After being cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 5 Lands Walk returns this year, bigger and better than ever, on Saturday, June 25.
5 Lands Walk President, Pauline Wright, said the event would proceed with COVID-safe protocols in place.
“Now in its 15th year, (the event) is well-established as a key community event for the Central Coast, providing a unique opportunity for everyone to connect, to explore and to learn more about the amazing history, cultures and environment right here on the Central Coast,” Wright said.
“For the more than 20,000 people participating annually, it provides spectacular insight to our breathtaking land and seascapes along the 10km coastal trek from MacMasters Beach to Terrigal, celebrating the unique personalities and coastal lifestyles of each of the 5 coastal villages along the way, with music, art and more.”
The event is timed to acknowledge the traditional importance of the humpback whale to the Darkinjung Community, taking place at the peak of the northern migration along our shores.
In addition to the festival and walk on the Saturday, the 2022 5 Lands Weekend program also includes a world class Opening Ceremony on Friday night, June 24, stunning exhibitions on the Sunday and much, much more to explore.
The Opening Ceremony will involve a stunning ensemble of talented local and international artists performing works composed and curated by globally acclaimed Avoca Beach resident Dr Yantra de Vilder.
“As musicians, we are emerging from a dark tunnel of lockdown where we were not able to perform together; indeed last year’s 5 Lands Walk was cancelled due to COVID,” de Vilder said.
“Now we are free to celebrate our place and people with song and dance.
“Through the power of music as a uniting force, this year’s 5Lands Walk Opening Ceremony honours our multi-cultural and diverse world, featuring guest performers from Russia, South Africa, China, Spain, and our Indigenous friends from the First Nations cultures.
De Vilder said the majority of the songs for the Opening Ceremony are original pieces written specifically for this event, designed to connect people to people and people to place.
“They speak of resilience, faith and the fragility of our human condition; ultimately they are a celebration of life and its ephemeral nature.”
The performance will feature the Ephemera Community Choir and some of the Coasts’ finest musicians, dancers, projected artwork and a light show.
It will also feature an acoustic piano as an installation from the Pianos for the People project.
Further details and registration for the 5LandsWalk Weekend can be found at www.5landswalk.com.au.
Terry Collins