The Sapphic Trampers are celebrating their 10th anniversary this month after a decade of bushwalks, camping and kayaking.
The Sapphic Trampers have paddled up the Swan, hiked down the Bibbulmun track and even been snorkelling but as Sapphic Trampers founder Leah Knapp said, some of the best memories were of the friends made along the way.
Knapp recalled a camping trip in 2006 when a couple brought a tent they had used only once about a decade before.
‘But when they had taken it down all those years ago, they hadn’t actually disassembled it and taken the poles out of the sleeves and so when they came out to go camping with their daughter, the tent was completely useless,’ she said.
‘The photograph [left] is of however many women in that picture trying to put the tent back together to get it set up and we were just pissing ourselves laughing, as you can see. I think in some ways, it might sound a bit corny, it kind of embodies what it’s been about for the past 10 years which is people getting out there and doing stuff and not really knowing what they are doing but having a good time anyway.
‘So it’s been a really fantastic journey for me and the feedback that I’ve received from a lot of the women has been…that the group’s really important when they’ve been coming out or if they’ve been new to Perth.
‘There’s been quite a few relationships come out of it and certainly a lot of firm friendships as well.’
The Sapphic Trampers join the Lesbian Walking Group for a Pride month walk on Sunday October 16. Visit www.sapphictrampers.com for more details.
Benn Dorrington
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