Page 55 - AMB Freelist

ThOe Goat Farm Mountain Bike ParkWHADJuk Country
n the 2019 Places That Rock Road Trip, we builders from Three Chillies Design, Marg and shelter sheds built. But since this mid- started in the Perth Hills riding some of the Sam from the Goat Farmers (the community noughties refresh, there has been no new trails of the Kalamunda Circuit. Once again, group that organises maintenance on the park), work beyond a small amount of ongoing
we start with a trail network close to Perth – which is the logical launching point for any visit to Western Australia. Just 25 minutes from the Perth CBD, and 15 minutes from the Perth airport, the Goat Farm is the most easily accessible trail network in the Perth metropolitan area. As we pull into the car park at the Goat Farm, we can immediately see the effects of the new trail development that has been on going. If we had got here any later, we would struggle to find a park.
We unload the bikes from the Isuzu MUX we’ve been loaned, and meet the crew we are riding with today. It’s a big crew, with a group of trail
and a few other local riders that are also keen to come for a ride.
The Goat Farm has a long history with mountain biking, especially as a race venue. The early 90s saw Perth Mountain Bike Club races, with XC, DH, and even a dual slalom held here. There were also bigger events like combined State XC and DH Championships and a Downhill and Cross-Country National Round in ’99. Sometime after this, the park was given a much-needed upgrade, with new trails constructed, signage installed, a designated carpark built, and various infrastructure additions like toilets, trail maps, picnic tables and
maintenance and trail realignments.
With the hill being sparsely treed, over time the network of trails became braided, and the
demand for more technical trails has encouraged locals to build new lines and greater challenges. It got to a point that it was hard to navigate the hill, as there were cut trails and inside lines branching off the gazetted trails all over the place. A refresh was definitely in order, with new trails to cater for the advances in technical ability of riders and bikes, and a revamp of some of the older and unstainable trails.
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