Over the weekend I attended the first AusCamino Festival in Blackheath. It was a very full weekend, preceded by two days of hospitalero training and walks, with some great speakers, different workshops and events, and a wonderful way for all the different Camino communities in Australia to come together. There were people from all over - Darwin, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and NSW. Even someone from Perth and one from Canada. There was a great representation from the Australian Friends of the Camino, from the Pilgrims in Sydney, and the Blue Mountains group who were instrumental in getting it up and running. Hopefully it will become an annual event in Blackheath - provided the organisers have the fortitude to do it all again! A great thank you to Margaret and Rowan Boutrell of Glenella, to Tony Jacques and the Blue Mountains group, and to all the wonderful volunteers.
Please, all and any local groups out there - feel free to use this area of the forum to publicise your local activities. We are a real community and it helps to get to know each other "in the flesh". Who else, other than other Camino tragics, wants to listen to your endless stories?
To help, here are links to all the websites for Australian Camino groups of which I am aware. If there are others (non-commercial) out there, send me a PM and I will add them to the list, so keep checking back.
Australian Friends of the Camino
Pilgrims in Sydney
Pilgrims in Sydney Facebook Page
Brisbane Camino Pilgrims Meetup
Canberra Friends of the Camino de Santiago
Australian Pilgrims on the Camino Facebook Page
Blue Mountains Supporters of the Camino
Blue Mountains Camino Supporters Facebook Page
And for our New Zealand cousins, please use this area of the forum, but let me know if there are any websites for your local groups.