Tasmania - the secrets unlocked...

Sekt

Likes Dirt
Not sure if it's been posted here, but Jenni from Shredding Betties has got a great series of podcast episodes talking to several people involved in Hobart's MTB Master Plan. I've only had time to listen to Tom & Alex and Roy's episodes so far, but they're definitely worth a listen!

https://soundcloud.com/user-426650127-892303530
However it all sounds like a typical council approach...
To be fair, local government has a typical approach because there is an expectation of accountability and due process with everything they do. They're spending public money and need to do the right things in that process. I'm not going to defend it as always being right, but it's worth keeping in mind when looking at the actions they take (i.e. developing strategic plans).

Are Glenorchy looking to attract overseas and interstate visitors with their new MTB park plans? Or are they looking to build a resource for local riders? I personally think the latter is just as important (if not more so) than the former, but that's probably my bias as a local speaking.

I can understand their hesitance with volunteers, it takes quite a bit of commitment to run a volunteer program that gets consistently good turnout and results. You need to find the people, and you need to engage them in a way that keep them coming back (trail maintenance doesn't hold much glory). Most importantly, you need to ensure that the end result is worth the investment. That might be through enhancing the community, and also through quality trail being built. It takes a lot of learning to build sustainable trails, and unfortunately not a lot of people have the time and energy to fully commit to that.

If you're a local, I'd suggest you continue to hassle them about volunteer involvement, and get along to a Dirt Devils meeting to discuss with them as well. They seem to be the drivers of the project, so I'm sure they can push for it if there's a keen group of people interested in commiting their time to it.
 
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pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Politicians and councilors like the whole ribbon cutting process and a pump track is way more photographic than a trail. Trails are a hard sell sometimes
trails also take a lot longer to get dialled. Id love more bmx/4x influenced tracks to be popping up. Id love to see a rebirth in 4x racing, it is a great accessible version of mountain biking that could have wide appeal. The tracks suit my interest very nicely, but pump tracks...they're something you build in your backyard where there isn't enough space for more. I don't even mind pulp tracks getting built, but they too often come across as the solution to all your riding needs and really aren't.
 

nathanm

Eats Squid
To be fair, local government has a typical approach because there is an expectation of accountability and due process with everything they do. They're spending public money and need to do the right things in that process. I'm not going to defend it as always being right, but it's worth keeping in mind when looking at the actions they take (i.e. developing strategic plans).
agreed in part, they also often do the hard yards in regards to environmental issues ensuring that their is minimal impact to flaura and fauna and are great at working with other stakeholders. But in being accountable to ratepayers often means they are fearful of taking risks or seeking out different approaches. But like in this case it simply isn't/hasn't/wont work so it's high time they tried something new, it really is the definition of insanity to continue to do the same thing but expect different results.

Instead of doing the same old thing like the rest of the southern councils do in hiring Dirt Art to do a plan and build a pump track/dirt jump/skills park people can see when they drive by, how about take lessens from clubs/councils/cities/countries that actually get the job done.

Rotorua is a prime example that springs to mind. The redwoods trails are mostly hand built by volunteers who are allocated an area/trail to build and maintain. By natural selection/rider preference these trails either live or die by the quality of their build and only the best survive or get handed over to builders who do a better job.

A lot of trail is also built (or at least was) by prisoners on release/day programs. This was something I looked into locally when we were doing a plan for the Lea and was looking to be a viable option for us as well.

So no councils don't have to stick by this approach every time and it's just a lack of vision that restricts them in getting things done IMO.

Are Glenorchy looking to attract overseas and interstate visitors with their new MTB park plans? Or are they looking to build a resource for local riders? I personally think the latter is just as important (if not more so) than the latter, but that's probably my bias as a local speaking.
Good question, my take on things is that they have this now neglected park that used to be a jewel in their crown, now they have what is representative of their council as a whole, a neglected, run down public space that they need to do something about before it becomes a real problem. North South track still feeds into the park which means tourists/visitors/locals finish their rider their and it can really tarnish the experience if they attempt to explore it. The area is also frequented by trail bike riders and other illegal activity so again really takes the polish off things.

