Real Trail Talk

We made it to 100 episodes, and to celebrate we take a look back at the past eight years of the podcast, talk about the journey, our favourite moments, and then answer your questions.   Thank you to everyone that has listened to us ramble on about trails and hiking over the years, it really is appreciated when you reach out with questions, feedback or general comments.

It's that time again, where Donovan and Mark sit down and discuss their 2024 adventures, where they visited, what they did, and how they felt about the year.    Visit The Long Ways Better here Visit The Life of Py here

Donovan hiked a six day stretch of the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) in 2024 between Kiandra and Kosciuszko, and we sit down to have a chat about the experience.  From historic huts to stunning alpine terrain, there is plenty to enjoy along this hike, although Donovan did encounter some challenges that we discuss during the episode.

Donovan chats to Kevin Moss aka Goin Feral about the Australian Triple Crown, the Australian Alps Walking Trail (AAWT), Heysen Trail and Bibbulmun Track. Kevin completed all three trails in 2024, and discusses what makes them different, his experiences on all three, and how they compare.

After releasing his first book in 2023, Best Walks of South West WA, Mark has a follow-up book titled Best Walks of South Coast WA.   Covering the stunning walks between Walpole and Cape Arid, and everything in-between, there are 42 trails ranging from coastal hikes to mountain climbs.   Get your copy today by visiting Mark's Online Store, using the code RTT10 to get a further 10% off the new book. 

With a plethora of national parks and stunning scenery in the Northern Territory, we sit down and discuss the hiking options going from the north to the south. 

In this episode we discuss what makes a good trail, ranging design, experience, scenery, facilities and everything in-between. On top of that we talk about why we like trails so much, and what goes into a great trail experience in our opinion. 

One of our favourite episodes of the year, we discuss our 2023 Adventures by going through what we enjoyed, what we didn't, and then some answer some listener questions. Thank you everyone who has tuned in during 2023, we really appreciate it.

We are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to discuss the journey of what went into the 25th Anniversary End to End Walk. Steve shares some great stories, explains the challenges of organising the event, and reflects on the Bibbulmun and the wonderful community that supports it.

Best Walks of South West WA is a new guidebook written by Mark, showcasing 40 great walks from the South West and exploring the beautiful forests, coastline and rivers of this unique region. In this episode we have a bit of a chat about the process of writing the guidebook, what you can expect and what's coming in the future.   Order your copy using the link below and use the code RTT10 to get a further 10% off the already great price on The Life of Py.   https://www.thelifeofpy.com/product-page/best-walks-of-south-west-wa   Note - The episode was recorded before the book was launched and there is now a flat $5 shipping fee on every order but the free gift with purchase remains.

Continuing on with our discussion about the South Coast Track, this episode sees Bronwyn return as we chat about the final three days on this stunning week long hike in the Tasmanian Wilderness.

In January 2023, Donovan, Mark and Bonny completed the South Coast Track in Tasmania and we sit down to discuss the first four days on this rugged adventure in the remote wilderness of Southwest National Park. 

We are back!!! While we have taken a break from podcasting for the latter half of 2022, we were still out exploring. As we discuss, there have been some big changes to our lives in 2022 (Donovan especially) and so we've sat down to have a chat about everything that happened. 

We are joined by Aron aka 1A1R to discuss the final section of the Munda Biddi Trail between Denmark and Albany before chatting about Mark and Aron's E2E back in September 2021.

The penultimate section of the 1065km Munda Biddi Trail, this is the last of the wilderness as you head into the Tingle Forest leaving Walpole and then explore the national parks to the north of the coastline. We had wildly different opinions about this section from our different experiences of riding the trail. There are also a couple of announcements regarding the future of the podcast so if you're a long time listener then stay until the end.

It's been a weird and disrupted year so we sit down to discuss the past 12 months, our adventures, our thoughts and then answer your questions. 

Joining us in the studio are podcast regulars Steve Sertis and Bonny Wells for the WA Hiking Draft, a concept we've stolen from The Big Picture where we select what we think is the best suite of trails from the various categories listed below. We hope you enjoy and check out the various Real Trail Talk, The Life of Py and The Long Way's Better social media platforms to vote on who you thought was the "winner". Rules Each person must pick one trail from each category A trail can only be selected once Categories Perth Day Hikes South West Golden Outback Coral Coast North West Cape to Cape Day Bibbulmun Track Section Stirling Range Day Hike Wildcard (any day hike not already selected from any category)

We are joined by special guest Brad Serls from Cycles Bespoke to talk about the Northcliffe to Walpole section of the Munda Biddi Trail. A stunning and varied section of the trail with some really unique terrain and big hills including a little side quest up to Mount Frankland.    If you're looking to get into bikepacking or thinking about riding the Munda Biddi then go see the team at Cycles Beskpoke in Bayswater.

