Over the last month TRC has been designing and documenting the Red Centre Adventure Ride (RCAR) in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.
The focus of the design is a trail that is
- fit for purpose
- reflects best practice design suitable to locations
- provides exceptional experiences for visitors and local people
- environmentally, economically and socially sustainable
- in harmony with natural and cultural environments
- easy to operate and maintain
- has a high degree of local support and involvement in management and maintenance
- bringing benefits to local communities.
“Without doubt this new adventure ride will be a world first,” says TRC Consultant Chris Ord “it will allow riders of all abilities an unforgettable journey through the stunning mountain desert landscapes of the West MacDonnell Ranges. There are of course many multiday rides around the world already but none that are based on 200km of custom designed, all off road trails, and none that reach so far into remote country like this.” says Chris. “Walking through country you could easily imagine being on a bike, encountering the constantly changing environment – gorges, escarpments, riverbed crossings, valleys and huge vistas across an ancient landscape. Plus, there is the constant connection to the Traditional Owners who have generously allowed the trail to traverse their custodial lands. Their culture will be richly represented along the length of the Red Centre Adventure Ride, making it an experience like no other.”
TRC Janet Mackay, Chris Halstead, Chris Ord and Lisa Cheeseman have been working alongside Nick Bowman from Destination Trails, Richard McAllister from Coffey and Willie Houtman and Beth Campbell from Tricky Tracks. The joint knowledge and skills of this collective team will ensure the RCAR trail is world class and underpinned with the latest standards for sustainable trail design and alignment. TRC ensured the team was made up of both trail specialists and trail builders so all aspects of the design are well-thought-out from the experience to the construction methods and maintenance. A group of Aboriginal trainees have also been a fundamental part of the team assisting in GPS mapping, clinometer reading, flagging, pinning, marking the trail alignment as well as providing insights into Arrernte culture. Some trainees have also secured further trail building work with Tricky Tracks due to their interest and enthusiasm shown on this project. Traditional Owners Craig Ebatarinja and Mark Inkamala also joined the team on certain sections of the trail providing valuable guidance and knowledge of the country.
