Planning a bushwalk first date safely

A walk is one of the best first dates going. You're side by side rather than face to face, there's scenery to talk about when the conversation needs a breather, and you learn a fair bit about someone from how they handle a hill. It's also the one first date where a bad choice can put you somewhere isolated with a person you met online last week.

So the whole game is picking the right walk and doing a few simple things before you set off.

Pick a busy, short, well-marked track

The right first-date walk is one where you'd never be alone for long. For a first date, choose a track that is:

• Popular. You want other walkers, dog walkers and families passing regularly. A full carpark is a good sign.
• Short. An hour or two return. Long enough to talk, short enough that it doesn't feel like a commitment.
• Well marked. Clear signposts and a formed path, so nobody's navigating.
• Easy. Something both of you can do comfortably, not a test of fitness.
• Near a café or pub. A good walk ends with a coffee or a pie in town, which is a natural place to decide whether you want to keep talking.

Coastal walks between beaches, river and lake paths, and short loops to a lookout near town all fit. Save the remote waterfall, the summit and the overnight hike for when you know each other.

Before you go: the checklist

1. Tell someone. NSW National Parks puts it simply: tell family or friends where you're going, when you expect to return and who is with you. Add where you're parking, then text when you're done. They can contact police if you don't come back on time.
2. Drive yourself and meet at the trailhead. Don't get picked up, and don't leave your car somewhere else. Your car is your exit.
3. Check park alerts on the day. Every state runs a parks website with alerts for closures, flooding, track works and fire. Conditions change quickly, so check that morning.
4. Check the fire danger rating. On an Extreme day the official advice is to take action now to protect your life and property; on a Catastrophic day it's to leave bush fire risk areas. Either way, swap the walk for a café.
5. Know the phone coverage. Mobile reception can drop out in valleys and gullies, even close to town, and without coverage on any network you can't reach 000 by mobile. Download an offline map, and install the Emergency Plus app, which NSW National Parks recommends.
6. Plan your timing. Start early in summer and leave plenty of daylight.

Where to check alerts in each state

What to carry

You don't need much for a short walk, but you do need the basics.

• Water: NSW National Parks suggests at least 2 litres per person, plus a bit extra in case your date forgets
• Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Sturdy, comfortable shoes
• A light layer for wind or cooler weather
• Charged phone
• A small first-aid kit, ideally with a compression bandage
• Snacks, which also give you a reason to stop at a good view

A personal locator beacon is worth carrying if you're "really heading bush", in the parks service's words. If your first-date walk needs one, it's the wrong first-date walk.

On the track

• Let the slower walker set the pace. It's not a race, and pushing someone up a hill on a first date isn't the impression you want.
• Stay on the formed track. It's safer, it protects the bush, and there's no good reason to leave it on a first date.
• Agree a turnaround time. If you're running late, turn back. Getting back before dark beats seeing the end of the track.
• Give wildlife space. If you see a snake, stop, back away slowly and give it plenty of room to move off. Don't try to move it.
• Watch for heat. If either of you feels dizzy or unwell, stop in the shade, drink water and turn back.

If someone gets hurt

Call 000 and ask for an ambulance; healthdirect notes that if 000 doesn't connect on your mobile, you can call 112. Give your exact location: the track name, the nearest signpost or the GPS position from your phone.

For a snake bite, healthdirect's first aid is to keep the person still and calm, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage (one over the bite, then a firm bandage up the limb), splint the limb and note the time. Don't wash the bite, cut it, suck it or use a tourniquet, and don't try to catch the snake. Every snake bite needs medical attention, even if the person seems fine.

If something feels wrong

A walk has a built-in exit: the turnaround. If the conversation turns uncomfortable, the person pushes you to go somewhere more remote, or you just don't feel right, say you'd like to head back and do it. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

Warning signs on a walking date are the same as anywhere else, plus a couple specific to the bush:

• Pressure to go off-track, take a different route or walk further than you agreed
• Pressure to leave your car and travel together
• Insisting on a remote spot for the first meeting
• Getting annoyed when you mention that a friend knows where you are

Any one of these is enough to end the date. Our safety page has more on first meetings, and romance scams in Australia covers the matches who always have a reason they can't make it.

After the walk

This is the best part. Head into town for coffee, a pie or a counter meal, and see whether the conversation keeps going without the scenery. If it does, you've got the second date sorted. If it doesn't, you've had a good walk anyway.

More ideas

If a walk isn't quite right, our active date ideas has more options sorted by effort, and beach and surf dates covers the coast. To meet people who already walk, see meeting active singles through clubs and outdoor groups. If the nearest good track is an hour away, dating in a small town has ideas for meeting halfway.

Oasis Singles is for regional Australians who'd rather be outside. Joining and browsing are free; how it works explains the rest.