Through Avon Trail to square dancing

Trails along rivers or rocks is a common feature in rural towns in Western Australia frequently visited by people. They take you along paths and roadways where you can get a glimpse of these areas as they were in the old days. The trails entice you to explore the natural environment while learning the story of the land and the people.

York, about which this column referred to last week, is no exception. Avon River, a tributary of the more famous Swan River, flows through York and visitors can follow the Avon Trail by crossing the river through a suspension bridge in the Avon Park, a little away from the town. The park provides benches and tables for picnickers to enjoy their lunch or snacks while admiring the friendly ducks, who come out of the water looking for a bite. 

The Avon Trail follows the river through thickets of natural vegetation that provides a habitat for a variety of birds and animals. Along the way you can enjoy the scenery. According to the historical plaques sited along the trail, York’s pioneer history can be learnt. By the late 1880s York – the first inland settlement in Western Australia – had been a bustling trading centre supplying the prosperous farming district. There are also prominent landscapes relating stories connecting them to the spiritual dreaming of the indigenous (Noongar) people commonly referred to as aboriginals.Back in the town, visitors rarely miss the Penny Farthing Sweets shop offering “an extensive range of sugar free, fat free and gluten free sweets from around the globe.” In addition to the wide range sweets, the shop displays a variety of collectors’ items from old telephones to bicycles of the bygone era. The shop is compact and full of goodies.  

As we finished our tour of the town and were on the way out we heard music from the Town Hall auditorium and peeped in to see what it was all about. Senior citizens were celebrating the 31st birthday of the Square Dance Society (they call themselves Avon Squares) having a jolly good time. 

Square dancing introduced as ‘Toe Tapping Fun & Friendship’, is a creative form of dance performed by groups of eight persons to the direction of a Square Dance caller using a wide variety of music. It is ‘sold’ with five USPs: Good fun, Stimulating, Socially rewarding, A good experience, and Challenging. Described as “a healthy and enjoyable activity for both mind and body”, a typical square dance session is said to be equivalent to a two-kilometre walk! It was fun watching them dance.