Real Trail Talk (Donovan de Souza & Mark Pybus)

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. 

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!!! 

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.

We sit down with Neil McCulloch from the First Hike Project, a not for profit organisation that takes newly arrived youth from refugee and migrant backgrounds out on hiking trips in the Australian bush to help introduce them to the outdoors and build confidence. Discussing what is involved with the trips, who participates and the effort required, this was a really fascinating chat with a man that is doing a lot of great things in the community.

If you'd like to help out in any way send the FHP an email at contact@firsthikeproject.org.au, anything you can do will be greatly appreciated.

We are  joined by Risk Expert Alan de Souza, who also happens to be father to Donovan, to discuss the topic of risk and how it relates to trails, government and decision making.

Stay to the end for a quick Q&A on what Donovan was like as a kid. 

The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Collie to Nala Mia with special guest Saf Flatters from Bark and Spark. 

Exploring the stunning Jarrah forests of Wellington National Park, including one of the more entertaining downhill stretches, the trail then heads into the Ferguson Valley for rolling farmland and orchards before arriving in the apple capital of Western Australia, Donnybrook. From Donnybrook the trail heads through the forests and farmlands to the old timber town of Jarrahwood and the Nala Mia Campsite. 

Welcome to our first 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.

After finally finishing his sectional end to end, Mark discusses his thoughts on the entire Bibbulmun Track and how life has changed over that time. 

Our mission for this episode was to come up with the ultimate South West Road Trip given a time frame of roughly two weeks that could be realistically accomplished. We both map out our hypothetical routes and discuss how we would fill each day (which of course included a lot of trails). 

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 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 Michelle Ryan to discuss her new dehydrated meal company, Feed the Hike. Providing tasty, fresh and smartly packaged options for the trail, we talk about why she created Feed the Hike, the journey to get to this point and what's in the future.

As a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners, use the code REALTRAILTALK15 for 15% off any purchase on the website for the month of March 2021 (https://feedthehike.com/store/)

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.

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

Running between Mundaring Weir and Northam, the historic Kep Track follows the old rail trail as it winds through the forests, towns and farms along the water pipeline. This 75km trail is best experienced on a bike so on a rainy November day, we loaded up our mountain bikes to discover what this trail was all about. 

In this episode we are joined by the other half of The Long Way's Better to discuss their Christmas expedition on the Abel Tasman Coast Track in New Zealand. This 4.5 day coastal hike is a relaxing escape from the usual rigours of multi-day hiking with stunning scenery, nice huts to stay in and some casual distances on each day. 

With a plethora of national parks and stunning scenery in the Northern Territory, we sit down and discuss the hiking options going from the north to the south. 

Donovan hiked a six day stretch of the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) in 2024 between Kiandra and Kosciuszko, and we sit down to have a chat about the experience. 

From historic huts to stunning alpine terrain, there is plenty to enjoy along this hike, although Donovan did encounter some challenges that we discuss during the episode.

We are joined by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the various snorkelling spots around Perth and South West. With summer meaning a break in the hiking season, we like to get out into the water and explore a different type of scene. Thanks to the Leeuwin Current there is a variety of sea life and coral to see so close to shore.

We are joined again by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the world class snorkelling locations up and down the northern part of Western Australia. With some of the most stunning spots in the whole of the state (and perhaps the country), the snorkelling at places like Ningaloo is beyond amazing. 

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.

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. 

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. 

This week we are joined by Dave Osborne from WalkGPS to discuss off-track hiking, what went into creating the depth and breadth of walks on his website and the state of bushwalking in Western Australia.

The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Dwellingup to Collie. 

Taking in some really nice Jarrah forest, this section is unfortunately blighted by the ongoing destruction of the forests by Alcoa and their bauxite mining operations. 

To read more about the section and see some great photos check out The Long Way's Better

In this episode we interview Jess Beckerling from the WA Forest Alliance to discuss the threats facing the forests of the South West of WA, the transition away from native logging, the future of the forests and how you can help save their beautiful ecosystems. 

The second of our two Great Walks of New Zealand discussions, we talk about the Tongariro Northern Circuit that was completed by The Long Way's Better at the end of 2019.

