Cultivating a 25-year career as an Events Manager and volunteer lead guide on one of the world’s great long distance walk trails was not something that Greek Australian Steve Sertis had meticulously planned.
Synchronicity and recognising opportunity might have played a role, but taking one small step has ultimately paved the way for his fulfiling career with the Bibbulmun Track Foundation.
Over a few decades ago, Steve was completing a master’s degree in environmental psychology and after many years of university study, he felt the urge to venture down south of Western Australia.
A chance encounter with a book titled Bushwalks of the Southwest would pique Steve’s curiosity as he prepared for his road trip. On a whim he thought, “I’ll pick that up and see what happens. I might use it; I might not.”
Although bushwalking wasn’t a family tradition, a spirit of exploration seems to be ingrained in his lineage. In the 1920s, Steve’s grandfather immigrated to Australia paving the way for other family members to follow suit. His father was born amid World War II in Kalgoorlie, WA while his mother hailed from the Greek islands. Born in the 1950s, she later migrated from Rhodes to Perth with her parents, joining other family members who had settled in WA.
Steve grew up speaking Greek, even attending Greek language school in Perth, however, the family naturally assimilated into Australian culture, shifting away from Greek traditions, and speaking predominantly English. Family vacations were spent in Busselton and Margaret River, but that was as far as Steve had travelled into the south region of WA.
Armed with a paper map from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in the pre-Internet era, Steve set out from Perth to Albany, taking the back roads to explore unfamiliar places.
“Off I went,” Steve says. “I was camping in a National Park… on the southwest highway. I decided to thumb through this book I picked up and saw there was a local trail not far from the campsite.
Checking out the trail, Steve came across a small marker with a little black snake symbol.
“It was a narrow trail, clearly not meant for vehicles. The words ‘Bibbulmun Track’ caught my attention as I recalled seeing the term in my book’s contents,” he says.
Delving into the book, Steve discovered this mysterious trail stretched from Perth to Walpole (at the time), covering approximately 650 kilometres. The trail today stretches 1,000km from Kalamunda, a suburb nestled in the hills on the outskirts of Perth, to the historic town of Albany on the south coast, winding through the landscapes of the southwest region of WA.
“My first thought was, ‘It would be mad to walk all the way from Perth to Walpole—no one would do that! Why is there a track?’,” Steve says.
Months later, while back in Perth visiting an outdoor store, Steve noticed a brochure on the counter featuring the Bibbulmun Track with the same snake symbol he had seen before.
The slogan read: “One small step.”
The brochures called out for volunteers to help with plans to extend the trail to Albany. Hopping on the opportunity, Steve applied and never looked back.
Shortly after starting out as a volunteer in February 1997 for the Norang Campsite section near Mount Cooke, he progressed into an Events Manager role after a conversation with the CEO at the time.
“You’ve got to be open and recognise opportunity when it comes knocking,” Steve says.
Ambition played some part, but he didn’t envision it evolving into a full-time position.
“I was along for the ride,” he explains.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of being an Events Manager and leading the walks is to see the entire journey come full circle. Part of the fun has also been watching the organisation grow since it was first established in 1997.”
Leading beginner hikers who have never walked a step in the bush, Steve proudly watches as individuals progress from day hikers to overnight walkers, and eventually complete the 1,000 kilometres end to end.
“I get to watch people grow and get skilled up and watch their faces light up as they see astounding views, whether it’s the forest or ocean. Then they’ll come back and volunteer as a guide. That’s what keeps me going,” Steve says.
Part of Steve’s passion is dispelling myths about bushwalking to encourage more urbanites to enjoy the trail. People are bought up not to venture out in the bush because of potential dangers, Steve explains.
“I like to put things back into perspective by sharing my experience over 25 years,” he says.
“I’ve seen lots of snakes, but I’ve never seen anyone bitten. Also, sometimes hikers abandon their plans while trekking as they struggle with the solitude. But being in the bush really centres us and puts things into perspective.
“When I escape from what we consider first world problems and immerse myself in nature, all the burdens and worries seem to fade away. The mental well-being that comes from disconnecting from stress and connecting with the land makes everything else seem less important. Material possessions lose their significance.
“The feeling of knowing that I can survive with just what’s in my backpack and walk for a week without seeing anyone or relying on external supplies is truly empowering.”
