JM: Hi Jim, can we start with hearing a bit about your background and interests?
JC: Well, until I recently retired I was an anaesthetist and I’m involved in the share market as I run my own financial affairs. I’m married with grown up kids
and have 11 grandchildren which keep us busy. We came to the Illawarra in 1982 for work and live in Figtree between the two aged care facilities! I’m a member of a local Christian church and one of the nearby churches was running Duke of Edinburgh activities, and because I had a son, I completed a course to be a Duke of Edinburgh leader to help boys achieve the Duke of Edinburgh award. Through that experience I found I enjoyed walking around the bush. Up until then I’d found it a pretty aimless activity.
JM: Can you tell me when and why you joined the Ramblers and what you were looking for?
JC: About 20 years ago a couple of the nurses I worked with were talking about going on a bush walk and I asked if I could go along and that’s how I got to know about the Ramblers. I was pretty busy with work and hadn’t known about them. They told me that non-members were allowed to go on two activities before joining, so that’s what I did. I don’t remember the first walk was I went on – it was too long ago, but since then, I’ve done lots of wonderful walks. That’s been one of the great things about the Ramblers. You can go on all these different activities. You don’t have to necessarily know what and where you’re going. You just join the group and follow the leader. And most leaders are pretty well organized. You don’t get lost or get in any special danger, and you see lots of very interesting and different places that you would have never found yourself. My bushwalking activities aren’t as strenuous as they used to be, as I’m a bit older now. I did try cycling once and also kayaking, but couldn’t keep up with either groups, so I’ve stuck with walking.
JM: What have been some of the best bits and highlights of being a member of the
Ramblers?
JC: One of the highlights has been making lots of long lifetime friends. I can ring someone up and say “do you want to go for a walk?” One of our members asked me to be a friend on Facebook, and I said, “hey, you’re my friend. You can ring me up any time and I’ll talk to you.” I don’t think she took offence at that!
The other thing I enjoy about the Ramblers is that it’s not a status thing. You’re out there walking, or you’re cycling or you’re boating, and you’re just joining in the activity as a member. You’re not especially important, or you’re not especially unimportant. You’re just a member of that activity, and everyone has the same sort of status and reason to enjoy that activity, the same as everyone else. As a club, we don’t discard people, or tell people not to come unless they’re physically not up to a particular activity. That’s about the only criteria.
You learn new skills. I learnt to use a compass and map and then to use a GPS, not that we go off track very much, but if I had to, I know how to do it. Occasionally we will semi deliberately get lost, just so that we can practice finding our own way back. It’s a skill to learn and also to be able to walk in difficult terrain, knowing your boots are going to cope with it. Learning to use hiking poles that you might not otherwise use. I suppose it’s the same with cycling and also with kayaking. You learn what equipment is right for you.
We have a big range of activities that really covers all abilities. Some are very tough and some are very gentle, and so we can include everyone.
I’ve been away on a number of fantastic multiday trips: the Larapinta Trail, and Lord Howe Island. Graham Burgess does a lot of wonderful activities that involve a week away. And his recent ones included Pambula for a week, and the new Blue Mountains trail, which was very pleasant. These trips encourage you to actually take on some longer walks on your own bat, not through the Ramblers. For example, we’ve been walking in New Zealand a couple of times which we may not have done if it wasn’t for the experience with the Ramblers.
JM: What made you step up and lead activities and what’s that experience been like for you?
JC: Well, it does mean you get to organize activities that you enjoy yourself, and you can set your own pace. Everyone has to walk leisurely now at my pace! I did an exploratory walk recently down the Marley Trail, and five people turned up to join the walk. One turned back, which I thought was sensible, because of the weather but the other four still wanted to walk in the rain and we were all happy and no one complained. We all just got a bit wet. As a matter of routine, on any activity whether it be walking, riding or paddling, you should be prepared for whatever might reasonably happen, and wet weather is not all that unusual!
But leading can come with some challenges. Occasionally you put on an activity and nobody registers for it, so I guess you don’t do that trip again. On one trip, I left it too late to cancel because of bad weather and that was proper shambles. I forgot to tell some people who turned up, so that was very embarrassing, and I had to apologize to a few people.
I think it’s incumbent upon us, if you can do it, to try and contribute. If you take from an organization, I think it’s nice to be able to give something back. And recently, against my better judgement, as I hate paperwork, I agreed to be Secretary until you sack me!
JM: Based on your experience and observations over many years, have you got any tips for new members?
JC: I would suggest they ring and talk to the activity leader about what it entails and what you need to be well prepared: appropriate clothing, boots, sufficient water and food. Occasionally people turn up for a 10km walk in mid-summer without any water! I usually keep a spare bottle in my car to give out. New members should be happy to ask the leader, “what do I really need for this walk? What are you bringing? Do I need to take lunch? How much water? Do I need clothes to change into?” We’ve all got stories of not prepared for some obscure reason, even the most experienced of us; but hopefully we learn from our mistakes.