This year the 10th anniversary of the 5 Lands Walk builds on a decade of community fun, linking people to people and people to place.
The 5 Lands Walk continues to grow annually and enjoys a participant satisfaction rating of over 95%.
This year’s event on Saturday, June 20 is expected to attract over 17,000 participants, 20 per cent of whom are likely to be visitors to the region.
Inspired by the Cinque Terra walk across five idyllic coastal Italian villages, the 5 Lands Walk covers 10km of stunning, culturally and environmentally significant scenery from MacMasters Beach in the south to Terrigal in the north.
It offers participants of all ages and fitness levels the chance complete the walk at their own pace, free of charge.
Free bus transport will be available between each stage for those requiring it.
Created and organised by an experienced management team supported by over 250 volunteers, the event is scheduled to correspond with the annual northern migration of whales.
This is a particularly significant ‘totem’ for the Indigenous communities of the region whose culture, art and history are shared with walk participants as they progress along the route.
Being a true multicultural event reflecting the diverse make- up of the Central Coast community, representatives from the Coast’s Chinese, French, Indian, Iranian, Irish, Fijian, South Pacific Island and many other backgrounds also bring their traditions, art, culture and performance to create a program rich in colour, educational value and family enjoyment.
“Each year we consciously build the program to feature interesting innovations to ensure the many repeat participants experience another dimension of these fascinating lands,” said Mr Con Ryan, 5 Lands Walk committee president.
“The 10th anniversary program includes performances by the combined choir of five Central Coast schools at Terrigal.
“The Aboriginal Centre at North Avoca will see the acclaimed NAISDA Dance College perform and host workshops and there will be a 5Lands Art Exhibition at the Gosford Gallery.
“The willingness of local communities to contribute, and the enthusiasm of the volunteers who make the annual staging of the event possible, is truly humbling.
“So too is the level of government and local community support to enable and maintain the infrastructure on which the walk is now founded.
“This means that the legacy we leave will be not only a great, free, fun and educational day out for locals and visitors, but a permanent opportunity for all to discover the beauty of the 5Lands, every day of the year,” Mr Ryan said.
Earlier this year, in preparation for this annual community event, the Captain Cook Lookout was re-developed and a new lookout, the Winney Bay Lookout, was installed at a total cost of some $2 million.
A grant of $82,000 from the NSW Government was received to finish construction of the side track from Del Monte Pl to Winney Bay to cover the construction of a new bridge with boardwalks connecting it to existing stair cases, installation of handrails and installation of signage between Avoca Beach and Copacabana.
The total cost of the Winney Bay Side track was approximately $250,000.
A new section of track from the new Winney Bay Lookout, along the cliff face down to Winney Bay, was completed in time for this year’s walk.
This part of the track will be the feature section of the 5Lands Pathway with the design described as ‘mind blowing’.
This recently completed work, together with the proposed construction of the staircase and lookout at North Avoca means the 5 Lands Walk will be available to be used every day of the year.
This year’s event is predicted to contribute around $1.6 million to the local economy.
Media release,
1 June 2015
David Fellows,
5 Lands Walk