What we’re about
Our community is strictly 40 years and over only - we are ordinary people sharing extraordinary experiences of beautiful epic places and enduring friendships, and we'd love you to join us.
Our events are fun, high quality, inclusive and accessible - the best hikes that you won't see elsewhere, kayaking in stunning places, indoor climbing, camping out, beach bbq picnics, gigs and film nights, photography workshops, and more. It's so easy to turn up and have a great time - so don't be alone and bored watching 'reality' TV at home :-(
We never ever leave anyone behind - this is not a group for competitive adrenalin-junkies racing to the finish. We are a diverse group of women and men of all abilities, we move at the pace of the whole group in the conditions of the day, we encourage, include and support each other, safety is important, and we stop lot's to enjoy the epic scenery and each other's company. If you need to go faster or finish earlier, join another group.
ZERO tolerance for late dropouts and no-shows - we don't like doing this but if you RSVP and drop out in the last 24 hours before an event, you are removed from our group immediately and forever, and your profile is tagged as a no-show for all of the Meetup community to see. In the past 2 years we have deleted over 200 people for this. So only RSVP to an event if you are 100% sure to attend, not just a maybe.
ZERO tolerance for bad behaviour - if you harass, bully, engage in narcissism, cliques or discrimination against anyone, behave dangerously, preach any ideology, smoke, use drugs or are intoxicated at our events, you are out immediately and forever.
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THE LEGAL STUFF ...
CONDITIONS OF JOINING AND/OR PARTICIPATION IN THIS GROUP
The following conditions, which may be amended or updated from time to time, apply to all current and future members of SydneyAdventurers40+ meetup group, and their guests.
By joining as a member of this group and/or by your RSVP to any event of this group and/or by your participation in any activity or function of this group, you agree to the following conditions:
(i) You acknowledge that you understand and accept the risks associated with the activities and functions of this group, including but not limited to risks stemming from deliberate or non-deliberate exposure to environments with shallow or deep water, water currents or waves, visible or hidden obstructions or snags or constructions, any type of weather conditions, any type of land or aquatic terrain, falls or collisions or other mishaps, equipment use or misuse or failure, injury due to wildlife or vegetation, physical exertion, illness or infection, pre-existing medical conditions, becoming separated or lost, inaccessibility of emergency medical assistance, unavailable mobile phone reception, the actions and/or omissions of any direct or indirect service provider, the actions and/or omissions of organisers or hosts or leaders or other participants or members of the public, and anything that happens in the course of travelling (including transport in any form) to or from or during the event; and
(ii) you acknowledge that, whilst the organiser of this group and hosts or leaders of its activities and functions make all efforts to ensure the safety of all participants, they do not represent an accredited, qualified, expert or equipped guiding service or other type of service provider with any duty of care to you in respect of any of the activities or functions of this group and/or in respect of travel undertaken for the purpose of these activities and functions; and
(iii) you agree to conduct yourself in a responsible, safe, cooperative and ethical manner at all times in relation to travelling for and in your participation in the activities and functions of this group, and in relation to other participants in the group or the public generally as may be a consequence of the activities and functions of this group; and
(iv) you agree that you are entirely responsible for your own safety and wellbeing at all times, including being responsible for planning your travel and participation in the group activities and functions, researching and considering the forecast and actual weather conditions, being responsible for assessing at all times your physical ability to participate, and being responsible for all of your decisions and conduct before, during and after the group's formal or informal events, and for any consequences stemming either fully or in part from the activities and functions of the group and/or from travel in relation to these activities and functions; and
(v) you agree that you indemnify the organisers, hosts, leaders or other participants in these activities or functions of the group for any injury or loss due to any action, omission, negligence or oversight by any person or organisation and/or due to any other consequences resulting from the activities and functions of this group and/or from travel in relation to these activities and functions, to the full extent permitted by the law; and
(vi) you agree that you are responsible for the welfare and property of any person whom you invite as a guest to an event, activity or function of this group, and you agree to inform them prior to all aspects of the event that by their actions to attend and by participation they are bound by all the conditions of membership and participation the same as you are to the full extent permitted by the law.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- SATURDAY BLUE MOUNTAINS WALK - Knapsack Reserve, Glenbrook - 9km / 11km moderateGlenbrook station, Blue Mountains, Glenbrook
This fantastic diverse bushwalk has it ALL!!!! Just a 1 hour journey to Glenbrook station in the Blue Mountains gives us easy access to explore stunning easy bush trails through a very beautiful eucalypt forest and lush rainforest gorges, mysterious abandoned railway rock cuttings to pass through, beautiful colonial era sandstone bridges, and more jaw-dropping lookouts than you can shake a stick at with truly epic vistas over the WHOLE of the Sydney plain, plunging views of dramatic gorges, and sweeping sunset vistas of the Blue Mountains wilderness. You won't easily forget this one!
