Newcastle Bushwalkers - where are they?

[Shorty]

Just wondering where are all the bushwalkers in Newcastle aged between around 25-35? Trying to find some fun people in Newy around the same age to go bushwalking/hiking/camping/fishing with, but don't know where they're all hiding. Or alternatively, are there any bushwalking clubs with some younger people who regularly attend the walks? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go even with the 'oldies' (you're not old unless you feel old), but would be nice to meet some others the same age at the same time

Just want to get out there and have some fun, but do need some experienced people to show me the way. Do you have a club I should join?

[forest]

Your not alone.

31 and I do most of my walks solo.....
I do move quickly though.....

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

I did the Overland with two mates a few weeks ago, and there were only 4 other people in the 25-35 year bracket.

The other 53 walkers that departed that day were 60+. We would have gone mental had there not been more people our age there!

[Shorty]

The 25-35 year olds who enjoy the outdoors must be extinct, because I'm sure not meeting any of them in my every day life. My oh so helpful brother suggested that I go into the bush and just wait for some bushwalkers to walk past and ask if I can join them. The other suggestion I've had was to hang out in the camping stores and stalk anyone who comes in. Somehow I think these may not end so happily

[ninjapuppet]

Join the New Castle University Mountaineering Club.
Even if they dont run the walks that you would like to, at least you can meet other like-minded people. Stalking people around camping stores might give people the wrong impression and think you're trying to pick up or something..

http://numc.nusa.org.au/index.php

They even have their own forum: http://numc.nusa.org.au/forum/

[Son of a Beach]

I did the Overland with two mates a few weeks ago, and there were only 4 other people in the 25-35 year bracket.

The other 53 walkers that departed that day were 60+. We would have gone mental had there not been more people our age there!

I would have gone mental sharing with 53 people of any age!

[sailfish]

Can someone please explain to me why the young find it such an ordeal to be with older people?
You know, older people are just young people who have been around a little longer, learn't to chill and slowed up a bit.

Regards,
Ken

[puredingo]

Ken, I think it goes something like this..."back when i was a boy this track......" Only joking but I've just turned 39 so I'm somewhere in the middle?

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Can someone please explain to me why the young find it such an ordeal to be with older people?

I don't find it an ordeal to be with older people, and in fact when we have older people travelling with us at work, I always make the effort to help them with their bags and come and introduce myself while we are waiting for others.

The older people (the 60+) on the Overland last week just happened to be a particularly rude and selfish group of people, for example:
1. Lighting the heaters in the hut despite the Parks restriction of only lighting it if the temperature is below 10 degrees (at Kia Ora, the hut must have been 30 degrees inside when we arrived and the heater was on FLAT OUT)
2. Going to bed at 7pm (2 hours before it got dark!) and getting *&%$#! with us for making any noise whatsoever when retrieving something from our pack or cooking dinner
3. Getting up at 4am (yes you read that right, as early as 4am, 2 hours before sunrise) and then happily deafening the entire hut as they noisily packed up their gear (people in glass houses, see point 2)
4. Putting every single piece of wet clothing/footwear/underwear over and around the heater (including stinky socks) making the entire hut stink of their BO and making it impossible to walk around the hut without tripping over
5. Sleeping on the floor in the common areas when bunks were available???
6. Sleeping in the bunks with unbelievably loud snoring (if I snored like that, I wouldn't be so rude as to sleep in the bunk and keep everyone awake, I'd stay in a tent)

I don't find it an ordeal to be with older people, but for some reason, when bushwalking, SOME of them can be unbelievably rude and inconsiderate!

As for the 85 year old farmer who walked in to Pelion for two days from Arm River, he was a gentleman and we spent half an hour having a good yarn over a cuppa. He was hoping to find someone to carry his pack out because he was really feeling it, but unfortunately we were going the wrong way!

Sorry about the thread drift.

[sailfish]

OK, my comment was a bit tounge in cheek not meant to be taken too seriously because I know how it was when I was younger. Tried to indicate that with a wink. It is however a bit of a lament over the generational divide that I now wish did not exist.

Regards,
Ken

[Greenie]

I live south of Newcastle and I am in the age bracket. So you could go walking with me. But only today, as from tomorrow I am no longer in that age bracket

[johnat]

4. Putting every single piece of wet clothing/footwear/underwear over and around the heater (including stinky socks) making the entire hut stink of their BO and making it impossible to walk around the hut without tripping over

When I was on the OT, the heaters were always covered with wet gear, and there were only about 4 of us in the over 50 bracket! The ones with the least manners, most noise and worst language were those in the (estimated) 30-40 bracket. They all did, though, admire our pre-dinner snort of rum and cheese/bickies (one cannot let standards slip to the point that the evening aperatif is forgone, now can one?)

