Welcome to our bumper summer Tandanya full of holiday reading.

The past season has been dominated by the loss of one of our integral club members. In this edition you will find a tribute to Peter Beer. To know his history is to know the history of ABW and walking in general in South Australia. We should all be so lucky to have had such a meaningful life.

I’ve also taken the opportunity to republish one of Peter’s old articles, of which there are many in the archive. I really like this one because there’s a lot that’s the same and a lot that’s changed in the past 60 years. The contemporary hand-drawn Wilpena map is a gem too; what we miss in detail we gain in romance.

Then there is Jules‘s adventure to Everest Base Camp. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did following the trip through map, photos and description. I feel like I’ve been there too now. Except I still really want to go.

Before moving on, I’m grateful to Jules for another excellent article, but also for showing us how to do it in style. She writes a daily post for social media and sends it when she gets reception. So when I was on the Larapinta, I did the same, writing a short daily journal in my tent before sleep. Now I’ve got a trip report readymade and I really encourage you to do the same!

I’ve written a short piece based on a navigation trip to the Hattah Lakes region. As someone who has spent many an hour trying to be a better compass user, it really clicked over that weekend. I hope it does for you too. Thanks, Nigel!

Then as a welcome break to the serious stuff, we have the frivolities of the Mambray Creek Flinders Spectacular. I say frivolities, but don’t we all want to have that much fun every time we go out! A true ABW experience.

Finally, there’s a first species profile, and what better animal to begin with than one that is almost our own. The photos are thanks to the generosity of Ann Ward. I implore you to think of ABW for any photograph of a mammal, bird, reptile, plant, moss, anything! If it has a species name, it’s bound to be interesting to the rest of us. If I don’t get sent anything, next time I’ll match the tracks on the cover to their owner.

And coming full circle, I hope you appreciated the original artwork on the index page. If this edition has a theme, it is history. You’re in a club with tremendous heritage, and this is just one more example.

Next article: A Tribute to Peter Beer