This four day hike takes you around the active volcanoes of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe (used as Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) with public huts along the way to stay in. 

Hear all about the adventure as Donovan and Alissa recount their journey through this remarkable landscape. 

Hopping on the mountain bike for 2020, Donovan has started a sectional end to end of the Munda Biddi, a 1000km long distance trail running from Mundaring to Albany. Running North to South we are doing a series on the track starting with the Mundaring to Jarrahdale section that runs through the Darling Range. 

The second episode of our Munda Biddi series sees us joined by Jake from Intents Offroad to discuss the Jarrahdale to Dwellingup section of this 1000km cycling trail.

Taking you through the Jarrah forests of the Darling Range, there is some lovely cycling mixed in with mining and forestry operations.

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.

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. 

After releasing his first book in 2023, Best Walks of South West WA, Mark has a follow-up book titled Best Walks of South Coast WA.

Covering the stunning walks between Walpole and Cape Arid, and everything in-between, there are 42 trails ranging from coastal hikes to mountain climbs.

Get your copy today by visiting Mark's Online Store, using the code RTT10 to get a further 10% off the new book. 

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.

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.

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.

As a special treat we kept Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation in the studio to ask him some questions about the new Helena Campsite that is currently under construction and is due for completion around June 2019. 

In this episode we get into a discussion about hiking gear, what we use, how we came to choose that gear, a brief chat about ultralight gear, sustainability and what gear we'd like heading into the future. 

In this episode we discuss what makes a good trail, ranging design, experience, scenery, facilities and everything in-between. On top of that we talk about why we like trails so much, and what goes into a great trail experience in our opinion. 

With a busy year for both The Long Way's Better and The Life of Py, we sat down and reminisced about the past year's adventures and what will be coming up in the future.  

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. 

After a long break we have returned with Mark giving an account of his four week road trip where he hiked the Cape to Cape, ticked off several hikes on his to-do list around Walpole, Albany and Esperance and finished with a fun weekend at the Pemby Trail Festival. 

To hear Mark's response to several previous episodes plus get a sneak peek of the content that will be coming to The Life of Py over the next few months, settle in and have a listen.

In what was an unexpected year for the world, we sit back and discuss the year that was, our trail adventures and then get into a Q&A. 

Welcome to our first 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.

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.

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.

Donovan chats to Kevin Moss aka Goin Feral about the Australian Triple Crown, the Australian Alps Walking Trail (AAWT), Heysen Trail and Bibbulmun Track. Kevin completed all three trails in 2024, and discusses what makes them different, his experiences on all three, and how they compare.

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.

The debut episode of Real Trail Talk introduces the hosts, Donovan from The Long Way's Better and Mark from The Life of Py. Then the discussion moves to one of the best hiking towns in Western Australia - Albany.

With the highly anticipated premiere of a documentary about the Bibbulmun Track and the people who use it we talk to the woman behind the project, Michelle Ryan from WalkingTwoByTwo about what went into making it and her love for the track. We also discuss the recent destruction of the Helena Campsite and the devastation of losing another campsite to bushfires.

Donovan sits down to discuss his post Christmas adventures exploring the beautiful country of Vietnam and specifically his three day expedition on the Wild Tu Lan Cave Explorer. Taking in some of the best cave systems in the world combined with some tough jungle trekking, Donovan describes what it was like, how he fared and his experiences with Oxalis Adventures.

Joining us in the studio for Episode 12 is fellow trail lover and enthusiast, Melina Mellino, Director of the Perth Trail Series trail running events to discuss trail running, being a trail visionary and what goes into running the Perth Trail Series. 

In this week's episode we have some fun discussing our dream trails both in Australia and Overseas. With no limit on money we pick five trails from each location and discuss why we selected our dream hikes. In the second half of the podcast we talk about our favourite hiking related movies and what makes us associate them with hiking (warning: spoiler warnings for all movies discussed).

We continue on the Bibbulmun Track discussion with the next town to town section, Collie to Balingup. Joining us in this episode is Lead Guide and Events Manager from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to share his experiences and offer a counterpoint to Donovan's opinions. One of the shorter town to town sections, Collie to Balingup takes you through some regrowth Jarrah forest and you get to see some of the first farmland areas on the track. 

