Program listing

Home  ›  Program listing

Download the published 3 monthly program PDFs

Current Filter | Nature of Activity=Educational Remove filter

Calendar View or list for Mar 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 | Jun 26 | Jul 26 | and beyond.
Leader contact details and activity meeting details are hiden. Members please log in for full details.

15 Mar, Sun CO: Bushwalking navigation workshop at Bongil-Bongil NP
Grade:2/6 Length 3km Coffs Harbour Branch
65334
Talk | A talk or slide show presentation.Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Joint navigation training activity with Coffs Coast and Mid North Coast Branches Co-leaders: Lyn, Coleta and John. The learning will be in a friendly setting with small groups rotated among the three leaders. The skills covered are reading topographic maps and using a compass; basic use of a handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) device; and using the Avenza Maps smart phone app. Tuckers Rocks Cottage will be the delightful venue for short presentations and a meal break. Practice of the skills will be on the local forest trails and the beach. Come to this workshop to gain confidence and skills for bushwalking further afield. Bookings and enquiries direct to Lyn.
Location: Bongil Bongil NP Limit: 18. View

27-29 Mar, Fri (08:30AM)-Sun (18:00PM) Pilliga Forest Coal Seam Gas Tour
Grade:2/6 Armidale Branch
6513
Accommodation | An activity that involves an overnight stay, using hard-roofed accommodation such as a cabin, hut or hotel.Camp | An activity that involves an overnight stay, usually in a tent.Talk | A talk or slide show presentation.Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.First time friendly | A trip that is perfect for most new members (assuming you have a reasonable level of fitness)
The Pilliga Tag-along tour is a not-for-profit tour. It is an activist tour aiming to educate and highlight the dire impacts of coal seam gas. It is tour that contrasts the beauty of the Pilliga with the visible impacts of mining.
Day 1 could include Barradine Forest Discovery Centre, Sculptures in the Scrub, fire tower, Salt Caves. Day 2 could include a tour of the coal seam gas fields and associated infrastructure and impacts. Car sharing is encouraged, as fuel is the largest cost. Self-catering is an option; costs are kept to a minimum. Accommodation is at Pilliga Pottery Creative Farmstay. Camping is an option. More information and registration form.
Unsealed roads. Remote.
Location: Pilliga Forest Limit: 30. View

28 Mar, Sat 8:50AM Mount Kembla Tracks
Grade:3/6 Length 11km  200m Illawarra Branch
Col M.
Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Photography | A trip that has a strong focus on encouraging people to capture photographs.Public Transport | There are public transport options to and from this activity.A fairly steep ascent from Mt. Kembla Lookout to the plateau and on to the summit for extensive views of the Illawarra coastline. Return to the ring track for a 5km circuit around Mt. Kembla through a section of rain forest. Finally, a walk on 3 stages of the Mt. Kembla miners memorial pathway containing signage explaining the history of the area. On tracks, fire trails and short section of a quiet road. Features a variety of scenic views and forestry. Possibly some leeches.
Location: Illawarra Escarpment SCA Limit: 12. View

15 Apr, Wed 6:00PM Dark Sky viewing night at Palm Beach
Sydney Branch
14330
Picnic | For a mostly static outdoor activity based around a picnicEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Social | A trip where people will be encouraged to interact and chat with each other.(Fully Booked)
We in Northern Beaches (Sydney) are excited to host a night to view the stars at the only Dark Sky Place in Sydney. Surrounded by ocean, Governor Phillip Park, Palm Beach (see map link) was designated in 2024. The night will be hosted by North Sydney Astronomical Society (NSAS).
Numbers are restricted, so please contact Pamela Dawes soon to reserve your place.
NSAS will be able to supply the telescopes but we will need to restrict numbers to 40.
Please bring jumper, snacks, drinks (non alcoholic) a chair or picnic rug. They allow about 10 people per telescope, each viewing a different area of the sky, so there will be some waiting involved.
The event will be weather dependent, of course, as we need a cloud-free night.
If it is cloudy weather on the day, we will need to postpone.

