Sustainable Trails
Conference 2024
Central Otago,
New Zealand
The program is now completed and includes keynote speakers as well as case studies and field trips to exchange ideas and information in informal sessions. This program will also provide delegates with an opportunity to extend their knowledge and to strengthen practical skills.
The conference will focus on all aspects of sustainable trails based around the conference themes:
• Marketing and Positioning Great Destinations
• Governance and funding
• Planning and partnership models
• What can enhance your trail destination
• NZ and Australia National Trail Strategy and Body
• Universal Trail Grading
• Regenerative Experience
• Maintenance and Construction techniques and breakthroughs
Day 1 Tuesday 19th March – Draft
| From 7.45am |
Conference registration at The Gate | |
| 8.30am | Introduction to the day
Welcome to New Zealand Welcome to the Conference |
Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana TRC TourismJanet Mackay TRC Tourism |
| 9.00am | Welcome to the Central Otago Region Showcase of Story of Otago Trail Network, its evolution and marketing insights |
Mayor Tim Cadogan Anthony Longman Central Otago Council and invited representatives |
| 9.45am | KEYNOTE – The Accidental Traveller | Mark Inglis ONZM |
| 10.45am | Morning Tea | |
| 11.15am | KEYNOTE – Conservation Benefits | Lou Sanson World Commission on Protected Areas |
| 11.45am | Setting the Scene on the current walking and cycling market in NZ and Australia | Cristine Angus Angus & Associates |
| 12.15pm | Quality trails are not the panacea for branding and marketing mountain bike destinations | Carl Solomon Destination Marketing StoreScott Ketley SWELL Design |
| 12.45pm | MORNING SESSION FORUM | |
| 1.15PM | Lunch | |
| PANEL SESSION ONE: Creating Trail Destinations | ||
| 2.15pm | How Tourism North East turned Victoria’s High Country into an outdoor active destination | Bess Nolan-Cook CEO Tourism North East |
| 2.45pm | Creating a vision – the Yunbenun Magnetic Island National Park Trails Project | Jo Peterson and Andy Causebrook Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| 3.05pm | The Proposed Glacier Country Cycle Trail – testing a Great Idea | Chris Rose TRC Tourism |
| 3.20pm | FORUM: Panel session one | |
| 3.40pm | Afternoon tea | |
| PANEL SESSION TWO: Trails with the Community in Mind | ||
| 4.10pm | Accessibility and Inclusivity Wildy Accessible Trails: Bridging Gaps Socially inclusive all abilities trails |
Mark Inglis and Katie Owen Recreation NZ |
| 4.40pm | Community Led Trail Projects – Keys to their success | Daniel Le Blanc Development Director Dungog Common Reserve |
| 5.00pm | Growing the Mountain Bike Community Through Marketing and Content | Jono Wade Flow Mountain Bike |
| 5.30pm | FORUM: Panel session two | |
| 5.50pm | Conference day one wrap up | |
| 6.00pm-9.00pm | Networking and welcome dinner @ the Gate | |
Day 2 Wednesday 20th March – Draft
| 8.00am | Recap on Day One | Chris Rose TRC Tourism |
| PANEL SESSION THREE: Bringing our Landscapes Alive | ||
| 8.10am | Indigenous Ways result of the conference 2022 working with World Trails Network
|
Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana TRC Tourism |
| 8.40am | Digital Storytelling -Storymapp is a creative new way to deliver visitor experiences in parks, trails and urban environments creating sustainable re-generative tourism outcomes | Chris Hay Locales |
| 9.05am | ‘Solesolevaki’ – a concept for the Fiji National Trail Connecting People back to Nature |
Ben Semira and Jake Taoi Talanoa Treks |
| 9.30am | FORUM: Panel session three | |
| 10.00am | Morning tea | |
| 10.30am | RETURN TO MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM FOR FIELD TRIP INSTRUCTIONS AND GROUPING | |
| FIELD TRIPS BUSES DEPART 10.40am | ||
| 10.40am | Field trip 1: Bike Glendhu Mountain Bike Park | Hosted by TRC Trails Operators – Bike Glendhu |
| Field trip 2: Lake Dunstan Trail, Carrick Winery and Clyde | Hosted by TRC Tourism Operators – Trail Journeys and Carrick Winery |
|