With Donovan now safely back on Western Australian shores we discuss his three month stint exploring the Gondwana Ranforests of the Australia World Heritage Area in Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Joining us for the first time to provide a different viewpoint is the other half of The Long Way's Better, Alissa, who regales us with some great Donovan stories. 

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sudio, a Swedish based headphone company wanting to revolutionize the way people see headphones, as not just a tech device but also an accessory. Currently, the headphones market can offer you one of two things: style or tech. Fashionable headphones tend to lack the proper sound quality, and high-tech variations are bulky and not design oriented. While emphasizing their modern, Scandinavian design, they also provide a product that matches the quality of even the highest rated headphones on the market for a fraction of the cost.

Joining us for a return visit is Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to talk about the events calendar that the foundation runs, his latest trip to Nepal and also a few stories from his time as Lead Guide. It's always great to have Steve on the podcast and as you can tell by the length we had a fun time talking trails.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sudio, a Swedish based headphone company wanting to revolutionize the way people see headphones, as not just a tech device but also an accessory. Currently, the headphones market can offer you one of two things: style or tech. Fashionable headphones tend to lack the proper sound quality, and high-tech variations are bulky and not design oriented. While emphasizing their modern, Scandinavian design, they also provide a product that matches the quality of even the highest rated headphones on the market for a fraction of the cost.

With the peak Karijini National Park visitation period upon us, we are joined by Alissa (the other half of The Long Way's Better) to discuss what goes into a road trip up to Karijini National Park, the various hikes that you can do while you're there and what to expect in terms of accommodation, facilities and adventures. 

If you're planning a trip to Karijini then this is essential listening as Don and Alissa talk about their experiences and what they thought of this iconic part of Western Australia, located in 1400km north of Perth.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sudio, a Swedish based headphone company wanting to revolutionize the way people see headphones, as not just a tech device but also an accessory. Currently, the headphones market can offer you one of two things: style or tech. Fashionable headphones tend to lack the proper sound quality, and high-tech variations are bulky and not design oriented. While emphasizing their modern, Scandinavian design, they also provide a product that matches the quality of even the highest rated headphones on the market for a fraction of the cost.

We are joined once again by Alissa to discuss The Long Way's Better's adventure on the Overland Track in Tasmania. This world famous multi-day hike takes you through some true wilderness but with a touch of comfort along the way. Explore mountains, plains, waterfalls and temperate rainforest in one of the best hiking destinations in the world. 

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sudio, a Swedish based headphone company wanting to revolutionize the way people see headphones, as not just a tech device but also an accessory. Currently, the headphones market can offer you one of two things: style or tech. Fashionable headphones tend to lack the proper sound quality, and high-tech variations are bulky and not design oriented. While emphasizing their modern, Scandinavian design, they also provide a product that matches the quality of even the highest rated headphones on the market for a fraction of the cost.

In our second podcast we each list our Top 5 Day Hikes in Perth and discuss/compare what Perth has to offer for the day hiker. The discussion also names a few honourable mentions and what areas we would like to see developed with more hiking trails. 

Donovan's List

5) Whistlepipe Gully

4) Eagle View Walk Trail

3) Mt Cooke (Plantation Entry)

2) Kitty's Gorge

1) Numbat Track

Mark's List

5) Kitty's Gorge

4) Gabby Karniny Bidi

3) Kattamordo Heritage Trail

2) Numbat Trail

1) Sullivan Rock

In our 20th Episode, special guest Michelle Ryan (Walkingtwobytwo) returns for an an extended overview of the Balingup to Donnelly River Village section of the Bibbulmun Track, talking about the transition to lush Jarrah and Karri forests. Includes discussion about Mark's third opinion on the Dwellingup to Collie section of the Bibbulmun and Michelle's newly released guidebook to the Cape to Cape Track

This week we were lucky enough to be joined by Dave Willcox from Common Ground Trails to discuss what goes into trail building, the process to get trails planned, approved, funded and built along with how WA stacks up when it comes to trail planning and construction. This was a really fun chat as Dave has extensive knowledge of the trail industry and as an avid trail user himself, has a fantastic insight into what is going on right now within the trail community.