It's not everyday we get a new hiking trail in WA, let alone an overnight trail so with the opening of the 28km Yonga Trail in Lesueur National Park, we had a discussion on what it was like from two different perspectives. Donovan and Alissa did this as a long day walk while Mark and Caris completed it as a leisurely overnighter.   Yes, we have our first couples podcast!!! 

Donovan has a new love with the discovery of e-bikes and he has introduced his other love (his wife Alissa) to the joy of electrically assisted cycling. In this episode we discuss their adventures on the Munda Biddi and what benefits an e-bike can deliver. 

Continuing on with our series on the 1050km Munda Biddi Trail, we are joined by Michelle from Feed the Hike to discuss the Manjimup to Northcliffe section of the ride. Filled with lovely forests, farmland and some enjoyable towns along the way, this section has some of the best riding of the whole trail.  As a special discount for Real Trail Talk listeners, Michelle has kindly offered a 10% discount on all Feed the Hike orders for the month of October. Use the code REALTRAILTALK10 at the checkout to apply the discount. 

In this episode we have a bit of a discussion about fitness, injuries and our experiences before Donovan has a chat with Rowan Smith from Summit Strength about helping hikers with their preparation, training, strength and injury prevention plus a whole lot more.

We are joined by Alex Garner from Intents Offroad to discuss the famous Gibb River Road in the Kimberley. Stretching 660km between Derby and Kununurra, this old stock route explores some beautiful country including Windjana Gorge, Mitchell Falls, El Questro and Purnululu National Park.

We are joined by Rod Annear to discuss the next section of the Munda Biddi between Nala Mia Campsite at Jarrahwood to the track town of Manjimup.  Riding on old rail formations, roads, vehicle tracks and single track you visit Nannup, Donnelly River along with being introduced to the Karri Forest for the first time. 

With Easter providing a good opportunity to get some more bang for your buck with regards to holiday leave, we both set out on different adventures across the country. Don headed north to swim with the whale sharks and check out Mount Augustus while Mark flew over to Tassie for a two and a half week road trip around the Apple Isle.    Have a listen to hear all about our trips and what's expected in the coming weeks and months on both The Long Way's Better and The Life of Py

We are joined in the studio by Josh Carr, videographer extraordinaire and hiking enthusiast about his adventures around WA and Tasmania. A talented filmmaker, Josh explains what goes into making one of his stunning videos and what drew him into making films about hiking.

We are joined by the President of HikeWest, Dave Osborne, to talk about the upcoming WA Hiking Expo that is being held on Sunday the 2nd of May at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre in Mundaring. A celebration of hiking, trail running and the community, we discuss what has gone in to organising the first event and all the challenges of postponing due to Covid. https://www.wahikingexpo.com.au/  Thanks to our wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount on your first online order.

We are joined by Michelle Ryan to discuss her new dehydrated meal company, Feed the Hike. Providing tasty, fresh and smartly packaged options for the trail, we talk about why she created Feed the Hike, the journey to get to this point and what's in the future. As a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners, use the code REALTRAILTALK15 for 15% off any purchase on the website (https://feedthehike.com/store/) Thanks to our wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount on your first online order.

The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Collie to Nala Mia with special guest Saf Flatters from Bark and Spark.  Exploring the stunning Jarrah forests of Wellington National Park, including one of the more entertaining downhill stretches, the trail then heads into the Ferguson Valley for rolling farmland and orchards before arriving in the apple capital of Western Australia, Donnybrook. From Donnybrook the trail heads through the forests and farmlands to the old timber town of Jarrahwood and the Nala Mia Campsite.  Welcome to our first wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount on your first online order.  

In what was an unexpected year for the world, we sit back and discuss the year that was, our trail adventures and then get into a Q&A.  Welcome to our first wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount on your first online order.

The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Dwellingup to Collie.  Taking in some really nice Jarrah forest, this section is unfortunately blighted by the ongoing destruction of the forests by Alcoa and their bauxite mining operations.  To read more about the section and see some great photos check out The Long Way's Better

Running between Mundaring Weir and Northam, the historic Kep Track follows the old rail trail as it winds through the forests, towns and farms along the water pipeline. This 75km trail is best experienced on a bike so on a rainy November day, we loaded up our mountain bikes to discover what this trail was all about. 