| Field trip 3: Bannockburn Sluicings Walk and Te Kano Winery | Hosted by TRC Tourism Operators – Interpretation guide – Terry Davis of Highland Events NZ and Te Kano Winery |
|
| Return to the Gate around 5pm | NO ORGANISED DINNER FOR THIS EVENING
DELEGATES DO THEIR OWN THING (pre-booking somewhere for dinner is recommended) |
Day 3 Thursday 21st March – Draft
| 8.40am | Recap of day 2 and field trips | |
| 8.50am | The Story of the Tongariro Crossing, iwi partnerships and visitor management | Cher Nights Department of Conservation NZ |
| 9.20am | Visitor management models for Australia’s great walks | Janet Mackay TRC Tourism |
| 9.40AM | MORNING SESSION FORUM | |
| 10.00AM | Morning tea | |
| 10.30am – 12.00pm | Concurrent Sessions (choose which one to attend) | |
| CONCURRENT SESSION 1: Construction and Maintenance Techniques and Innovations | Facilitated by: Janet Mackay – TRC Tourism Lachy Mackay-Wiggins – TRC Trails |
|
| 10.30am | The Modern Trail Landscape – current innovations when it comes to new and existing trails | Craig Stonestreet Natural Trails |
| 10.50am | Construction of the Lake Dunstan Trail | Tim Dennis Southland Co |
| 11.10am | Pump tracks and skills parks | Mike Brown Pacifik Bike Parks |
| 11.30am | Building Trails with Progression in Mind | Jo Larkin TRC Tourism & Bike Betty MTB Coach |
| 11.40am | Concurrent session 1: Group discussion | |
| CONCURRENT SESSION 2: Planning and Governance | Facilitated by: Chris Rose – TRC Tourism Debby van de Scheer – TRC Tourism |
|
| 10.30am | Lessons learnt over 20 years of trail design, planning and consultation | Gerard McHugh World Trail |
| 10.50am | Tongariro Crossing governance | Cher Nights DoC |
| 11.05am | Innovations in funding trail maintenance: How events can be used to gain funding for trail maintenance |
Terry Davis Highland Events NZ |
| 11.20am | Power of strong governance and engagement | Lynley Twynam Timber Trail NZ/Mountains to the Sea Nga Ara Tuhono |
| 11.30am | Concurrent session 1: Group discussion | |
| 12..00 | Lunch | |
| PANEL SESSION: Open discussion and presentation on trail gradings and national strategies | ||
| 1.00pm | Regenerative Experience Economy Transforming the tourism marketing journey to a tourism management journey. Learnings from Destination Queenstown’s transition to regenerative tourism |
Dave Hockly DataStory NZ |
| 1.30pm | Off-road Cycling Trail Grading in New Zealand. Findings and Emerging Issues from Grading in Six Territories Nationally in the Presence of Three Different ‘Standards’ | Simon Noble Envisage NZ |
| 1.50pm | Panel discussion | |
| OPEN WORKSHOP | Facilitated by: Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana – TRC Tourism |
|
| 2.10pm | Evolution of thinking: a move towards building resiliency in trails | |
| 3.10pm | Workshop findings and outcomes | |
| 3.30pm | Afternoon tea | |
| 4.00 – 4.45pm | WRAP UP FORUM: topics for next year – facilitated white board session | |
| From 6.30pm | CASUAL GALA DINNER | The Stoaker Room |
What did past attendees think?
The Sustainable Trails Conference provided an excellent opportunity to share best practice across a variety of topics from trail building to governance. Each session was valuable in its own right. Great to see the collaboration between our two countries as we all strive to make the most of this growing community.
The sustainable trails conference is a must do for all those involved in the planning, development and marketing of tracks and trails.
A well run and organised conference, excellent speakers who certainly provided a range of information in the topics presented. Took away some key learnings.
I have been to a lot of conferences before, this was one of the best I have ever attended.
A fantastic conference. Great speaker line-up with leaders in the field. Learned a lot and made new connections.
The Sustainable Trails Conference provides a unique opportunity to appreciate the importance of trails to local economies and tourism, the amount of work going on in this space, and to share and learn from others working in the field.
