HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

The benefits of bushwalking

Jo Cordell-Copper*

IT’S no secret that I am a big fan of bushwalking.

The health benefits start with improving your fitness.

There is a certain pleasure that comes with the free and easy delight of exploring local trails and enjoying your neighbourhood.

This is great for the heart, strengthening the muscles and stabilising joints, particularly around ankles, hips and knees.

Hiking is fabulous exercise for the body and it is made even better by carrying a light backpack.

I never feel better than after I have hiked.

There are other benefits to hiking than just physical benefits.

Immersion in the bush has a quietening effect on the body and the mind.

It’s a quiet place and if you can sit still and listen to the sounds around you it is a wonderful application of mindfulness.

Sitting still and listening, focusing on your breathing – it’s so good for you.

However, I encourage you to go hiking (which for the most part is free).

Whether that be some place remote or urban, you will still feel the benefits.

For example, I was recently walking at Queens Domain.

This is a place I rarely walk around.

It was one of those clear blue Hobart days and I looked up at our stunning Mount Wellington and found it quite breath taking.

I can’t say how many times I’ve looked at that mountain, but it still impresses me as one of the most beautiful and majestic mountains I’ve ever seen.

Just taking the time to be impressed by an everyday scene makes me happy to live here.

If we can take joy in such a simple thing, take the time to appreciate such beauty, this in turn helps form a more positive mindset.

Another key benefit from hiking is its ability to connect you to the people around you.

Bushwalking types are friendly folk and I can honestly say I have never felt threatened when meeting new people in the bush.

It’s a great time to connect with your own friends and family, and it need not be a challenging walk.

There is little to distract you when you are bushwalking, so great conversations happen during hikes.

Many things get discussed while hiking, and people also share stories and experiences.

If you are interested in an absolute gem of a walk, head down to Waterfall Bay on the Tasman Peninsula with your family and friends.

There’s a very short walk to the waterfalls (30-45 mins each way) and it’s absolutely delightful to explore this area and stop for a picnic.

*Jo Cordell-Cooper offers Friday Night Hikes on the Eastern Shore, and half day hikes on weekends for those needing a little support to get started and gain confidence hiking in the bush. Download your free preparation for hiking resources from www.jocc.com.au/hiking or phone 0409 862206 for more information.

From left, Eddie’s grandfather Colin Dean, grandmother Lyn Dean, great grandmother Betty Dean, mum Jessica McDonald (holding Eddie) and great grandfather Jim Dean.

Vespa swarm makes dream come true for Eddie

A SWARM of scooters, motorcycles and cars will help take the sting out of living with Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 4 (PCH4) for one young Tasmanian suffering from the extremely rare condition.

The Ride for Eddie aims to raise funds for Edward ‘Eddie’ MacDonald, who was born in 2017 and diagnosed with PCH4 – one of only five cases of other types of PCH currently diagnosed in Australia.

Eddie feeds through a gastric tube, doesn’t talk, and will likely never be able to use his hands.

His grandfather, Ride for Eddie organiser Colin Dean, said Eddie will also never be able to walk and will always be confined to a wheelchair.

“As he grows, travelling will be more difficult,” he said.

“He will become too big to lift in and out of a car seat, so he will need to travel in his wheelchair.

“This means he will need a modified van to take him in his wheelchair – Ride for Eddie was created to raise money with this goal in mind.”

Mr Dean said the idea for Ride for Eddie came from the fact that he owned a yellow Vespa.

“Vespa means wasp in Italian, so I decided to make my Vespa look like a wasp and do the ride to help take the sting out of Eddie’s problems,” he said.

“With the help of Document Management Tasmania, there are now three scooters, a Ducati motorcycle, my Toyota Kluger and John X’s HT Holden Ute, all wrapped to look like wasps.”

The swarm will depart Salamanca on Sunday 14 November and will travel about 1,500 kilometres across Tasmania before arriving back in Hobart the following Sunday.

The team will stop in towns along the way to collect donations, with entertainers CROON performing pop-up shows at venues including the St Marys Hotel, Deloraine’s Little Theatre, the Penny Royal Adventure Park and Burnie’s Menai Hotel.

The appeal’s fundraising target was $85,000, but has already nearly surpassed that amount.

“People are so generous,” Mr Dean said.

“Each donation means the same - from the businesses that have donated many thousands, to the small boy who donated $10 of his pocket money, it is very humbling.”

Ride for Eddie has partnered with Variety, the Children’s Charity to collect donations and has also received great support from various Lions Clubs.

For more information, to follow progress of the ride, or to make a taxdeductible donation, go to https://tasfundraising. variety.org.au or the Ride for Eddie Facebook page.