The Success of the Kalamunda Circuit

“If you built it, they will come”

Murray Wynne

• Trail builder and volunteer co-ordinator for the Kalamunda Circuit

• WAMBA committee member• Munda Biddi Trail Foundation board

member and ride guide for 9 years• 2011 finalist in the Australian Bicycling

Achievement Awards in the Volunteer of the Year category

• Currently working as a Construction Supervisor on the Munda Biddi trail

• Has been riding in the Perth hills for 18 years

Jake Hannah

• Secretary of WAMBA• Started riding in Scotland around the

time the 7Stanes project was being built• Has mountain biked extensively in the

UK, Morocco, Spain, Indonesia and New Zealand for over 11 years

• Riding in the Perth Hills since 2006• Organised the Kalamunda Circuit trail

opening in 2012

Murray Wynne

1. Mountain bikers

Jake Hannah

2. Volunteers

Where is the Kalamunda Circuit?

Kalamunda CircuitUWA

What is the Kalamunda Circuit?

IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System

EASIEST EASY MORE DIFFICULT

VERY DIFFICULT

EXTREMELY DIFFICULT

White Circle Green Circle Blue Square Black Diamond

Double Black Diamond

Martin Shurlock, WAMBA trail advocacy officer, put in a submission to CALM (now DEC) to:• Realign the existing

Kalamunda Circuit away from the Bibbulmun walk trail

• Build a sustainable mountain bike trail

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2004 – Trail Proposal

2006 Trail Corridor Marked

• DEC gave approval for volunteers to mark the trail corridor

• 6 month process of selecting a path and taping the route

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2008 - DEC Surveys complete

DEC complete surveys for:• Dieback• Rare flora and fauna• Aboriginal sites

Construction commences!

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

3km of trail complete from Mundaring Weir Rd to Camel Farm (“Slippery When Dry”)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

March 2009 – First section of trail complete

Karnet Prison Crew assisted with construction:• 26 days working on the trail• 6 prisoners per visit• Major contribution to the construction

of the Kalamunda Circuit

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Feb 2010 – Prison crews lend a hand

Sept 2010 – Lottery West tender

• WAMBA invite tenders for the construction of the southern section of the Kalamunda Circuit

• Made possible by $35,000 Lottery West and DSR trails grant

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Dec 2010 – Trail signs go in

• Northern section sign posted by DEC• Standard IMBA trail ratings used• Riders start to ride the trail in serious

numbers

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

• Jamie Campbell commences construction on the south section

• Three months to construct 8km of trail

• WAMBA run naming competition for new trails:

Rocky BalboaMercury StreetMuffin TopsHorny Devil

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

July-Sept 2011 – South section constructed

In July 2011 we exceeded 1000 volunteer trail building hours on the Kalamunda Circuit• Total hours so far: 1480• 130 volunteers involved• Volunteer hours to exceed 1500

on Sunday at trail maintenance day

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

July 2011 – 1000 Volunteer hours!

Trail counter installed:• Thanks to the assistance of

Andy Kemp (DEC)• Placed on Camakazi trail• 407 riders per week

between Oct 2011 and Feb 2012

• 1066 vehicle movements per week along Paulls Valley [Data from Shire of Kalamunda]

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Oct 2011 – Trail counter

Kalamunda Circuit volunteers install south section sign posts• All 22km of the trail is now

signposted

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

March 2012 – South Section Signed

Trail opening party organised by WAMBA:• Sponsored by Cycle Instead Bikeweek• 50 new riders tried the trail• 40 beginners took part in skills and

maintenance clinics from AvantiPlus Cannington

• Demo bikes• Free sausage sizzle• VIPs from DEC, DSR, West Cycle,

Cycling WA, WAMBA, PMBC, Kalamunda Shire

• WAMBA AGM

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

March 2012 – Trail officially opened

Kalamunda Circuit Opening – photos courtesy of Travis Deane

Promoting the Kalamunda Circuit

EveryTrail

QR Code

Potential Market:

• Population of 1.74million within a 40km radius

• On the doorstep of Perth International airport

• 12 months a year riding conditions

• Connects to the Munda Biddi Trail

40km

20km

A Victim of Its Own Success

• Kalamunda Circuit is at capacity• Lack of easy (Green) trails• Lack of harder (Black) trails (and shuttle-able trails)• DRA to the east of Lockwood Rd• Access to major funding

Rider Survey

69%

28%3%

Trails with varied skill levels/levels of difficulty

Very ImportantImportantSomewhat importantNot important

49%

34%

15%2%

Multiple ways to link different trails (within the network)

Very ImportantImportantSomewhat importantNot important43%

41%

15%1%

New trails similar to those already there

Very ImportantImportantSomewhat importantNot important41%

30%

21%8%

New trails harder than those already there

Very ImportantImportantSomewhat importantNot important42%

33%

19%6%

More Technical Trail Features

Very ImportantImportantSomewhat importantNot important

Rider Survey

“Trails with hard, medium and easy features and having trails all linking up together so you can ride a different route each week.”

“Development of some longer distance singletrack loops - ideally linked all the way into Kalamunda.”

“Trails which interlink, so you can do short or long rides. Also getting a change of trails to keep it interesting.”

“More downhill and freeride trails. More flowy single track”

Muffin Tops

Rocky

Balboa

Mercury St

Horny Devil

Joeys LineDugite

Camakazi

X Fi

les

Black Stump The Dell

Munda B

iddi

Munda Biddi

FJ

Paulls Valley Rd

Asher Rd

Gunjin Rd

Lock

woo

d Rd

Munda Biddi Touring Route

P

P

Mundaring Weir Rd

Munda Biddi Touring Route

● Mt Gunjin

XXXX

Camel Farm

Slippery

When Dry

Black Stump Green Loop

Pump Track

Fern Rd

P

Skills Track

Lanca

ster

New D

ownh

ill tra

il

New

blu

e tra

il

Zig Zag Zinger

Camel Farm Green Link

Conclusions

• The Kalamunda Circuit is a huge success• There is an urgent need for more trails• We have an opportunity to make this area very special

Questions and Video