We are joined this episode by Dr Erika Jacobson from Edgewalkers to discuss the 135km Cape to Cape Track in the beautiful south west region of Western Australia. Following the journey from north to south, we discuss each day and what to expect from one of the best multi-day trails in Australia. From long beach stretches to stunning Karri forest to a variety of wonderful wildflowers, this trail has it all and is the perfect way to spend a week of your life. 

Continuing on our Bibbulmun journey we pick up where we left off at Donnelly River Village and begin the first of the true experiences through the Karri forest. This lush and magical section is full of fungi, wildflowers, streams and the Donnelly River, which you will follow for a couple of the days. Feauturing some of the best campsites on the track, this is rated very highly for good reason. Finishing at Pemberton rounds off this five day experience where you get the opportunity to relax and enjoy a hot meal and shower.

This week we are joined by Alissa to discuss one of Tasmania's Great Multi-Day Bushwalks, the Walls of Jerusalem. Home to some of the finest alpine scenery in Australia, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park lies within a core reserve of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and is recognised as one of the more pristine places in Australia. 

This hike can be done as a choose your own adventure with trips lasting from one day up to eight days but for the purposes of the podcast we will be discussing Don and Alissa's three day trip from Lake Rowallan to Dixon's Kingdom.

This episode we are joined by Jamie Bennett from Outdoors WA to discuss Outdoors October and the various events that are taking place as part of this month long program. Jamie is one of the leading voices in the outdoors community, bringing people together and trying to get people outdoors and exploring the beautiful home we call Western Australia.

To find out more about Outdoors October, visit the website below and make your Outdoors October pledge along with tagging all your photos with #OutdoorsOctober.

www.outdoorsoctober.com.au 

For this first part of a two part mini-series, we discuss the walks on the eastern side of the park, including the rugged East Mount Barren and the Hakea Trail, which ranks as one of the best coastal overnight hikes in the country.

To conclude our two part series on Fitzgerald River National Park we are once again joined by Dr Erika Jacobson from Edgewalkers to discuss the western side of the park. A Unesco Biosphere reserve, Fitzgerald River is renowned for its incredible biodiversity and stunning beaches that rival the more famous Cape Le Grand National Park.

The more isolated western side of the park is home to the best overnight walks in the state, the Mamang Trail, along with the day hikes at West Mount Barren and the Point Ann Heritage Trail. Camping is available at St Marys Inlet where it is possible you will have the entire beach all to yourself. 

This week we are joined by the other half of The Life of Py, Caris, to discuss the Three Capes Track on the East Coast of Tasmania. This four day hike takes in some of the best coastal scenery in Tasmania and can be done in a variety of ways ranging from free day walks to self-guided public hut walks to the full luxury lodge option.

In our third episode we discuss the magnificent walking in the Karri-dominated Southern Forests of Australia's South West, covering walks from Donnelly River Village, Pemberton, Quinninup, Northcliffe and Walpole. 

Continuing with our look at the Bibbulmun Track, we move on to the Pemberton to Northcliffe section where you will find no shortage of Karri forest, farmland and waterways to keep you entertained. One of the more manageable sections at only three days, this section is perfect for a quick getaway or a long weekend. 

In our last episode of 2018 we sit down to have a rundown of what we both did during 2018 in what was a pretty crazy year for both of us. Going through season by season we explain where we were, what we were doing and how we enjoyed that particular place. Around the 50 minute mark things get a bit philosophical as we discuss the whys of all our adventures and we finish with a few questions sent in by our lovely listeners. 

We are joined once again by Ben Dineen from Going Solo to discuss the Northcliffe to Walpole section of the Bibbulmun Track. Home to the infamous Pingerup Plains, this section is marketed as one of the best wilderness experiences of the trail. Enjoy some lively conversation in this episode about what merits that title along with Ben and Donovan's experiences in this section.