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THE PLAN
Optional pre-party: Feel free to join the group from 9.00am to relax with coffee / brunch at the excellent Kickaboom Cafe at 6 Ross Street, just a 2 minute walk from Glenbrook train station.
Formal start: Meet the group at 10.40am in the commuter carpark of Glenbrook train station on the corner of Burfitt Parade and Ross Street. Do NOT confuse this carpark with the other carpark further along Burfitt Parade adjacent to Raymond Street.
We'll make a toilet stop as we pass Glenbrook Park, just 300 metres after the start point.
Then we join the bush trail into the beautiful forests of Knapsack Reserve. We'll take a morning break at the evocative sandstone Knapsack Bridge, and then a substantial lunch break at a lookout with jawdropping views over the entire Sydney plain - yep, 6 million people captured in one look across the whole city.
The route then skirts down a built path through stunning rainforest along the side of Knapsack Gorge, across an impressive viaduct bridge with more huge views of the city, and then we follow the abandoned rail line which was cut right through the rocky slopes.
At this point we re-emerge on the edge of Glenbrook village and if you are tired you can take an easy short cut here along a beautiful residential street bringing you in 10 minutes to the shops and station to finish with a total distance of 9 km walked for the day.
If you still have a little energy, there is lots more to see - we'll continue for an additional 2km through beautiful eucalypt forest of Darks Common to several lookouts with plunging views over the dramatic sandstone walls of Glenbrook Gorge as the sun sits low in the western sky. The we quickly emerge at our origin at Glenbrook station for a total distance of 11km for the day.
We'll aim to finish at the station between 4pm-5pm and well before dark. From there it's a quick train trip or easy drive home.
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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
The bush tracks are well formed dirt trails, built paths, and stone stairways.
The distance is very achievable - do either the 9km loop with the early exit point, or the full 11km loop, both ending at Glenbrook station where we started.
The gradients are gentle undulations for 80% of the route.
There is one significant descent with many stone steps into Knapsack Gorge, and then an equal ascent on steps to come up the other side of the gorge - it’s not too bad. We will take this at a very relaxed pace, stopping for as many breaks as you like and to enjoy the epic scenery, so you’ll be able to handle just fine.
With this short steep passage through the gorge and the 9km (or 11 km) distance, we are calling this walk MODERATE grade. If you have done a couple of walks of at least 7km, you will handle this one comfortably.
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TRANSPORT
By train: Take the Blue Mountains (Lithgow via Parramatta) service departing at 9.24am from Central Station platform 7, then passing Strathfield at 9.38am, Parramatta at 9.54am, Blacktown at 10.05am, Penrith at 10.23am, and arriving at Glenbrook station at 10.36am. See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times.
By car: Glenbrook village is on the Great Western Highway/M4 at the start of the Blue Mountains, and just 1 hour drive from central Sydney. You can take either
- the M4 motorway from the inner west and west (about 60km), or
- the M2/M7/M4 motorways from the north side (about 80km), or
- the M5/M4 motorways from southwest Sydney.
At Glenbrook, turn left from the Great Western Highway into Ross Street and proceed straight to the meeting point at Glenbrook station. There is plenty of free parking in the commuter carpark at the station.
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GRATUITY
Please contribute $10 cash on the day to help us cover the group’s operating costs..
BRING:
- Opal card for public transport
- Your lunch and snacks for the day on the trail (there is a bakery/cafe, deli and supermarket in Glenbrook village, but no shops on the trail until we return to the village at the end of the day)
- Drink bottle (at least 2 litres, there are no water sources to refill from once we leave the Glenbrook shops)
- Warm jacket, pants, hat (winter days in the mountains tend to be sunny, but the air temperature can be quite low so make sure you dress in layers to add or strip off as needed, and carry a good warm outer jacket and long pants for the end of the day)
- Sturdy walking shoes
- Towel or pad to sit on at lunch time
- Insect repellent is highly recommended (the insects are not bad here but better to be protected, the water-based Off or Aeroguard sprays from the supermarket work very well)
- Walking stick if you have one (not mandatory, but helps to take the pressure off your knees on descents)
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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE. - COASTAL WALK & EPIC WHALE WATCHING - La Perouse - Easy & mostly flat 10kmCann Park, La Perouse
It's the start of winter, and here are 3 wonderful reasons to join us for this fun day out in the sunshine rather than hibernating:
- tour the Sydney coast on beautiful easy flat trails to enjoy wild sea cliffs, idyllic golden beaches, emerald waters, lush forests
- get close up views of the huge humpback whales launching out of the water with the peak of the annual migration past Sydney, and
- freak out at the famous La Perouse reptile show, as expert handlers entertain us with close-ups of scary snakes and super cute lizards.
