While scrolling through Women’s Legal Service Queensland social media last year, Naomi Wood came across the Walk for a Change post about the fundraising trek.
Working in policy and service design for a government family and domestic violence portfolio, Naomi knew the importance not only of the issue but funding.
So her scrolling became strolling, of a kind, over 45km of the Great Ocean Walk over four days. The walk was a mix of coastal cliff paths, beaches and forest walking with varied terrain including sand and rocks.
“Prior to the walk last year, my connection to WLSQ was purely through social media,” she said.
“I work in an organisation where my portfolio is family and domestic violence and we have a strong focus at the moment on understanding and improving our services to support people experiencing financial abuse.
“For obvious reasons the work of WLSQ peaked my interest as they are strong advocates in this regard.
“I did however realise whilst walking with the group that I do have another connection to WLSQ as a family member of mine was a founding member.”
The walk with seven others was a mix of coastal cliff paths, beaches and forest walking with varied terrain including sand and rocks.
“I am a regular walker, but by that I mean regular walking/running for fitness. However I had never done a multi-day trek before. Part of the fun was going out and buying myself some hiking gear for the adventure,” Naomi said.
“In recent years, I had been on a journey to improve my health and walking was a big part of that. It changed my life both physically and mentally as I discovered walking (sometimes running) was so good for lifting my mood and clearing my mind to deal with life’s stresses.
“Throughout the course of this process, I had set myself a goal to one day trek Macchu Picchu and I had identified a bunch of treks in Australia that I planned to do to work up to that. One of those walks was the Bay of Fires trek.
“When I saw this advertised on the WLSQ social media pages, it felt like fate. So, on a whim I signed up and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
That decision led to her signing up again for this year’s walk from 19-22 October in Tasmania’s scenic Freycinet National Park. It will 45km of guided walks over four days. The WLSQ is aiming for 17 walkers this year to make it the biggest one yet.
“I took away from the experience a sense of achievement (both in raising funds for such a good cause and also having ticked off my first multi day hike),” she said.
“But also, memories that will stay with me forever and new friendships with some amazing people. Hence, I am already signed up again this year.
“I think lots of us want to get out of our comfort zone, meet new people and try new things and this walk allows you to do all of that whilst also making a difference for a cause that really matters.
“Walking through beautiful scenery and learning more about our beautiful country, whilst also spending time with like minded but a diverse group of people, you just can’t beat it.”
Naomi struggled to pick just a single highlight of last year’s walk.
“It is tough to pick one highlight … I genuinely loved everything from the accommodation we stayed in, to the meals and the fireplace at night after our hike, to the beautiful people and inspiring conversations,” she said.
“But if I were to pick one it would have to be day three. We had to pivot due to heavy rain and our guides took us inland to explore a rainforest area. At the end of the trail we came across an area of water at the bottom of a waterfall and couldn’t believe our eyes when we spotted a platypus just floating around living its best life.
“It is not every day you get to sit and watch a platypus in the wild, and in such a beautiful peaceful setting. Later that day, despite the weather some of us braved the coast and came across this hidden spot that our local guide knew about. It was tucked in behind a forest area (you wouldn’t have found the trail if you didn’t know it was there) and we came out the other side on a cliff looking out across the most beautiful bay.
“It felt so remote and peaceful and the rain just made it even more special.”
WLSQ CEO Nadia Bromley said the Walk for Change was a very special event for Women’s Legal Service Queensland.
“It raises awareness and funds to deliver our free services, but importantly, also provides space for our supporters to challenge themselves and make new connections,” she said.
“It is an amazing opportunity for people to spend time in a beautiful place, enjoying the kind of safety and freedom that we are pursuing for the future of all women in Queensland.”
The 2026 Walk for Change marks a milestone – 10 years since the WLSQ Helpline was established to support women experiencing domestic and family violence, complex family law matters and sexual assault.
Since 2016, the Helpline has answered more than 100,000 calls for help, with the majority from women experiencing domestic violence. Each call represents a woman reaching out at a critical moment, seeking safety, legal protection and a pathway forward.
By signing up for the 2026 Walk for Change, walkers will trek the highlights of the Freycinet region with like-minded supporters while helping to ensure more women can have their calls answered and access free, specialist support when they need it most.
Every step the walkers take helps support women and children impacted by domestic and family violence.
Share this article