Real Trail Talk

One of our favourite episodes of the year, we discuss our 2023 Adventures by going through what we enjoyed, what we didn't, and then some answer some listener questions. Thank you everyone who has tuned in during 2023, we really appreciate it.

We are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to discuss the journey of what went into the 25th Anniversary End to End Walk. Steve shares some great stories, explains the challenges of organising the event, and reflects on the Bibbulmun and the wonderful community that supports it.

Best Walks of South West WA is a new guidebook written by Mark, showcasing 40 great walks from the South West and exploring the beautiful forests, coastline and rivers of this unique region. In this episode we have a bit of a chat about the process of writing the guidebook, what you can expect and what's coming in the future. Order your copy using the link below and use the code RTT10 to get a further 10% off the already great price on The Life of Py. https://www.thelifeofpy.com/product-page/best-walks-of-south-west-wa Note - The episode was recorded before the book was launched and there is now a flat $5 shipping fee on every order but the free gift with purchase remains.

Continuing on with our discussion about the South Coast Track, this episode sees Bronwyn return as we chat about the final three days on this stunning week long hike in the Tasmanian Wilderness.

In January 2023, Donovan, Mark and Bonny completed the South Coast Track in Tasmania and we sit down to discuss the first four days on this rugged adventure in the remote wilderness of Southwest National Park.

We are back!!! While we have taken a break from podcasting for the latter half of 2022, we were still out exploring. As we discuss, there have been some big changes to our lives in 2022 (Donovan especially) and so we've sat down to have a chat about everything that happened.

We are joined by Aron aka 1A1R to discuss the final section of the Munda Biddi Trail between Denmark and Albany before chatting about Mark and Aron's E2E back in September 2021.

The penultimate section of the 1065km Munda Biddi Trail, this is the last of the wilderness as you head into the Tingle Forest leaving Walpole and then explore the national parks to the north of the coastline. We had wildly different opinions about this section from our different experiences of riding the trail. There are also a couple of announcements regarding the future of the podcast so if you're a long time listener then stay until the end.

It's been a weird and disrupted year so we sit down to discuss the past 12 months, our adventures, our thoughts and then answer your questions.

Joining us in the studio are podcast regulars Steve Sertis and Bonny Wells for the WA Hiking Draft, a concept we've stolen from The Big Picture where we select what we think is the best suite of trails from the various categories listed below. We hope you enjoy and check out the various Real Trail Talk, The Life of Py and The Long Way's Better social media platforms to vote on who you thought was the "winner". Rules Each person must pick one trail from each category A trail can only be selected once Categories Perth Day Hikes South West Golden Outback Coral Coast North West Cape to Cape Day Bibbulmun Track Section Stirling Range Day Hike Wildcard (any day hike not already selected from any category)

We are joined by special guest Brad Serls from Cycles Bespoke to talk about the Northcliffe to Walpole section of the Munda Biddi Trail. A stunning and varied section of the trail with some really unique terrain and big hills including a little side quest up to Mount Frankland. If you're looking to get into bikepacking or thinking about riding the Munda Biddi then go see the team at Cycles Beskpoke in Bayswater.

It's not everyday we get a new hiking trail in WA, let alone an overnight trail so with the opening of the 28km Yonga Trail in Lesueur National Park, we had a discussion on what it was like from two different perspectives. Donovan and Alissa did this as a long day walk while Mark and Caris completed it as a leisurely overnighter. Yes, we have our first couples podcast!!!

Donovan has a new love with the discovery of e-bikes and he has introduced his other love (his wife Alissa) to the joy of electrically assisted cycling. In this episode we discuss their adventures on the Munda Biddi and what benefits an e-bike can deliver.

Continuing on with our series on the 1050km Munda Biddi Trail, we are joined by Michelle from Feed the Hike to discuss the Manjimup to Northcliffe section of the ride. Filled with lovely forests, farmland and some enjoyable towns along the way, this section has some of the best riding of the whole trail. As a special discount for Real Trail Talk listeners, Michelle has kindly offered a 10% discount on all Feed the Hike orders for the month of October. Use the code REALTRAILTALK10 at the checkout to apply the discount.

In this episode we have a bit of a discussion about fitness, injuries and our experiences before Donovan has a chat with Rowan Smith from Summit Strength about helping hikers with their preparation, training, strength and injury prevention plus a whole lot more.

We are joined by Alex Garner from Intents Offroad to discuss the famous Gibb River Road in the Kimberley. Stretching 660km between Derby and Kununurra, this old stock route explores some beautiful country including Windjana Gorge, Mitchell Falls, El Questro and Purnululu National Park.

We are joined by Rod Annear to discuss the next section of the Munda Biddi between Nala Mia Campsite at Jarrahwood to the track town of Manjimup. Riding on old rail formations, roads, vehicle tracks and single track you visit Nannup, Donnelly River along with being introduced to the Karri Forest for the first time.

With Easter providing a good opportunity to get some more bang for your buck with regards to holiday leave, we both set out on different adventures across the country. Don headed north to swim with the whale sharks and check out Mount Augustus while Mark flew over to Tassie for a two and a half week road trip around the Apple Isle. Have a listen to hear all about our trips and what's expected in the coming weeks and months on both The Long Way's Better and The Life of Py

We are joined in the studio by Josh Carr, videographer extraordinaire and hiking enthusiast about his adventures around WA and Tasmania. A talented filmmaker, Josh explains what goes into making one of his stunning videos and what drew him into making films about hiking.

We are joined by the President of HikeWest, Dave Osborne, to talk about the upcoming WA Hiking Expo that is being held on Sunday the 2nd of May at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre in Mundaring. A celebration of hiking, trail running and the community, we discuss what has gone in to organising the first event and all the challenges of postponing due to Covid. https://www.wahikingexpo.com.au/ Thanks to our wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount on your first online order.