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THE PLAN
If you arrive early before the 10am start, come say hi to the group as we relax with coffees from about 9am at Noulis Cafe (on Anzac Parade, near corner of Goorawahl Ave, HERE) and just 100 metres from our meeting point in Cann Park for the walk.
Formal start: Meet at 10.00am in Cann Park on Anzac Parade, La Perouse (across the street from the bus stop, and next to the fenced rectangular enclosure of the Snake Show). There is a public toilet in Cann Park.
Straight away we hit the easy flat trail through Kamay Botany Bay national park, following beautiful heath bushland out to the cliffs with sweeping ocean views.
We'll stop for lunch on the exposed rocky island at Cape Banks - last year we had very close views of enormous humpback whales leaping with tremendous force right before us here. As this is the peak period of the whale migration, chances are excellent for a repeat performance.
Then the second half of the trail takes us over a rock shelf with the skeleton of an old shipwreck, the Henry Head lighthouse and spooky war relics, through a very beautiful tall lush coastal forest, and a diversion down to a secret cove with vivid emerald-coloured water.
We emerge from the forest back onto the idyllic Congwong Beach, and walk along the flat rock shelf to the wind-sculpted sandstone terraces of Bare Island with its imposing colonial era-prison ruins and sweeping views across Botany Bay. You might recognise this place from a famous movie scene with Tom Cruise.
Finally, we come out at Cann Park once more at 2.30-3.00pm, just in time to catch the famous reptile show ... get a selfie next to a guy holding a deadly snake, or stroke a beautiful harmless skink, it's all awesome and you can tell everyone at work on monday that you did a Steve Irwin.
And that's it for a lovely fun day out! Buses back to the city and eastern suburbs leave frequently from the bus stop across the street from Cann Park.
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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
This event is easy grade - fine for beginner walkers with basic fitness.The total distance of 10km is almost entirely flat, with just one very gentle ascent, and is a mix of sandy trails, paved road, flat rock platforms, and wooden board walks.
The pace will be relaxed, with lots of stops to see good stuff, and a substantial lunch break while we watch the amazing whales at Cape Banks.
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GRATUITY
Please contribute $10 cash on the day to help us cover the group's operating costs..
TRANSPORT
By car:
La Perouse is at the end of Anzac Parade. You can get there- from the north shore, city and eastern suburbs via the Eastern Distributor to Kensington, and then Anzac Parade
- from the west via Gardeners Rd to Kingsford, then Anzac Parade
- from the south via General Holmes drive to the airport, then Foreshore Rd, Bunnerong Rd, and Anzac Parade.
There is free parking along the end of Anzac Parade at La Perouse, but this is usually full by about 9am. If full, try the residential streets further back at Grose Street, Elaroo Ave and beyond.
By light rail and bus (operating every 10 minutes) from Central Station:
- From the Chalmers Street Light Rail stop, take the L3 light rail service departing at 8.54am, and arriving at the Juniors Kingsford Light Rail stop (just after Gardners Rd) at 9.11am
- Then at Juniors Kingsford bus stand B (stop ID 203292) take the route 390X bus (Bondi Junction to La Perouse service) leaving at 9.14am, and arriving at the Anzac Parade Terminus, La Perouse at 9.36am
- Cann Park is across the street from the bus stop.
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BRING
- Opal card for public transport
- hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent
- warm wind-proof top, long pants - it can get windy along the coast, and the temperature drops fast late in the day
- your lunch, snacks to keep you going for the day
- 1 - 2 litres to drink (there are shops at the meeting point, but after that no refills available along the way until we return to Cann Park)
- beach towel or pad to sit on the rocks at lunch break
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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE. - INDOOR CLIMBING TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN - St Leonards climbing gymClimb Fit, St Leonards
I'm looking for 4 - 6 committed women who want to learn something transformative and build an awesome supportive team. We are going to put in 6 weekly learning sessions to go from absolute beginners to skilled indoor climbers. The meetup leader will be your dedicated coach to teach you all the techniques, and the beginner group will be your peers learning alongside you and supporting each other.
Group size is strictly limited. Only RSVP if you will commit to the full length of the program and reliably attend all the sessions. DO NOT RSVP if you are just thinking about it. DO NOT RSVP if you think you can skip some of the sessions because you have other things to do.
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WHO IS THIS FOR?
