General News
25 June, 2020
Hiking the region
WITH so much natural beauty on our doorstep, a new hiking group is giving locals the chance to get out outdoors and experience the best our region has to offer.
WITH so much natural beauty on our doorstep, a new hiking group is giving locals the chance to get out outdoors and experience the best our region has to offer.
The Mareeba Hiking group started in May of this year and since then has continued to grow in popularity as people get the urge for the simpler things in life.
The brainchild of Robert Owens, an avid hiker from Mareeba, he decided to try and get together like-minded people who wanted to experience the beauty that our backyard holds.
The weekend hikes are promoted via a facebook page –Mareeba Hiking Group – which now has nearly 800 members with some hikes having almost 50 people of all ages participate.
The Facebook page also gives hikers the chance to link up and organise their own hikes.
Mr Owen wants people to use the page as a central hub to find other locals who want to participate in hikes.
“The group has been going for about 6 weeks and we have 768 odd members now,” he said.
“What I want to see is different social groups, age groups and fitness levels all coming out for the hike and doing their own thing.
“The best thing that comes out of these hikes besides the physical health benefits is the mental health aspect of getting out and grounded in nature.”
Mr Owen encourages Tablelanders to get involved with the Mareeba Hiking Group and hopes that people can use the page as an opportunity to organise their own hikes with like-minded people.
“The social aspect is fantastic as well, meeting new people and forming friendships is such a simple but rewarding activity,” he said.
“All I can say to those who are thinking about joining the group and coming out on a hike is to just come out and try a hike.
“People will be surprised at the quality of the tracks and the beauty that can be found right in their backyards.”
The Mareeba Hiking Group Facebook page also acts as a great source of information as members can ask questions about hikes they are interested in and listen to members who have experience with those tracks.
All ages and fitness levels are catered for from children to adults and seasoned hikers to first time hikers.
