Bibbulmun Track

One of the key aims is to attract people who have never bushwalked before.

The Calendar of Events was developed to fulfil two of the Bibbulmun Track Foundation’s key objectives:

1. To encourage community participation, ownership and education.
2. To promote the Bibbulmun Track as accessible to all.

Each event was developed to target specific sectors of the community to encourage a wider use of the Track by people of all ages, all socio-economic groups and all fitness levels.

One of the key aims is to attract people who have never bushwalked before.  Research indicated that many women were interested in walking on the Track but lacked the confidence and/or knowledge.

The program's key objectives

The key objectives of the programme are to:

• Attract people who have never bushwalked before – and dispel the myth that bushwalking is an activity only suitable for hardy ‘outdoor’ types.  
• Encourage women, families and seniors to walk on the Bibbulmun Track to reconnect with nature and discover the mental and physical benefits of bush walking.
• To equip people with the confidence and/or skills to ‘go it alone’ the next time.  Be it for a few hours or an overnight walk.

Creating the program

The events calendar was created from scratch. It started with a program of 12 events, including a Balingup trekking weekend, a mother-and-daughter weekend in Dwellingup, a women’s day walk and a women’s weekend escape. The events program has grown significantly to include more than 30 events, plus 10 social Sunday walks. Of those events, one third are women-only events. Women also account for 70 to 80 per cent of the participants at all other events.

Promotion

The emphasis has been on creating an appealing and wide range of events that are mostly perceived as FUN.  

The marketing plan includes:

• Media releases to the general media and to specific publications for specific events.  E.g. Perth Woman for our women only events.
• A mail-out to over 7000 people on our contacts database, including approximately 2400 Foundation members. The remainder are people who have requested to receive the calendar through our website and at community events.
• Wide distribution of the calendar to libraries, community centres and cafes.
• Promotion on our website www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au and in our member’s newsletter Bibbulmun News.

Instrumental factors in the program's success

The programcaters to a wide range of interests and a wide range of fitness levels. Events range from a gentle 4km walk to learn more about the birds in the jarrah forest to a four-day ‘Wildflower Wander’ trek in the Perth Hills.

In addition to physical activity, the events provide an opportunity for social interaction in a natural environment and participants go home feeling rejuvenated. This leads to repeat bookings on other events and promotion by word of mouth as people talk about their experience.

We believe the popularity of the ‘women-only’ events is because women feel comfortable coming along on their own and they know they will be able to walk at their own pace.  

The program is also successful due to the enthusiasm and generosity of our guides – most of whom volunteer their time to share their passion for the Track.  

Highlights of the Bibbulmun Track Calendar of Events

• The Bibbulmun Track Foundation’s calendar of events won the 2003 WA Sport and Recreation Industry Award for Community Participation.
• A survey conducted in 1998 showed that walkers on the Bibbulmun Track were predominantly male.  A similar survey in 2003 showed that the balance is now 50/50 male/female.*
• Walkers progressing from novice to experienced. Many women who initially joined an easy weekend event to gain skills and confidence have progressed through our programme to participate in longer and more challenging walks up to and including 15-day treks.  There are several who have gone further and completed their own end-to-end journey. Not stopping at this, some have even become volunteer guides for the events program.

*The organisation believes the above results are a direct reflection of the promotion of the Bibbulmun Track by the Foundation and that many of the thousands of walkers on the Track each year would have had their first introduction to the Track through our calendar of events.

Self sustainability

A potential barrier to increased participation can be cost and we endeavour to keep our overheads as low as possible. For the past four years the programme has paid for itself. However, this is only achieved by the dedication of our staff and volunteers, who contribute many voluntary hours to the development and running of the events.

All overnight events have at least one paid guide and one volunteer guide. Most of our day walks are led by volunteers. Primary expenses include administration to plan the events and process the bookings, the design, print and distribution of the calendar, and insurance.

• Sport Aerobics judge
• Outdoor Recreation
• Coaching
• Administration
• Women's coaching
• Representative organisation