Sustainable Trails
Conference 2025
Australia
Field Trip Options
Field trips are held on Wednesday the 29th of October and are part of the conference program and registration cost. Hire bikes (analogue) are available if required and are included in the cost also. It is recommended that you bring your own helmet however helmets will be made available. Delegates will depart Dwellingup hall after a morning conference session around approximately 10am and will return to Dwellingup around 4pm on this day.
Field Trip 1: WALK
Bibbulmun Track (approx. 9.5km)
Join Tracy Lindsey and the team from Off the Beaten Track for a day of trains, trails and forest delights.
This field trip will commence at the Hotham Valley Station where delegates will embark on a 45 minute train journey from Dwellingup to Etmilyn. On arrival at Etmilyn you will hear more from your guides over a refreshment break before commencing your hike back to Dwellingup along a section of the renowned Bibbulmun Track.
The walk is relatively flat but does have some hills and varies between single track and wider track in sections. Delegates will be provided with a packed lunch for the walk but will need to provide their own backpack and drinking water. 3L is recommended.
Delegates should be fit enough to walk 9.5km over a timeframe of 3.5 hours.
Field Trip 2: MTB/CYCLE CROSS COUNTRY
Munda Biddi Trail (15-20km suitable for beginners)
Hosted by Dwellingup Adventures embark on a cross-country mountain bike riding exploration along a 15-20km section of the Munda Biddi Trail, Marinup circuit and town trails.
The ride will start and end at Dwellingup and has been designed for those wanting to participate in a more leisurely ride.
Trails will be green and easy blue.
Lunch will be provided however delegates will need to bring their own backpack and drinking water.
Field Trip 3: MTB/CYCLE TOURING
Munda Biddi Trail (Approx. 35km, moderate fitness required)
Also hosted by Dwellingup Adventures, riders on this field trip will be transported to the Scarp Road/Munda Biddi Trail intersection. From here riders will tour on a 35km section of the Munda Biddi Trail commencing north of Dwellingup near Turner Hill and ride back to Dwellingup.
This ride is designed for those who like to tour a trail with a start and an end point. It is suitable for those with some experience and moderate fitness. The trail itself is green but there are some steep sections.
Lunch will be provided however delegates will need to bring their own backpack and drinking water.
Field Trip 4: MTB ride and trail maintenance workshop
Lane Poole Reserve & Murray Valley Trail Network (minimum advanced beginner riding ability)
Join local trail designers and builders Dave Wilcox from Common Ground Trails and John Dingey (JD) from Magic Dirt as well as the area’s trail management and maintenance guru Rod Annear from DBCA to learn first-hand the importance of sustainable trail design, maintenance and management.
This session will commence at the stunning Dwaarlindjirraap suspension bridge at Lane Poole Reserve and include a workshop discussion session at the reserve before riding over the bridge to the start of the Murray Valley Trail Network. From here a shuttle will be used to take riders to explore various trails in this network that have been designed and built with sustainability as the priority.
As you ride, significant areas of design and build aspects will be highlighted to provide delegates with knowledge as to why difference techniques are used and why they are successful and sustainable, making maintenance of the trail minimal. Discover why some techniques are no longer used and the learnings from this.
Rider ability: Advanced beginner as a minimum (beginner is fine, just not absolute first timers).
Types of trails: Riding will be green and blue descending trails with a shuttle provided to take riders and bikes to the start of each trail.
Lunch will be provided and top up water will be available, but delegates will need to provide their own drink bottle, small backpack for personal items or additional snacks.
Field Trip 1: WALK
Bibbulmun Track (approx. 9.5km)
Join Tracy Lindsey and the team from Off the Beaten Track for a day of trains, trails and forest delights.
This field trip will commence at the Hotham Valley Station where delegates will embark on a 45 minute train journey from Dwellingup to Etmilyn. On arrival at Etmilyn you will hear more from your guides over a refreshment break before commencing your hike back to Dwellingup along a section of the renowned Bibbulmun Track.
The walk is relatively flat but does have some hills and varies between single track and wider track in sections. Delegates will be provided with a packed lunch for the walk but will need to provide their own backpack and drinking water. 3L is recommended.
Delegates should be fit enough to walk 9.5km over a timeframe of 3.5 hours.
Field Trip 2: MTB/CYCLE CROSS COUNTRY
Munda Biddi Trail (15-20km suitable for beginners)
Hosted by Dwellingup Adventures embark on a cross-country mountain bike riding exploration along a 15-20km section of the Munda Biddi Trail, Marinup circuit and town trails.
The ride will start and end at Dwellingup and has been designed for beginners and those wanting to participate in a ride that allows for more leisurely riding.
Trails will be green and easy blue trails.
Lunch will be provided however delegates will need to bring their own backpack and drinking water.
Field Trip 3: MTB/CYCLE TOURING
Munda Biddi Trail (Approx. 35km, moderate fitness required)
Also hosted by Dwellingup Adventures riders on this field trip will be transported to the Scarp Road/Munda Biddi Trail intersection. From here riders will tour on a 35km section of the Munda Biddi Trail commencing north of Dwellingup near Turner Hill and ride back to Dwellingup.
This ride is designed for those who like to tour a trail with a start and an end point. It is suitable for those with some experience and moderate fitness. The trail itself is green but there are some steep sections.
Lunch will be provided however delegates will need to bring their own backpack and drinking water.
Field Trip 4: MTB ride and trail maintenance workshop
Lane Poole Reserve & Murray Valley Trail Network (minimum advanced beginner riding ability)
Join local trail designers and builders Dave Wilcox from Common Ground Trails and John Dingey (JD) from Magic Dirt as well as the areas trail management and maintenance guru Rod Annear from DBCA to learn first-hand the importance of sustainable trail design, maintenance and management.
This session will commence at the stunning Dwaarlindjirraap suspension bridge at Lane Poole Reserve and include a workshop discussion session at the reserve before riding over the bridge to the start of the Murray Valley Trail Network. From here a shuttle will be used to take riders to the explore various trails in this network that have been designed and built with sustainability as the priority.
As you ride, significant areas of design and build aspects will be highlighted to provide delegates with knowledge as to why difference techniques are used and why they are successful and sustainable, making maintenance of the trail minimal. Discover why some techniques are no longer used and the learnings from this.
Rider ability: Advance beginner as a minimum (beginner is fine, just not absolute first timers).
Types of trails: Riding will be green and blue descending trails with a shuttle provided to take riders and bikes to the start of each trail.
Lunch will be provided and top up water will be available, but delegates will need to provide their own drink bottle, small backpack for person items or additional snacks.
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.
