Walking Holiday for Singles

With so many tours seemingly aimed at couples and families, Soulfree Adventures hits the mark with its new guided walks for single travellers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 18, 2010 – Singles holiday travel in Australia is taking off and is accounting for an increased share of the travel market. With traditional demographics changing and an increased number of single travellers entering the travel market, it's time for the Australian tourism industry to improve its offerings to cater to this growing market.

Cashed up single travellers are looking for experiences aimed squarely at them and it seems a small Victorian walking tour company Soulfree Adventures has hit the mark with its latest offering. Aimed squarely at the Singles Traveller market Soulfree Adventures is offering a guided Great Ocean Road Walk for Single Travellers. Not families, not couples, just singles. This is a refreshing and welcome change. Single travellers no longer need deal with the awkwardness of mixing with couples. Singles travel allows singles to meet, mix and have fun together. What better way to do this than on a walking holiday.

Soulfree's Great Ocean Road Walk for Singles package starts and finishes in Melbourne. Soulfree lay on transport, guides, accommodation and meals. Their guides are highly experienced, know the Great Ocean Walk intimately and are adept at facilitating diverse walking groups. This walking package allows single travellers to see some great scenery and have a great time doing so.

This 5 day package is attractively priced at AUD$1499 with deluxe upgrades available.

Contact Soulfree Adventures for more details or visit their website via the following link: http://www.soulfreeadventures.com.au/g1007

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Soulfree Adventures | Australian Walking Holidays
Guided Walking tours
Self guided walking tours
Walking holidays for single travellers
Great Ocean Walk
Grampians
Great South West Walk
Bogong High Plains | Victorian High Country
Heysen Trail South Australia

View this full press release here

HYDRATE OR DIE!

I don't know how many first aid courses I've completed over the years, probably over 20. Whatever, it seems like a lot and a long time since I first practised tying triangular bandages with the school nurse back in high school.

The best first aid courses for the outdoors have always been ones presented in a wilderness context . A useful context if a bit misleading: you could be in a "wilderness context" if you are moored in your yacht on say the Gippsland Lakes and you can't get back to the shore for some reason; or for that matter if you're stuck in a traffic jam. The point being of course that these courses provide you such key skills as:

- improvising first aid materials from stuff you already have with you (do more with less)

- provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide extended patient care (you could be stuck in the bush with your patient for hours, overnight, days, etc). Urban based courses like St Johns and Red Cross as a rule do not present from this perspective and their trainers are generally not from an outdoor guding background.

Anyway ones of the providers of one of these courses I distinctly remember had a motto which featured prominently on their trademark hikers' coffee mugs which they also sold. This motto read:

"Hydrate or Die"

The more courses I completed, the more this motto struck me as making sense. The more you study first aid, the more it becomes apparent how effective adequate hydration is in preventing a plethora of miscellaneous ills & ailments. And nowhere is this more apparent than in summer.

When I worked as a walking guide for 20 years for school Outdoor Education groups, I had a stock list of responses used for a multitude of student presentations / complaints. This is a useful tool to have in your leaders kitbag of tricks.

Students would typically present complaining of a headache. My stock response always revolved upon getting them to "drink more water." Not gulp it, but slowly sip a good litre an hour for the next hour or two or three ...

Of course that wasn't what they wanted to hear. What they really wanted was a Panadol or some similar magic tablet. But what their body needs is to be rehydrated. That pain in your head is telling you something. Yes Johnny pain is your friend.

So with the weather heating up and keen walkers heading out, one of the best things we can do to avoid the onset of heat illness (heat exhaustion and heat stroke or hyperthermia) is to stay hydrated. It's not that hard but it does require a strategy just as avoiding hypothermia requires a strategy.