[Shorty]

Can someone please explain to me why the young find it such an ordeal to be with older people?
You know, older people are just young people who have been around a little longer, learn't to chill and slowed up a bit.

Regards,
Ken

Would love going with the older people too Ken, especially if they pass on all their knowledge! For me, it's more just a matter of wanting to find some likeminded people of similar age who I could become good friends with and have a yarn and maybe a beer or two around the campfire with, as well as just hiking companion Am not ruling out going with the older hikers though, definitely considering joining a newcastle bushwalking club. I did go with one a few years ago and loved it, but at times felt as though I was treated differently and looked down upon because I was younger.

HAHA Greenie, definitely can't accept you after you cross that 35 age barrier Kidding. Happy Birthday! Where do you go hiking? Do you go often, during the weekdays or weekends?

[ULWalkingPhil]

Reading some of the comments here on the huts on the overland track is very discouraging. One of the main reasons I'll be going during the off peak season. I want to get away from people and enjoy the wilderness without hearing swearing etc.

At 46 I'm the youngest member in the local bushwalking club.





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[Greenie]

Thanks! that's a relief. I go weekends and sometime week days when I can. I haven't been lately that much, which is a bit sad. Around here I walk in my local NP's like Brisbane Water & Popran etc, I have also done a bit up at the Barrington Tops in the winter.

[under10kg]

Reading some of the comments here on the huts on the overland track is very discouraging.

I suggest to take a tent on the overland track and only use the huts if the weather is real bad. You can still cook in the huts. I like to start early and be the first one on the track. You then have the whole day to yourself as most people on the track are pretty buggered from all the heavy gear they carry and get up late. Once the snoring was so loud on one overland hut I slept in the kitchen area and I still could not sleep. And all those huge heavy leather wet boots trying to dry out near the fire! I love my runners!

[corvus]

Reading some of the comments here on the huts on the overland track is very discouraging.

I suggest to take a tent on the overland track and only use the huts if the weather is real bad. You can still cook in the huts. I like to start early and be the first one on the track. You then have the whole day to yourself as most people on the track are pretty buggered from all the heavy gear they carry and get up late. Once the snoring was so loud on one overland hut I slept in the kitchen area and I still could not sleep. And all those huge heavy leather wet boots trying to dry out near the fire! I love my runners!

Taking a tent is not an also option on the OT but an essential JIC and as to using the Huts when the weather is bad I have been on tent platforms where snorers were also very loud so on a shared camping /hut area you just live with it
corvus

[Freedom82]

Hi I just signed up to reply to this thread. I tend to be a quiet, perceptive type of individual and usually end up enjoying trips on my own. I have recently sparked my interest back up in camping and bushwalking and I have more time now, and would love to visit the Barrington Tops again. If there are any fit individuals with a sense of adventure out there, please contact me.

[puredingo]

WAIT! Your not Malcom Nadem are you???

[Aj23484]

I'm 28 and keen to do some walks around newcastle area, give me a shout and we can catch up maybe

[Boz]

Regarding this, how many Newcastle/Hunter people are members of, or participate in, Sydney based club activities? I note SWB looks to have a good range of regular activities as do Brisbane Waters Outdoor Club and the Fat Canyoners group. Given a Newcastle based person might be traveling to areas such as Katoomba and Cullen Bullen (not to suggest there's not good stuff in the Hunter and surrounding areas) anyway, I'm just interested to know if many join these clubs or attending their activities?

I realise the meetings and associated training nights would be difficult to attend and that is also where I personally feel clubs add much value.

Given the number of "youngens" commenting about groups of like aged individuals not being present in the Hunter based clubs, perhaps our Newcastle clubs are looking for an injection of young blood, similar to that which has happened at SWB? It would be a shame to see these clubs decline or go stale when there is obviously some interest in club activities amongst younger Hunter based people.

Any Newcastle based club members have any thoughts on this?

[lunabug]

I've just moved back home after living overseas for a few years and am looking to continue indulging in the love of the outdoors I discovered while I was away. I'd be pretty keen to join some people around my age (I'm also in the 25-30 age bracket) and would love to hear from other anyone who I might go frolicking in the great outdoors with - frolicking for others is optional.

[Rob A]

WAIT! Your not Malcom Nadem are you???

Malcome doesnt live here anymore.