After a long break we have returned with Mark giving an account of his four week road trip where he hiked the Cape to Cape, ticked off several hikes on his to-do list around Walpole, Albany and Esperance and finished with a fun weekend at the Pemby Trail Festival.  To hear Mark's response to several previous episodes plus get a sneak peek of the content that will be coming to The Life of Py over the next few months, settle in and have a listen.

This week we are joined by Dave Osborne from WalkGPS to discuss off-track hiking, what went into creating the depth and breadth of walks on his website and the state of bushwalking in Western Australia.

We are  joined by Risk Expert Alan de Souza, who also happens to be father to Donovan, to discuss the topic of risk and how it relates to trails, government and decision making. Stay to the end for a quick Q&A on what Donovan was like as a kid. 

The second episode of our Munda Biddi series sees us joined by Jake from Intents Offroad to discuss the Jarrahdale to Dwellingup section of this 1000km cycling trail.   Taking you through the Jarrah forests of the Darling Range, there is some lovely cycling mixed in with mining and forestry operations.

We sit down with Neil McCulloch from the First Hike Project, a not for profit organisation that takes new refugees out on hiking trips in the Australian bush to help introduce them to the outdoors and build confidence. Discussing what is involved with the trips, who participates and the effort required, this was a really fascinating chat with a man that is doing a lot of great things in the community. If you'd like to help out in any way send the FHP an email at contact@firsthikeproject.org.au, anything you can do will be greatly appreciated.

In this episode we interview Jess Beckerling from the WA Forest Alliance to discuss the threats facing the forests of the South West of WA, the transition away from native logging, the future of the forests and how you can help save their beautiful ecosystems. 

Hopping on the mountain bike for 2020, Donovan has started a sectional end to end of the Munda Biddi, a 1000km long distance trail running from Mundaring to Albany. Running North to South we are doing a series on the track starting with the Mundaring to Jarrahdale section that runs through the Darling Range. 

Our mission for this episode was to come up with the ultimate South West Road Trip given a time frame of roughly two weeks that could be realistically accomplished. We both map out our hypothetical routes and discuss how we would fill each day (which of course included a lot of trails). 

In this episode we get into a discussion about hiking gear, what we use, how we came to choose that gear, a brief chat about ultralight gear, sustainability and what gear we'd like heading into the future. 

After finally finishing his sectional end to end, Mark discusses his thoughts on the entire Bibbulmun Track and how life has changed over that time. 

We are joined again by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the world class snorkelling locations up and down the northern part of Western Australia. With some of the most stunning spots in the whole of the state (and perhaps the country), the snorkelling at places like Ningaloo is beyond amazing. 

We are joined by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the various snorkelling spots around Perth and South West. With summer meaning a break in the hiking season, we like to get out into the water and explore a different type of scene. Thanks to the Leeuwin Current there is a variety of sea life and coral to see so close to shore.

The second of our two Great Walks of New Zealand discussions, we talk about the Tongariro Northern Circuit that was completed by The Long Way's Better at the end of 2019. This four day hike takes you around the active volcanoes of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe (used as Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) with public huts along the way to stay in.  Hear all about the adventure as Donovan and Alissa recount their journey through this remarkable landscape. 

In this episode we are joined by the other half of The Long Way's Better to discuss their Christmas expedition on the Abel Tasman Coast Track in New Zealand. This 4.5 day coastal hike is a relaxing escape from the usual rigours of multi-day hiking with stunning scenery, nice huts to stay in and some casual distances on each day. 

With a busy year for both The Long Way's Better and The Life of Py, we sat down and reminisced about the past year's adventures and what will be coming up in the future.  

Continuing on with the blank slate idea of where we would take the Bibbulmun Track in an ideal world, the journey continues from Donnelly River to Albany. We are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation and Bonny from Friendly Dropbear as the hotly debated coastal section receives a major realignment including an epic finish as proposed by Mark.

In this episode we are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation and recent end to ender Bonny to discuss where we would take the Bibbulmun Track if given a clean slate. Grab a map or follow along on the Bibbulmun Track website and join us as we have a fun discussion about the changes we would make and why.

This week we sit down with Melina, a World Trails Network Ambassador from Perth to discuss who the World Trails Network, what they do and what the future holds. It was a great insight into the world trails community that is developing and what to expect at the 2020 World Trails Conference in Nepal. For more information visit their website a visit (https://worldtrailsnetwork.org/)

To celebrate our 50th episode we asked you, the listeners, to send in your questions that we would try our best to answer. We had some fun in the process and thank you to everyone who sent in something. Here's to our first 50 episodes and to continuing on with the next 50 episodes.