I can understand their hesitance with volunteers, it takes quite a bit of commitment to run a volunteer program that gets consistently good turnout and results. You need to find the people, and you need to engage them in a way that keep them coming back (trail maintenance doesn't hold much glory)
Agree its hard to engage and retain volunteer labour, but there was and is plenty of people still prepared to get the job done and have been doing so. What was built at Glenorchy, has been built at Clarence/Meehan/SOHO and many more trails is far superior to what has been paid for by Glenorchy/Kingston and Clarence councils.
 

nathanm

Eats Squid
What do you mean @nathanm ??? Surely not abandon the cookie cutter and quick cash for the risk of diversity???
Crazy isn't it when councils don't talk to each other and dont even know what steps they've previously taken themselves so they can know what works and what doesn't? They just continue to follow the template of mediocrity.

During the conversation we did talk about Derby, St Helens, and pretty much the entire North West and East Coast of Tasmania who have embraced Mountain Biking, did proper due diligence and engaged the correct people and businesses to get the job done properly and reaped the rewards socially and economically.

The response was "we can't do that" (in the context of spend that money), well exactly you cant if you don't even try, but even more to the point you DON'T have to do that and you shouldn't. Be something different, put in 10 kilometres of hand cut XC track with proper technical sections so people don't have to ride "Flow"all the time. Put in an epic climb track even, anything to break the mould and work out what you CAN DO with what you have available.
 

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Having been up Mt Wellington recently and walked back to Hobart, a lot of those walking tracks would have cost enormous dollars to create.
They obviously can spend money there, just need to be convinced this is the reason to do it
 

Sekt

Likes Dirt
I think there's a bit of a miconception about how local government works from an officer level. There's a possibility that the council officer handling the strategic planning is answering to someone further up the line who isn't interested in risk, or throwing money at an unknown, and they just want to see a document that outlines a plan they can follow. Maybe someone's pushing for it at some level, but the budget allocation isn't there and so it goes nowhere, or it's one of many projects they're working on and the resources aren't there to give it all the time it deserves.

That's why the lobbying and advocacy is so important. When the directive comes from the top, there's much more liklihood that the time (and possibly the money) is found to make this stuff happen.
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
The retarded comments in that Facebook post got me more pissed off than the dick heads that rode the trails.
So many “bloody cyclist, always all over the roads” “a bike rider nearly ran me over at Park Run” ”they need to ban all those bloody scooters“
It was like that 90% of the commenters only read the word “bike“ and felt the need to vent anything vaguely related bikes but nothing actually to do with mountain biking :rolleyes:
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
The retarded comments in that Facebook post got me more pissed off than the dick heads that rode the trails.
So many “bloody cyclist, always all over the roads” “a bike rider nearly ran me over at Park Run” ”they need to ban all those bloody scooters“
It was like that 90% of the commenters only read the word “bike“ and felt the need to vent anything vaguely related bikes but nothing actually to do with mountain biking :rolleyes:
Yeah, I've learnt to ignore that shit as much as I can, you can't change the way bogans think, retard is retard no matter what ;) . A lot of people just don't have a life and need to whinge and whine about everything that doesn't even concern them, 90% of the time.
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
I booked a Tassie trip with the family for a week in Feb. We have a 2nd little person (3rd including my wife) on the way and realised that the trip would become more complicated so let's do it now.

The way I've found works best is to do my riding early and spend the rest of the day doing family things, bushwalks, swimming, taking the little one to the park and making sure my wife gets her fix (the gym) at some point most days. This works best if we stay a short ride from trails and then get in the car to explore during the day.

I am the planner and my wife has no inclination to plan or even consider the places we might go. As long as I promise to deliver a good time and don't treat her like a babysitter so I can ride all day she is happy. Fortunately Mr 2 yo is easy going as long as we provide adventures for every waking moment (that's exaggerated, but only slightly). Wandering around the bush, waterways or parks is perfect for him.

Were flying in and out of Launceston and planning to stay in the northern bits of the atate. We are booked to stay in Derby for 5 nights and Penguin for 2 (+ the last night in Launceston before the flight home).

Give me advice!

Bike choice:
My big but pedallable enduro bike will go for the trip making the harder and rockier trails at Derby possible without beatibg me up too much. Sensible?

Family Day trips: From Derby: I'm thinking bay of fires/ Saint Helens one day, hiking local forest areas/ Blue Tier another. Drive the east coast towards Bicheno, maybe with a trip to natureworld another, Scottsdale/Bridport another?
From Penguin: Cradle mountain area, if the weather suits maybe a day on the west coast, squeeze a shuttle up and ride at Mt Owen if I manage to earn that somehow.