Here's some hydration tips for walkers:

• start the day with a full tank. Make sure you're properly hydrated before you start walking.
• know the signs & symptoms of dehydration. Key sign: when you are adequately hydrated, your urine should be clear and copious. So go on,have a "pee and see."
• sip water regularly dont gulp water irregularly
  
• make it easy to sip and walk at the same time. Camelbaks and similar hydration packs are popular for a reason and you don't need to wear ear buds and like hip hop to use one either. They enable you to suck water when you're walking (or skiing but then you need to avoid the hydration tube freezing up but let's leave tha tissue till winter approaches). This really makes it easy to stay hydrated. You don't have to stop the group to get out your water bottle; you don't have to worry about catching up to the group; you don't have to ask someone to get your water bottle off your pack for you. You are in control and can drink when you like. And drink you will. It's amazing how quickly you can drain a 2 litrle bladder.
• take enough water to meet your needs without overdoing it. For me this is 3 litres. I carry a 2 litre Camelbak with the hydration tube conveniently located on my shoulder strap. Mine has a valve enabling me to close the water off, a useful feature. I also pack a one litre bottle either inside my pack or secured externally so it can't swing or drop of my pack.
• if leading a group, call rest stops frequently. Allow those in the group without hydration packs the chance to stop and drink. Chances are if they haven't got a Camelbak or similar, they will be not drinking for one or all of the reasons outlined earlier. If you don't let them drink, they will become more dehydrated and you may have problems later in the day.

So there you have it, some handy hints for staying hydrated. "Hydrate or Die" may sound a little over-the-top, a little melodramatic perhaps, but it sure focuses your attention on the issue. We all know the saying "from little things big things grow" and with dehydration this is the nub of the issue. A whole lotta problems can grow from that one little headache ...

So when you're out there walking this summer, drink, drink and be merry!

Happy New Year and Happy Trails

Want more info? Read this great article

AVOIDING BUSHFIRES WHEN WALKING

With the summer walking season well and truly upon us it is timely to look at how we can avoid bushfire danger on our walks.

With a bit of forethought, a modicum of technology and a healthy dose of common sense this should not prove that difficult.

1. Take heed of fire warnings. Following the disastrous fires of February 2009 Australia now has a raft of fire warnings. Take heed of these and avoid walking on days of:

CATASTROPHIC fire danger
EXTREME fire danger

2. Obey all warnings and instructions from regulatory bodies. For example, last summer in Victoria on particularly hot and bushfire prone days Parks Victoria (the regulatory and controlling body of all National Parks in Victoria) would not allow commercial operators to conduct tours in the Parks and advised all private walkers not to enter the Parks and if already in them, to reconsider their walking plans and seek to vacate the Park.

3. Do not wait to be told of a fire risk. Use your own common sense and judgement to assess the fire risk. If it is obviously hot and if these conditions are associated with strong, hot, dry winds, the the bushfire risk is obviously going to be great. Do not walk and make plans to leave the bush early. If you have no transport, consider your options. For example, you may be able to head to an open beach or rock platform which may be the safest place to be. Remember, the bush is dry and burns hot and fast. Do not be caught in the bush when fire hits.

4. Check the weather forecast before you go. If the forecast is for hot & dry weather, reconsider your options. The walk can always wait till later. It may be that a swim at the beach is a safer (and cooler) option.

5. Find out about the weather when you're in the bush. You have many options these days so consider the following:

AM/FM RADIO - the ABC has the strongest signal strength and is the official broadcaster of bushfire alerts and information. Pack a small portable radio and tune in to find out.

MOBILE PHONE / PDA:
a. RING THE BOM (Bureau of Meterology) to find out.

BOM WEATHER WARNING NO: 1300 659 217

TELSTRA has by far the best phone coverage in Victoria. You have more chance of getting a signal with Tesltra than other carriers. Be aware that even though your carrier claims your phone will default to Tesltra if they have no coverage this does not always occur.

b. PHONE A FRIEND to find out.

c. TEXT: text a friend to find out OR arrange for a friend to text you when a
pre-determined TRIGGER weather event occurs. This trigger should be concrete and easy to find out.
It could incude:
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING (for your area)
TOTAL FIRE BAN
EXTREME FIRE RISK
CATASTROPHIC FIRE RISK

SATELLITE PHONE: Consider hiring a satellite phone for your walk so you know you will have a communication device that works where you're planning on walking. These are usually pretty cheap (around $20 - $25 a day to hire - cheap if split a few ways and what price safety?)