In this episode we are joined once again by Alissa to discuss the four day hike to Frenchmans Cap in beautiful Tasmania as experienced by The Long Way's Better. Taking in one of the most picturesque landscapes in Australia, this stunning hike is a challenging but rewarding experience that should be on the "to-hike" list for every avid hiker. 

Our long awaited episode on Bushfires and Prescribed Burns is finally here and to help us to discuss the topic is Piers Verstagen from the Conservation Council of Western Australia and Hannah Etchells, a PhD student from UWA studying Fire Ecology in the South West of WA. The aim of this discussion is to get people talking about fire management, the different reasons behind prescribed burns and bushfires, how the environment responds to fire, climate change and also how you can make a difference in shaping the future of the forests of Western Australia.

To celebrate International Women's Day Alissa takes over hosting duties to bring together a round-table of women who hike to discuss a range of issues ranging from their favourite hiking moments, hiking solo as a female, women's hiking gear, the term "women hikers", group hikes and hygiene on the trail.

A big thank you to Michelle (WalkingTwoByTwo), Bonny (Friendly Drop Bear) and Louise for joining in the discussion.

In this episode we talk about Donovan's adventures on the Wilsons Promontory Southern Circuit in Victoria with his friend Zach. This four day hike just outside of Melbourne is a popular destination and as we discuss, a very lovely coastal walk worthy of the popularity. Enjoy hearing about the misadventures of young Zach and also what kind of scenery you can expect from this part of Australia.

In this episode we discuss the wide variety of day hikes that we've both covered in Tasmania. With hundreds of walks to explore around the island we limited ourselves to walks we've experienced ourselves and between us we've covered most of the "greatest hits". Ranging from Southwest National Park to Mount Field National Park to Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park, this is a great listen for those planning a holiday to Tasmania. 

To check out the hikes we talk about visit thelongwaysbetter.blogspot.com/ or www.thelifeofpy.com 

Continuing on our Bibbulmun Track journey, we are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to discuss the Walpole to Denmark section. Often described as one of the best town to town sections on the track, both Donovan and Steve talk about their experiences and the many great sites you can see along the way.

Alissa once again joins us in the studio to discuss the various adventures that The Long Way's Better have had over the years around the coastal town of Kalbarri. A popular holiday destination 6.5 hours north of Perth, there are a range of hiking options available from coastal walks to exploring the inland gorge systems. 

In Episode Four we answer our first round of mailbag questions, discuss what we've been doing for Outdoors October and a recount of our unsuccessful attempt at the Stirling Ridge Walk.

While we both love the Albany region for the plethora of lovely hikes that exists there, we've always thought the area has so much potential so for this episode we've brought in Bonny from The Friendly Drop Bear to discuss where we think there are opportunities to expand on the great hiking within the greater Albany area. 

This week we are joined by Caris to discuss the Bay of Fires Lodge Walk, a four day trek offered by the Tasmanian Walking Company. Taking in the picturesque coastline of North East Tasmania, explore pristine beaches, rocky headlands and stay at the famous Bay of Fires Lodge.

Ending Music - Layla as performed by Jessie Holden. Live for one night only at the Bay of Fires Lodge

In this episode we have a chat about what it's like adding to and maintaining both our websites, social media interactions, the process of going from planning to a finished trail experience, what we've learned over the years, a philosophical deep dive on why we do it and what's in store for the future.

If you're interested in starting a hiking blog or any other kind of blog, or even if you're just curious about we do behind the scenes for The Long Way's Better and The Life of Py then have a listen.

With new hiking trails in Western Australia few and far between, we were excited to check out the recently opened Wiilman Bilya Trail located in Wellington National Park just near Collie. Opened in January 2019, this 20km one way trail will eventually connect up and form a loop trail around Collie so we thought we would head out to see what it was like. To hear all about our adventures and what to expect from the Wiilman Bilya Trail have a listen. 

This week we are joined by Bonny from Friendly Drop Bear to discuss the extensive list of Shire of Kalamunda Walks that have been mapped out for our hiking pleasure in Perth. We discuss the good, the bad and the interesting from these collection of hikes located on the Darling Scarp.

