Changing track: from Logging to Eco-tourism in East Gippsland
by Takver Monday April 19, 2004 at 09:45 PM

A report from the Wilderness Bike Ride: From the Errinundra Plateau to the Snowy River 2004 inaugural bike ride.

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With a cycling holiday in East Gippsland you can sense the area slowly changing track. The logging of Australian native forests is on the decline. It will continue for a while with careful forestry management, but native forests are now being seen as important for their tourist potential. Local people are looking around for other ways to stimulate local economies and maintain their communities. And so was born the Wilderness Bike Ride Association who put together the Errinundra to the Snowy 2004 fully supported bicycle ride between 14-17 April this year.

The bike ride was a chance to explore the cool temperate rainforests in the Errinundra National Park, but also provided an opportunity to cruise past the clear fell timber harvesting operations still in progress. The last two days allowed people to appreciate the river flats and spectacular coastal scenery of East Gippsland.

The organisers of the event had the following goals in mind: to "raise the profile of the tourism value of our area, in particular by exploiting it's fantastic potential as a cycling destination, therefore ultimately generating jobs in the tourism and hospitality industries" and "creating the opportunity for people in our communities to participate in the running of a positive, exciting event."

Organising such an event was a process of community building which drew upon the skills and efforts of the people in the local towns and communities in the area. It encompassed a wide spectrum of people, from local organisations and businesses, cycling advocates and environmental activists associated with GECO (Goongerah Environment Centre), to Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and the Environment. An enormous amount of work and planning went into organising this event, from the very informative ride guides, to evacuation and disaster plans, planning for medical emergencies, and building specific equipment such as the showers and washing up facilities trailers.

The organisation of the event was based on the successful formula for large bike rides used by Bicycle Victoria, with a designated cycle route, signs, marshalls, water and lunch stops. The organisers placed a limit of 300 people, but were happy that some 135 people registered for the first ride. This meant the ride was very friendly. The ride had its characters such as the team of three Bairnsdale Ladybugs complete with antennas, and the family from Brunswick who towed their 3 year old daughter in a bike trailer.

The relatively small size made it easier to spot potential problems that may occurr with future events: the potential of rain to dampen enthusiasm; a puncture on a support vehicle or trailer; food supplies not turning up, or arriving late.

Queues for showers and toilets were rare, but meal queues persisted as social occasions. Riders were asked to sign out of camp in the morning, and to sign in when they arrived in the afternoon, to avoid the penalty of being charged for the cost of a search and rescue operation.

The ride started in Orbost with checkin, with bikes and luggage being loaded onto trucks, and the people into three buses for the journey up the mountains to Bonang. At Bonang the bikes were unloaded, lunch was provided and we received a first rider briefing. Then we were away. The riding was predominantly on gravel roads best suited to Mountain Biking. Bendoc was the first overnight camp. The town was experiencing some exceptionally mild weather. We had been warned that snow was a possibility! It was so mild, that I slept with just my sleeping bag under a tarp, enjoying watching the milky way above.

The second day, from Bendoc to Combienbar, incorporated some substantial hill climbing and a thrilling descent off the plateau. At the onset of dusk around 5pm, the organisers sent the Sag wagon to pick up anyone still riding and take them to camp. Combienbar is just a house at the edge of a cow paddock, which became a temporary village for the night. A talk by local botanist, Dr Kevin Thiele, on the features of the forest, was well attended before dinner, with some local entertainment later. While a specific bar area was setup only at Combienbar, a Tea and coffee tent was available on every night.

The third day riding contained a mix of gravel and bitumen surfaces, through rainforest and river meadows. The small community at Club Terrace provided a stall with food and drinks for morning tea, before reaching the Princes Highway. The route involved travelling along a remote section of the Princes highway with vehicles often travelling at high speed. Local police escorted cyclists across in groups between 10am and 11am.

East Gippsland is suffering a drought at the moment, so heavy rain was welcomed by the locals on the third night, when cyclists were camped at Bemm River. The rain was well timed. Everyone had their tents up before the rain came down. A few people moved their bedding under marquees or the shed.

The next morning dawned with a clear sky. Along the coast on the morning of the last day the track was very sandy. More than one cyclists came to an abrupt stop in the sand.

After lunch, the last 35km from Cape Conran to Orbost was on a good bitumen road. There were also people participating in a Surf to Snowy day ride from Cape Conran, through Marlo and following the meandering Snowy River into Orbost. Headwinds and light rain dampened the occasion somewhat. A rum and milk from the Marlo Hotel provided needed sustenance to keep me peddling the last kilometres to Orbost.

As a participant in the ride, it was enormous fun, but also hard exercise. The route, particularly on Day 2, was demanding. Riding through the ancient rainforests and listening to the bird calls was a wonderful experience. Pushing my bike up the steep hills gave me an opportunity to examine the birds and bush closely, while swearing quietly under my breath. The down hill rides were awesome.

The Wilderness Bike Ride Association has done a great job organising this event. It has great potential for the region, not only promoting the area for ecotourism, but also involving local people in running the event.

Local people are also agitating for funding to complete the East Gippsland Rail Trail form Nowa Nowa to Orbost (45km), to complement the existing trail from Bairnsdale - Bruthen - Nowa Nowa (55km), and the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail to Lakes Entrance through the Colquhoun State forest. The completion of this trail will increase cycle tourism in Orbost and the lower reaches of the Snowy river. Rail Trails inject on average $51.10 into the local economy for every visitor day, according to a recent report titled AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RAIL TRAILS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (PDF) by Dr. Sue Beeton, Senior Lecturer in Tourism at La Trobe University.

Further Information

• Wilderness Bike Ride Association
• Goongerah Environment Centre
• Railtrails Australia
• Rail Trail Economic Benefits study
• Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail
• AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RAIL TRAILS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (PDF)

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Dawn at Bendoc
by Takver Monday April 19, 2004 at 09:45 PM

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Dawn breaking over campsite at Bendoc

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Bemm River
by Takver Monday April 19, 2004 at 09:45 PM

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Sorting the signs to be used for the next days ride

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Errinundra track
by Takver Monday April 19, 2004 at 09:45 PM

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Another hill to climb, surrounded by cool temperate forest.

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