As our meetup group is largely made up of women, this climbing program is targeted at and will have a strong flavour of women growing themselves, supporting each other to do our best, and achieving together. No macho competitiveness here - just surprise yourself by your learning, and conquering challenges that you never imagined yourself being capable of.Women often think climbing is not for them as they don't have upper body strength - this is incorrect, more than half the climbing community is women and they are awesome. How? ... because climbing is strongly based on (i) easily practiced skills of graceful movement and (ii) developing a mental discipline of breathing, emptying your mind, and focusing to understand how to navigate the moves on the wall.
This program is also aimed at people who want to learn and transform their life ... climbing has the same meditative effect as yoga, it is physically immersive and psychologically authentic the same as wilderness experiences are, and is done amongst an accepting, egalitarian, supportive and connected community of people that uplifts you and makes you see your identity and capabilities differently. Stereoptypes about what women are capable of and allowed to do in society, and ideas of what individual agency you are permitted in your relationships and community, are all left at the door.
The program is a two way street - in return for 6 weeks of skills training and mentoring from the coach and support from the women on your team, you are expected to have a real commitment to turning up and doing the work at each session. You will get the most out of the program when you honour this.
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THE PLAN
Let's meet for 6 sessions (about 1.5 hours each) on consecutive Sunday mornings at 8.30am (starting 22 June, finishing 10 Aug).There will be two weekends off in the middle of the program (July 6 and July 27) to let everyone deal with life's other commitments.
So the training calendar will be:
- Session 1 - Sunday 22 June
- Session 2 - Sunday 29 June
- Break - Sunday 6 July
- Session 3 - Sunday 13 July
- Session 4 - Sunday 20 July
- Break - Sunday 27 July
- Session 5 - Sunday 3 Aug
- Session 6 - Sunday 10 Aug (then local cafe brunch to celebrate).
We will work at the indoor climbing gym in St Leonards. On your first visit you will need to sign a risk waiver, be issued your hire gear, and participate in mandatory training for a few minutes with the gym staff to learn how to hold the safety rope for each other.
In each learning session we will focus on skill development: how to position yourself on the wall, how to point your feet, how to relax your arms, how to pivot and leverage your untapped length and strength, how to move gracefully, and how to breath and focus.
You will start on beginner grade routes (like climbing a step ladder) and progress at your own individual pace to more challenging routes as you develop.
Sessions will last 1.5 hours, working at a relaxed pace in pairs taking turns to climb and hold the safety rope for each other, with everyone getting individual coaching attention from the leader.
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WHAT FITNESS IS REQUIRED?
Participating in this activity requires at least a basic level of health, fitness and mobility. Do NOT participate if you have unhealed injuries of any kind, cardio-vascular conditions, coordination problems, uncontrolled epilepsy or syncope or fainting, or other limiting conditions. You must NOT be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
What will the climbing feel like:
- You will feel moderate aerobic exertion, but you can stop and rest on the rope or abort the route at any stage of a climb.
- We climb one route for a few minutes until we either get to the top or find our limit, then swap with our partner while they climb, then keep swapping. So you get lots of rest.
- Whilst you are learning the skills initially you will tend to use your arms inefficiently, so sore arm muscles will be common after the first few sessions, but this will improve.
- We will operate up 8 metre walls but with safety ropes at all times - expect to feel some exposure, but this will pass as you become confident in your movements with coaching. This is not an appropriate activity if you have a severe / debilitating fear of heights.
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COST
There is no meetup cost or gratuity for this program. If you like, buy the leader a coffee at the end of the 8 weeks :-)Cost of entry to the climbing gym is your responsibility, which you pay directly to them at the reception desk each time you visit. An individual visit is $33, including entry and hire of harness and climbing shoes.
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TRANSPORT
By car: there is plenty of free off-street parking right at the gym entrance.By public transport: the gym is an easy 15 minute / 1 km walk from St Leonards Station along Herbert St and Frederick St.
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BRING
- T-shirt or sports top, and shorts or gym leggings
- Warm top to wear in between climbs
- Thin anklet sports socks – it is much nicer not to sweat in bare feet inside the hired climbing shoes
- Climbing shoes squeeze your toes against the hard wall, so trim your toenails short beforehand to prevent soreness
- Water bottle
- The gym has toilets, change rooms with showers, and free lockers for your bag and valuables.
- Hand moisturising lotion (any cheap or expensive brand will do) to condition and sooth your skin after working your hands on rough walls and the drying effects of chalk ... even the tough boy climbers do this.
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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE. The risks covered in these conditions include any risks associated with attendance and participation in indoor climbing and related activities.