Joined by Kerstin Stender, former maintenance volunteer in this area and current Unit Coordinator for the Trails and Recreation Department of Parks and Wildlife, we discuss the Denmark to Albany section of the Bibbulmun Track. The final section of the 1000km track, enjoy the coastal finish into the Southern Terminus with plenty of great views and nice beaches.

Stay tuned for more Bibbulmun Track content in the future as we wrap up the whole 1000km in one giant episode.

We are pleased to welcome back Michelle Ryan from Walkingtwobytwo to discuss Caminos from around the world, what they are, what defines them, the experience of walking a Camino and who hikes them.

This week we are joined by Alissa for the first of a two part NSW special discussing the Royal Coast Track, located in Royal National Park, just south of Sydney.

Part 2 of our NSW series of overnight hikes, this episode we are talking about The Long Way's Better's adventure at Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains. A challenging hike, you descend down into the valley where you follow the Grose River and camp the night before heading up some steep terrain to the finishing point. 

With Western Australia being home to some spectacular coastal walking, we spend this episode talking about some of the best coastal walking along the south east part of WA. With walks in Cape Arid NP, Cape Le Grand NP and Esperance, we discuss what makes this area so special.

In the second half of the episode Donovan provides his insight into his visits to Fitzgerald River National Park that we previously talked about with Erika Jacobson.

In Episode Five we provide an extended overview of the Darling Scarp section of the Bibbulmun Track from Kalamunda to Dwellingup, talking about some of the section highlights. 

To celebrate our 50th episode we asked you, the listeners, to send in your questions that we would try our best to answer. We had some fun in the process and thank you to everyone who sent in something. Here's to our first 50 episodes and to continuing on with the next 50 episodes. 

This week we sit down with Melina, a World Trails Network Ambassador from Perth to discuss who the World Trails Network, what they do and what the future holds. It was a great insight into the world trails community that is developing and what to expect at the 2020 World Trails Conference in Nepal.

For more information visit their website a visit (https://worldtrailsnetwork.org/)

In this episode we are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation and recent end to ender Bonny to discuss where we would take the Bibbulmun Track if given a clean slate.

Grab a map or follow along on the Bibbulmun Track website and join us as we have a fun discussion about the changes we would make and why.

Continuing on with the blank slate idea of where we would take the Bibbulmun Track in an ideal world, the journey continues from Donnelly River to Albany. We are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation and Bonny from Friendly Dropbear as the hotly debated coastal section receives a major realignment including an epic finish as proposed by Mark.

In our seventh episode, we interview Rod Annear (the Assistant Director of Visitor Services at the Parks and Wildlife Service) and ask him about his Munda Biddi adventures, what happened to the proposed multi-day hike in Fitzgerald River National Park, his appearance on Karri FM radio and the future of trail development in Western Australia. 

In Episode Six, special guest Michelle Ryan (Walkingtwobytwo) joins us for an an extended overview of the Dwellingup to Collie section of the Bibbulmun Track, talking about some of the section highlights, lowlights and burnt Jarrah forest in general.  

In Episode 8 we discuss the hiking trail network on Rottnest Island, the Wadjemup Bidi, answer some more questions that have come through on the email and talk about some Christmas present ideas that you can get hikers this holiday season.

Welcome to the first podcast of 2018 as we discuss some great tips for hiking in summer, how our 2017 hiking adventures went and what we both have planned for 2018. 

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. 

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.

Joining us for the first ever four person Real Trail Talk roundtable discussion is Bonny from Young Perth Hikers and Ben from Going Solo to chat about the old hiking term "Hike Your Own Hike". One of our longest podcasts ever, we dive into the topic with discussion points around our various experiences, gear choice, the reasons why we hike and also who we like to hike with. If you love your hiking or want to hear things from a different perspective then brew up your favourite hot drink and strap yourself in for over an hour of us four going into the how's and why's of our hiking lives.

This episode Donovan interviews Mark about his 2008 travel adventure to Costa Rica that sparked his interest in hiking and confirmed his love of the outdoors. Partaking in a World Expeditions three week trip, hear about Mark's cross country "origin story" and all the trials and tribulations that came his way.