If you got up to Glouscester over the last long weekend you would have seen road signs, 'Clarencetown, Newastle, Sydney, Malcolms new home 487km' to Goulburn presumably, roadworks signs with 'Kilroy was here... So was Malcolm', and in town 'Chicken bugers, steakburgers, Malcolmlbugers eat here or on the run...', and long wheel base four wheel drives with about forty of the blackshirt NSW Public Order and Riot Squad having a weekend off on full pay penalty rates to go bushwalking looking for his camps and stashes.

He's turned into a cottage industry .

[Narelle_Banff]

I'm new to this forum but was excited to see posts related to younger bushwalkers representing, did anyone manage to meet up?

[mikethepike]

Can someone please explain to me why the young find it such an ordeal to be with older people?
You know, older people are just young people who have been around a little longer, learn't to chill and slowed up a bit.

Regards,

Yes I think I can. Older walkers are more set in their ways and go to bed far too early - often almost straight after eating tea. Oddly enough, although young people have much less experience than their elders, they seem to have more to talk about. And they like more fun and nonsense. If you're the only young person in a party of generation older walkers, you'll really be aware of the generation gap. It is very real. As for older walkers slowing down, that's natural and it's fine, but it often won't fit with the way the young want to do it. But as older walkers all know, their tern will come!

[north-north-west]

Oddly enough, although young people have much less experience than their elders, they seem to have more to talk about.

No, they just talk more.

[mikethepike]

No, they just talk more.

HaHaHa!: Nicely put nnw - and no value judgement there on the quality of the conversation!

Actually traveling with early go-to-bedders means very little camp fire communal time (assuming you walk in an area where you can have fires) and this can to some degree lesson the difference between the experiences of walking solo or as part of a group.

[Lotsafreshair]

If you're happy to look at a Sydney club, Sydney Bush Walkers Club (www.sbw.org.au) have around 800 members, with about 240 ish in their 20s and 30s.

Walks are all over the state, country and international, however majority are Blue Mts based.

[davidmorr]

It seems to me that there are a bunch of young people in the Newcastle area, but they do not want to join any of the existing clubs. Why not get together and form your own?

All you have to do is for someone to nominate a date, time and place (maybe a pub), and get together and have a chat.

And in case you are worried about running a club, it does not have to be onerous. You do not have to have fees or rules, and you do not have to be incorporated. It is all about having a good way to communicate with each other and someone to contact. I was in a computer club that ran successfully like this for 10 years before they decided to get incorporated. They used Yahoo Groups to run an e-mail list, but nowadays you could use Facebook, Meetup or any number of social media systems.

SBW has been mentioned here a few times as an example of a club having a lot of young people. As I understand it, this happened by young people joining the club as it was. When there were enough of them, they started organising their own activities. They also participated in the management of the club and instigated things like the website redesign and update which got them more young people.

My own club has had a number of younger people join over the years, and we would love to have more, but they don't hang around long. I guess we just never get the critical mass.

And even just looking at the postings here, the dates are spread out over six months since March. Just getting that critical mass seems to be the issue even here.

Addendum: I was just thinking about when I joined my club. I was 29 at the time. On almost all trips there were people ranging from mid-teens to 60s and 70s. The young people then did not complain about the older people or wish they were with other people of their own age. In fact it was quite inspiring to see teenagers walking along in deep conversation with retired schoolteachers and other oldies. Why is it different today? Why is it so awful to be with older and more experienced people? Even for a day in the bush when you can be with young people all the rest of the week? And how else are you going to learn all the wonderful places to go other than talking to these people?

(I know that some people - both older and younger - have poor people skills and that can deter good communication. But you will not get anywhere unless you try.)

[davidmorr]

6. Sleeping in the bunks with unbelievably loud snoring (if I snored like that, I wouldn't be so rude as to sleep in the bunk and keep everyone awake, I'd stay in a tent)

It's a sad fact of life that people have respiratory problems. These can be caused by hay fever, drinking too much, hot dry air, sagging bed and old age causing tissues to sag. Note that only one of these is related to age, and that this cause can start from mid-30s.

Yes, I have spent many years camping next to or sharing rooms with people with hay fever, who have drunk too much alcohol before bed, insisted on having every source of ventilation in a hut full of people closed so it gets very hot and the air gets very dry, had to sleep on a saggy bed in huts in New Zealand and elsewhere, and who have been all ages.

It is certainly more likely that older people will fit into more than one of the categories above, so will seem to be over-represented.

What is unfortunate is that people who snore often do not know they snore. Even worse is that if you suggest it, they will often get quite indignant.

I'm a very light sleeper, and find that snoring can keep me awake all night. I haven't found a solution yet, other than to camp well away from known snorers, or to get a single room when staying at hostels. I have been told that meditation can distract your mind from the sound but have not tried it enough to know if it works.