WITH ALL BATTERY POWERED DEVICES :
- Know how to use them before you find yourself in an emergency. E.g. practise using your satellite phone before you head out; if it requires a PIN number then record it somewhere where it won't get lost
- carry a small laminated CONTACTS LIST of all possible emergency contact numbers and hand one out to each member of your party
- program this list into your phone (backups buuild redundancy into your plans - less chance of stuffing up in a real emergency)
MAKE SURE YOUR DEVICE IS CHARGED
CARRY SPARE BACK UP BATTERIES
DO NOT LET YOUR EMERGENCY DEVICE RUN OUT OF JUICE!!!

6. Avoid walking in bushfire prone areas at times of known hire fire danger.

A sobering thought: bushfires are real and people do die.

Respect the bush, respect the weather and mother nature and follow the SIX Ps at all times and you should be able to enjoy your walking year round without getting caught in the bush at the wrong time.

Happy Trails!

Soulfree Spring eBrochure Now Available

Soulfree Adventures' Spring eBrochure is now available!!!

For your copy email Andy: andy@soulfree.com.au

In this eBrochure:

- new Assisted walks
- new walking venues: Victorian High Country, Mount Hotham & Dinner Plain, Falls Creek & the Bogong High Plains
- walk from Mount Hotham to Falls Creek in a day!
- Spring 'wildflowers in the high country' walks
- Group Socials
- advance notice for winter 2010: Challenge Week Snow Treks five days of snowshoeing in the mountains, including ascents of Victoria's Five Highest Peaks. Challenge yourself like never before on one of our Snow Treks!!!

22nd August Half Day Tour

Today Rob and Ann joined us on a half day tour. Rob had booked his tour months ago and timed it perfectly, lucking into perfect touring conditions in the morning out along the Razorback and Bon Accord Spur.

If he had booked for yesterday, the tour would have been cancelled, as conditions were atrocious!

We headed out from Diamantina and ambled down the spectacular snowy ridgeline of upper Bon Accord spur.

We had a lovely stop for morning tea
and cookies amongst the snowgums, sheltering from the wind.


Australian snowgums (euacalyptus pauciflora)


Rob and Ann from Melbourne

With the temperature well below zero and the clouds and wind increasing, we headed top JB Plain. We had alovely snowgum ramble, stopping for views of Mt Tabletop.

We also stopped for a chat with David Chitty from Adventure Guides Australia who was out scouting the snow conditons for a school group he is teaching next week.

Rob has expressed an interest in our Sno Treks next year - 5 day snowshoe treks in the backcountry, including snow camping and peak bagging!

Snowshoe Log 10 July

Today we welcomed a lovely group of eight for a delightful 2.5 hour tour out of Hotham. It was lovely to welcome back Lisa (and her friend Penny). Lisa was our first client when we commenced last year and loyally stuck with us for a week (thanks Lisa!) I hope you enjoyed yourself today Lisa! Here's Liz






Here's Leonie.

It was also great to welcome back Kathleen and Deb. Kathleen has enjoyed three tours with us this week and Deb two. Deb and Kathleen enjoyed a four hour backcountry tour with us along the Razorback on Thursday, and a here's Deb and Kathleen with the Razorback as a backdrop.

Here's Lisa and her friend Penny , two girls who like to have fun!

From Western Australia here's Ann Marie and her son Jake

Here's the group descending from Eagle Ridge. Later in the season a large cornice will form here.

Penny and Deb descending

At the conclusion of the tour we arrived back at a bitter and blowey Loch car park. We estimated the temperature with wind chill factor at minus fifteen degrees! So we hastened our return to a comparatively warm Hotham Central.

Full pictures from this and (and all our tours) can be seen on my Photo Bucket site here http://s482.photobucket.com/albums/rr184/telesoul/

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You can catch up with all our latest offerings on our website: http://soulfreeadventures.com.au/

Great Ocean Walks

*** WINTER SPECIAL ***

10 For 10 Discount

Now's the time to start thinking about booking your next walking holiday with Soulfree.

We have a special "10 for 10" deal on at the moment where we will give a 10% discount to anyone who books a group of 10 into a 4 or 6 day Guided Great Ocean Walk by the end of October.

So start networking with your friends, get everyone organised and drop us a line. October, November and December are excellent months for walking along the Great Ocean Walk.

Drop us a line.

Call Andy:

m. 0477 477 271
e. andy@soulfree.com.au