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Posted: 2024-08-04 00:03:19

"Holiday at home" was a COVID catch cry and it's one that Australians seem to have taken to heart.

When the borders closed in 2020, and the hotels and holiday parks filled to capacity, many people chose to go bush, on hikes and on their bikes, to disconnect from the internet, and reconnect with nature.

A bush trail with a cyclist on it and a sign that says 'munda biddi trail'.

Dwellingup's trails drive an influx of visitors. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

Now the borders have reopened, and the world is once again Australia's oyster, something unusual has happened. 

Many people are still choosing to stay at home, having, it seems, fallen in love — all over again — with Australia's natural attractions.

A cleared bush track shot on a sunny day.

The small WA town of Dwellingup is becoming increasingly popular with bush walkers and mountain bikers because of its network of trails. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

It is perhaps a case of 'don't build it and they will come'.

In Western Australia, adventurers — on foot or on wheels – are flocking to the state's network of bush trails in unprecedented numbers.

Trail town

Erin Gauntlett, the deputy director general of WA's Department for Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, said for some, what they found in the wilds of Western Australia was almost too good to be true.

"People reconnected, or for some people they connected for the first time, to the natural environment, and I think all of the different trails experiences that we have in WA provided that perfect opportunity for people to engage," Ms Gauntlett said.

A woman wearing an orange jumper and glasses smiles for the camera.

Erin Gauntlett wants more people to get back to nature. (ABC News: Jonathan Beal)

One of the best places to engage is the South West town of Dwellingup.

Local mountain bike enthusiast Alicia Caruso said people are coming to the former logging town in their thousands to cycle, hike or just meander along the local trails.

"For me, [it] just calms the mind and also rejuvenates the body," she said.

"So, you're getting that exercise element but you know, we live in a world that can be quite chaotic and hectic so for me, just being in trails and being in nature, just really helps me kind of reflect on everything," Ms Caruso said.

A woman named Alicia Caruso stands smiling happily next to her mountain bike.

Alicia Caruso is a keen mountain biker.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)

Fellow enthusiast John Cusack enjoyed the tracks and trails around Dwellingup so much he moved to the town.

For him, riding keeps his mind and body active.

"You can ride lots of different trails, you're out in the bush, you get to see all sorts of animals and birds," Mr Cusack said.

A man named John Cusack rides a mountain bike along a bush track.

John Cusack loves mountain biking for its mental and physical benefits. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

"It's something you can do by yourself, it's something you can do with a group of friends."

Taking a punt

Of course, it hasn't always been this way.

In the mid 1990's, Alicia Caruso's father Peter White owned an adventure tour business in Dwellingup and thought it might be a good idea to hire out a few bikes.

A cafe and bike hire shop with lots of bikes out the front.

Bike hire is big business in the town of Dwellingup.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)

"I said to my wife, we should invest in a fleet of mountain bikes, and they were Malvern Stars in those days, and I remember my wife saying to me, 'Do you think mountain bikes are a good investment?'

"I said, 'I think it's going to take off'."

A man with a large handle-bar moustache leans over his own handle-bars on a mountain bike while smiling.

Peter White enjoying Dwellingup's bike trails. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

It was a slow burn, but take off it did.

Developing Dwellingup as a trails destination involved years of hard work by local business owners, local and state governments, and the community, to improve existing trails and develop new ones.

They had to provide the right mix of local services, and install proper signage so people don't get lost in the bush.

Investment booming

Murray shire president David Bolt said the result has been extraordinary.

A man with grey hair stands smiling for the camera.

Shire of Murray President David Bolt says the trails have been of huge benefit to Dwellingup.

"Little country towns like this around the country, some of them are dying," he said.

"They don't have enough activity in terms of economic activity so it's really brought that activity.

A cafe in Dwellingup

Dwellingup is becoming a popular spot for people seeking to get back to nature. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

"It's also brought a confidence to the town as well, so people are coming and investing, small businesses are starting up, little wineries, little cafes, little artisan shops as well."

In April 2024 Dwellingup was rewarded with official 'Trail Town' status, for its well-developed trails, natural assets, services and infrastructure, cafes, shops, accommodation, and for its supportive community.

The main street in the WA town of Dwellingup.

The trails are helping businesses in the community stay profitable.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)

Ms Gauntlett said the growth in popularity of the trails network was supercharged by the COVID pandemic.

"COVID was sort of like a catalyst for taking it to the next level and bike-packing and gravel bike riding and stuff, they're just like booming at the moment," she said.

A river rushing with white water able to be seen.

Dwellingup is a picturesque town about 110 kilometres south of Perth.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)

Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, there was a 40 per cent increase in bush-walking activity in WA and a general increase in the number of people accessing trails.

Ms Gauntlett believes Western Australian's love affair with their own backyard is long-term.

A woman wearing an orange jumper and glasses smiles for the camera.

Erin Gauntlett does not think the trend of people holidaying at home will slow down soon.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)

"I think in WA, maybe in the past, we kind of always looked to the east, we had always looked overseas, and then, through the pandemic, we were forced to look in our own backyard and I think ... it's really opened their mind and their kind of eyes to what's possible and what's here."

And the trend is reflected across the country.

'Control-alt-delete'

An Australia-wide survey, published in the Department's WA Strategic Trails Blueprint, found that in the five years to 2021, bush walking increased 66 per cent while mountain biking increased 58 per cent.

And if you think you're too old, too young, or too unfit, think again.

Trail enthusiasts are quick to point our there's a trail for everyone.

Ms Gauntlett, a keen trail user herself, believes the trail experience is of benefit to everyone.

"I have been known to say that when I'm out and about it's a bit like control-alt-delete on the computer," she said.

"You just kind of create a space to clear the mind and kind of enjoy the peace and quiet and the environment and connecting with others."

The WA government is committed long-term, investing tens of millions of dollars in enhancing and expanding WA's trails, which it says include Indigenous Dreaming networks that have been 60,000 years in the making.

The government says its vision is to create for visitors "a deeper connection to country, community and culture".

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