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5 Lands Walk 2013

Home > Sydney > Community Events | Escape the City | Free
by Stella Bella (subscribe)
Freelance, event organiser, food tour guide, lifestyle designer. The organizer of the largest bushwalking and social community in Australia. So why not sponsor a walk to promote your business with my group? www.meetup.com/walkers-165
Event:
A must go community event in Central Coast



The 5 Lands Walk is a 9km cultural, spiritual and physical journey covering five major beach villages of the Central Coast, starting at Macmasters Beach, going through Copacabana Beach, Avoca Beach, North Avoca Beach and finishing at Terrigal Beach.

Held once a year shortly after winter solstice, it is a spiritual ceremony that welcomes the coming of warmer seasons and longer days. Also it is the time of the year when you can have amazing views of the humpback whales' northern migration.

Worths the pain to get up early to see this view


In addition to its spiritual symbol and natural wonders, the walking festival has attracted huge crowds from all ethical backgrounds to celebrate the union of multicultural communities, enjoying a day of multicultural art exhibitions and live performances and promoting better community understandings between local residents and visitors. Each year, there are also a series of complimentary events showcasing the local gourmet, such as A Taste of Avoca, The Entrance Organic Food Market. The walk normally starts at 9:00am, depending on how long you spend at each beach village, it could finish anytime you are ready.



On 23 June, I experienced the 5 Lands Walk with my walking group. As there were plenty of community buses during the festival between Terrigal Beach and Macmasters Beach, we drove down to Terrigal Beach, registered ourselves at the Registration Desk where we were given a map of the walking route and program schedule for the day. Then we caught the community bus to get to the starting point of the walk at Macmasters Beach.

Chilean Community Group in Central Coast


As soon as we arrived, I could hear the uplifting and cheerful Latin music nearby. It was the Chilean Community Group who was giving the visitors salsa dancing lessons mixed with group performances. My hips couldn't resist the exciting beats of the drum, so I joined the crowd. It turned out to be a perfect warm-up exercise prior to the walk.



Anyway, the group called on me to continue the journey. The soft sands made each step forward harder than I expected. But with the open ocean views right in front of me, and the chilly fresh ocean breeze, I could only feel the bliss and thought it really worth the pain to get up early on a winter morning to come to see this view. Someone spontaneously suggested that we should build a sand whale to symbolise the starting of the walk. So we did.





After 30 minutes of walking, we came to our second stop, Copacabana Beach. There were several amazing beach sculptures displayed before the entrance of the Copacabana Surf Club. I was particularly interested in the Mermaid Returning to the Sea exhibition. Inside the Surf Club, visitors could contemplate the latest art collection of the local artists, featuring mainly paintings. This time, the music style changed to Greek country music performed by the Greek Community, representing the major ethical residents living in the Copacabana Beach Village.







We arrived at our third stop Avoca Beach just around lunchtime and I could see a huge crowd gathered around, having a beach picnic here and there. It was the largest beach village among the five lands. The stage was dominated by the Philippines Community Dance Group performing folk dance. The dancers were encouraging the visitors on stage to learn the Tinikling dance moves with them, of course, I wouldn't give it a miss, being brave enough to dance between two moving sticks operated by the dancers from each end. Several beach sculptures were also spotted and decorated around, adding an arty feeling on the spacious beachside.





The fourth stop North Avoca is a small village, displaying a diversity of living performances on a small stage. From Mongolian Folk Dancing to Aboriginal Tribal Dancing, this stop was primarily for stage performances. Rather than trying to find a spot to sit at Avoca Beach, we thought it was a much better choice for a lovely group picnic, let alone with all the singing and dancing around us. We even spotted two migrating whales in the distance before our departure to our final destination.







Our walk concluded at Terrigal Beach around 4:00pm. You will be given a certificate to acknowledge your participation in the 5 Lands Walk. We decided to do whatever a festival hopper would do in this beach village, after getting our faces painted - we threw ourselves into a big Africa dance party, cheering, shouting twisting, shaking and swinging. Nothing felt better to wash all the heat away with a cool beer at a nearby bar before we hit the road home.

My certificate of participation of 5 Lands Walk 2012


If my experience is intriguing enough to generate your own, then don't miss out the next 5 Lands Walk Event held on Saturday, 22 June, 2013.
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Why? A walking festival celebrates winter Solstice and migrating whales
When: Every year shortly after winter solstice
Where: Central Coast
Cost: Free
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