Location: Palm Beach Limit: 40. View

22 Apr, Wed 11:00AM Eurobodalla: Botanic Gardens Wellness Walk and lunch/meeting [Gr:1 D:2]
Grade:1/6 Length 2km Branch
Jos - Eurobodalla
Talk | A talk or slide show presentation.Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longCafe | A trip that involves a relaxed stop at a cafe.Educational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Social | A trip where people will be encouraged to interact and chat with each other.Grade: Easy Walk Distance: < 2km Birdwatching and plant appreciation walk then 12.30 lunch at Mossy on Gardens  at the Botanic Gardens. Meet at tables outside main building at 11am - forecast 29 degrees. We can advise on using the iNaturalist app on the walk (download the app and ask for the user guide) or how to lay a digital GPS track on your mapping program - handy survival skill. You are also welcome to the NPA Eurobodalla meeting at the cafe starting at the tailend of lunch.
Location: Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden Limit: 30. View

26 May, Tue 9:00AM Introduction to Rogaining
Sydney Branch
Ted W.
Rogaine | A map and compass based navigation activity.Educational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Are you interested in learning about rogaining and whether this cross-country navigation sport might suit you, especially as an extension to your bushwalking. If so, please register for a half-day ‘Introduction to Rogaining’ Workshop to be held in Lane Cove National Park on Tuesday 26 May from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, led by Ted Woodley, an experienced rogainer and NPA member. Rogaining was formally established 50 years ago in Victoria (see History of Rogaining), and is now a world-wide sport blending navigation, strategy, resilience, and teamwork. Using only a map and compass, teams navigate diverse terrains, from rugged bush to open landscapes, to urban parks and streets. Teams of two to five (or solo for some shorter city events) aim to visit as many checkpoints as possible, in any order, within a set time usually of 3, 6, 12 or 24 hours. Each checkpoint is worth different points, with harder-to-reach locations offering higher points. The goal is to navigate the most efficient route to maximise your score. Rogaining is more than just a sport; it’s a fun and engaging endurance adventure for all ages and abilities. You don’t need to be an elite athlete or experienced navigator, and there are always rogainers available to help and share advice. Events usually attract 300 to 500 regular rogainers, together with a few dozen novices, so you won’t be the only newcomer. To learn more go to NSW Rogaining Association and see the calendar of events for this year. After registering for the Workshop you will be forwarded a homework pack to read beforehand. You only need to bring a compass and come dressed in normal bushwalking attire suitable for a two-hour practice rogaine in the Park (on tracks). This is a joint activity with the Bush Club and is limited to thirty participants. We will assemble at the Hills District Netball Association Hall in Pennant Hills Park, access road off Britannia Street.
Location: Lane Cove National Park Limit: 30. View

27 Jun - 18 Jul, Sat-Sat South Africa safari
Sydney Branch
Brian P.
Accommodation | An activity that involves an overnight stay, using hard-roofed accommodation such as a cabin, hut or hotel.Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Photography | A trip that has a strong focus on encouraging people to capture photographs.Social | A trip where people will be encouraged to interact and chat with each other.(Fully Booked)

South Africa safari - 27th June - 18th July 2026 

Private safari for NPA members and guests, visiting:
  • Khama Rhino Sanctuary
  • Okavango Delta
  • Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
  • Chobe National Park
  • Victoria Falls
  • Hwange National Park
  • Mapesu Private Game Reserve
  • Kruger National Park
A select group of 12 fellow bushwalkers, travelling with an expert guide staying in eco hotels, lodges and permanent camps expecting to see all the "Big 5" animals in their natural habitat plus many other birds, mammals and reptiles. This tour is being professionally run by Intrepid Travel for us.  Tour starts and finishes in Johannesburg, direct flights from Sydney with Qantas or many other options. Expressions of interest welcome - contact leader by phone or email for further details. Wild animals! overseas travel
Location: South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe Limit: 12. View

26 Aug - 2 Sep, Wed-Wed Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
Illawarra Branch
Helen W.
Accommodation | An activity that involves an overnight stay, using hard-roofed accommodation such as a cabin, hut or hotel.Camp | An activity that involves an overnight stay, usually in a tent.Walk | A bushwalk of any kind short or longEducational | A trip where the leader will focus on teaching or training.Social | A trip where people will be encouraged to interact and chat with each other.(Updated Details) Exploration of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and surrounds. Specially designed itinerary by Trade Travel to include flights to and from Cairns, visits to local rainforest, talks by local experts on rainforest and reef, visit to art deco town Innisfail, guided excursions from Mission Beach into national parks and islands with historical/scientific talks and easy walks. Options to visit the reef and extend your stay.  Initiated by NPA Book Club from discussion of Iain McCalman's biography of conservationist pioneer John Busst. Costs tbc, about $4,000 per person twin share. 
Location: Cairns and Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Limit: 15. View

1