A love of trail running, conservation and adventure sparks unique partnership in Patchewollock.
We’re excited to announce that our venture with Melbourne’s Trail Bus is ready to roll! We’ve worked together to create a multi-day adventure in the Mallee, including trail running & conservation tours. For those coming up from Melbourne with Trail Bus, accommodation and catering will be provided by Patchewollock Hotel.
For locals in the Mallee, choose the “meet out there” option and enjoy a special discount code to save 40% off the cost of day tours! Apply this coupon code in the checkout “ETMalleelocals”.
Dates for the adventure are:
Thursday 22nd Sept: Conservation Tour at Explore the Mallee (4km)
Friday 23rd Sept: Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (10km and 16km)
Saturday 24th Sept: Murray Sunset National Park (11km or 21km)
Sunday 25th Sept: Wyperfeld National Park MEGALOOP 35km!!
Full details are available on the Trail Bus website including maps of the trail running routes, and the video below will give you a good idea of the fun we’ll have!
How did this come about? And what is trail running??
In June, Michael and I spent three days guiding Trail Bus’s Chris and Amelia around three beautiful National Parks: Hattah-Kulkyne, Wyperfeld and Murray-Sunset. They researched and mapped potential trail running routes, with a variety of distances and difficulty levels planned to cater for a range of participants’ fitness and abilities.
Trail running is an activity that is increasing in popularity, as evidenced by the large number of people who participate in parkrun, fun runs, marathons and triathlons. It can be described simply as running in nature, often at a slower pace than usual and sometimes with elements of hiking involved. Trail runners have a keen appetite for new experiences and exploring different locations.
“Michael and I started running this year, slowly building up to completing 5k. We run around our bush block, along the old railway line through our road reserve, always looking for new trails, and it gets a bit addictive. We’re keen to connect with other runners and share our knowledge of the special plants and wildlife in the Mallee,” said Louise.
Trail Bus tours are conducted safely, sustainably and ethically, with care and respect for the different environments they visit. Their values align strongly with our passion for conservation and promoting the stunning natural beauty of the Mallee.
After running down to Lake Becking in Murray Sunset National Park, Founder of Trail Bus, Chris Wright, said “It’s incredible, the trail coming down to this pink lake, I’ve never seen anything like it, such a beautiful landscape! Standing under the Bulokes, listening to the wind going through the leaves, having complete silence, its mind blowing. Getting to know these areas has opened up so many possibilities and we’re excited to get other people up here to see the beauty of the trails and the area.”
In the scoping phase, the Trail Bus crew were certainly well fed, each day ended with dinner and accommodation at Patchewollock Hotel. This partnership was supported by a Spark Tank Business Innovation grant from Yarriambiack Shire Council – many thanks!
With all the planning completed, now it’s time to join in the adventure, so we hope to see some of you out on the trails this month!
Cheers,
Louise.