I've only been to Tassie once years ago and that was to hike the south coast track. I flew in and did it with a couple mates and flew back without ever showering for the 9 days before flying back home. Was awesome, apparently my wife wants more luxury than that.
 

clockworked

Like an orange
I booked a Tassie trip with the family for a week in Feb. We have a 2nd little person (3rd including my wife) on the way and realised that the trip would become more complicated so let's do it now.

The way I've found works best is to do my riding early and spend the rest of the day doing family things, bushwalks, swimming, taking the little one to the park and making sure my wife gets her fix (the gym) at some point most days. This works best if we stay a short ride from trails and then get in the car to explore during the day.

I am the planner and my wife has no inclination to plan or even consider the places we might go. As long as I promise to deliver a good time and don't treat her like a babysitter so I can ride all day she is happy. Fortunately Mr 2 yo is easy going as long as we provide adventures for every waking moment (that's exaggerated, but only slightly). Wandering around the bush, waterways or parks is perfect for him.

Were flying in and out of Launceston and planning to stay in the northern bits of the atate. We are booked to stay in Derby for 5 nights and Penguin for 2 (+ the last night in Launceston before the flight home).

Give me advice!

Bike choice:
My big but pedallable enduro bike will go for the trip making the harder and rockier trails at Derby possible without beatibg me up too much. Sensible?

Family Day trips: From Derby: I'm thinking bay of fires/ Saint Helens one day, hiking local forest areas/ Blue Tier another. Drive the east coast towards Bicheno, maybe with a trip to natureworld another, Scottsdale/Bridport another?
From Penguin: Cradle mountain area, if the weather suits maybe a day on the west coast, squeeze a shuttle up and ride at Mt Owen if I manage to earn that somehow.

I've only been to Tassie once years ago and that was to hike the south coast track. I flew in and did it with a couple mates and flew back without ever showering for the 9 days before flying back home. Was awesome, apparently my wife wants more luxury than that.
There's no gym in derby, and the drive to the east coast is pretty windy, but as long as that's accounted for in your plans it should be fun!
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
There's no gym in derby, and the drive to the east coast is pretty windy, but as long as that's accounted for in your plans it should be fun!
I've figured that out. I'm a bit of a map geek so I've been google mapping and street viewing as much as I can. I managed to get a good deal on a Polestar 2 rental so "fuel" will be cheap and driving enjoyable and different. A mate at work gave me some corporate codes for a company that is linked to us within the ownership structure so pricing is great, cheaper than the cheapest anything from the big car rental companies without a discount code.

My only concern is the amount of unsealed roads to the different hiking trails and similar. The rental car isn't covered on unsealed roads so I'll need to be selective if and when I take it off the tarmac.
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
I booked a Tassie trip with the family for a week in Feb. We have a 2nd little person (3rd including my wife) on the way and realised that the trip would become more complicated so let's do it now.

The way I've found works best is to do my riding early and spend the rest of the day doing family things, bushwalks, swimming, taking the little one to the park and making sure my wife gets her fix (the gym) at some point most days. This works best if we stay a short ride from trails and then get in the car to explore during the day.

I am the planner and my wife has no inclination to plan or even consider the places we might go. As long as I promise to deliver a good time and don't treat her like a babysitter so I can ride all day she is happy. Fortunately Mr 2 yo is easy going as long as we provide adventures for every waking moment (that's exaggerated, but only slightly). Wandering around the bush, waterways or parks is perfect for him.

Were flying in and out of Launceston and planning to stay in the northern bits of the atate. We are booked to stay in Derby for 5 nights and Penguin for 2 (+ the last night in Launceston before the flight home).

Give me advice!

Bike choice:
My big but pedallable enduro bike will go for the trip making the harder and rockier trails at Derby possible without beatibg me up too much. Sensible?
Yeah, you should be fine on an Enduro bike.
Family Day trips: From Derby: I'm thinking bay of fires/ Saint Helens one day, hiking local forest areas/ Blue Tier another. Drive the east coast towards Bicheno, maybe with a trip to natureworld another, Scottsdale/Bridport another?
From Penguin: Cradle mountain area, if the weather suits maybe a day on the west coast, squeeze a shuttle up and ride at Mt Owen if I manage to earn that somehow.
I live in Penguin, so happy to take you up Iron Tor, while you are in town, if I’m free.
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
Yeah, you should be fine on an Enduro bike.

I live in Penguin, so happy to take you up Iron Tor, while you are in town, if I’m free.
That would be awesome, Friday or Saturday morning 16th and 17th Feb will be when I am in Penguin. I'm at a farmstay near the base of Iron tor so. I'll send you a pm close to the date to see if you are free.
 
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