Trailblazer Challenge: Andrew McLeod & Chad Cornes enjoy the walk in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia

South Australia is blessed with some of the best walking trails in the country such as the world famous Heysen Trail. Dubbed the "world longest footpath" - it extends from the Fleurieu Peninsula and the spectacular Deep Creek Conservation Park, through the Adelaide Hills, the Barossa Valley and Midnorth and then onto the majestic Flinders Ranges.

It's country former AFL star Jonathon Robran knows like the back of his hand. He needs to - having the responsibility of leading 'at risk' kids into this terrain each year as part of Operation Flinders. It's a leadership and team building program, in which about 350 kids - often from the "wrong side of the tracks" - take to bush tracks for days on end.

Jonathon Robran, Operation Flinders: "When we're in the Flinders Ranges we take them on an eight day hundred kilometre trek. That is a trek of self discovery in which they find out a lot of things about themselves that perhaps they didn't know they had inside themselves such as leadership, motivation, goal setting, accepting responsibility for their actions. We take them abseiling and bushwalking, we teach them first aid skills how to live out in the bush and it's a fantastic program and certainly achieves great results with the young people we work with."

It's a life changing experience the logistics of getting 350 kids into the Flinders and back safely again aren't cheap. Now, we can all play our part in funding this worthwhile cause by taking up another bush challenge much closer to home.

We caught up with Jonathon on a section of track in the Black Hill Conservation Park for a taste of the Trailblazer Challenge which gets underway in mid October. It's a team event for either two or four people and it's aimed at getting South Australians out on some the beautiful walking trails while improving their physical fitness.

You pay an entry fee and you can also raise sponsorship dollars for each kilometre walked. You can also choose your distance from 18, 34, 50 or 100 kilometres.

If you want to be a trailblazer and help out a good cause, sign up for the Trailblazer Challenge. It'll be held on the 18th and 19th of October. For details contact

Trailblazer Challenge
18-19 October
Ph 8242 5033

Published 7th September 2008