for some time:
• why would you walk, when you can drive?

This is a classic case of chiasmus – when the grammar of one phrase is inserted into the following phrase.  That said, the change from walking to driving has resulted in:
.. a logical corollary of increasing congestion on urban roads,
.. an increase in obesity partially due to less physical exercise,
.. a decline in wellbeing with a ‘nature deficit’ of not getting outdoors in the fresh air and bushland.

Here’s to taking the tracks less travelled across Munibung Hill – connectivity is a goer.
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It’s not a pipedream.
The city of Paris is about to enact an ambitious new climate Plan; at it’s heart is a commitment to building a cyclist friendly urban centre.
Urbanist, global cities advisor and former chief planner of the Vancouver, Brent Toderian, discusses the initiative and explains why Paris is at the forefront of sustainable urban planning.

Blueprint For Living via the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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New take on an age old practice
When walking and talking and not balking at attempting something new can bring lasting benefits for everyone.

In, ‘Hiking helps me connect – it’s free therapy’, Louise Parry, (BBC News. Jan 1, 2025) reports on the experiences of Hannah Morley and Dr Geeta Ludhra, who have discovered, or more accurately re-discovered, the benefits of walking in nature.

Hannah believes, “There’s a spiritual strength in nature too; it can heal you.”

“If you’re looking for free therapy, look at what your local reserve has to offer.  Just being there for half an hour you’ll see how beneficial it is. You’ll be surprised.”

As well as relating to others, Hannah says “Walking is where I feel the most connected to myself; when I feel like I’ve lost myself”.

“If things are getting heavy, there are thoughts bogging me down, endless to-do lists… I find as soon as I put my hiking boots on and go out I just have that sense of peace. I’m still in my mind, my soul is restored, I feel liberated.

As for Geeta, she has established a group called Dadima’s Walks (‘dadima’ being the Hindu noun for grandmother). The idea is to celebrate ancestral nature wisdom, community kindness and intergenerational learning.  Geeta and her husband Subash encourage people from diverse backgrounds and all generations to come and explore the countryside and its beauty.  They see the monthly walks as a celebration of communities connecting through walking, talking, learning.

Now this is all well and good, however, this is a story from the UK. But there’s no reason why it couldn’t be replicated here and Munibung Hill could be the home base.

… From MMM Issue #48 Feb-Mar 2025