Walking Together – What’s Ahead in 2026
Su-Mita Hill, CEO
Welcome to 2026! As we step into a new year, the Bibbulmun Track Foundation is gearing up for a season of community, conservation and connection. Whether you’re a walker, volunteer, supporter, or simply someone who loves the Track, there’s plenty happening, and plenty of ways to get involved.
Let’s take a quick wander through what’s ahead:
Track Work
Mandalay Beach Track Stabilisation Project
This year will see important, much needed stabilisation works along the Track between Mandalay Beach and Long Point, thanks to Community Stewardship grant funding from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. This funding will allow us to fly materials direct to site to support our volunteer maintenance crews who will spend several weeks in the area installing steps, laying trackpad and remediating sections of heavily eroded trail. Track and dune stabilation work is necessary to minimise sand slippage and erosion on the fragile dune systems, to foster revegetation in eroded areas on and around the Track, and to replace or repair damaged Track infrastructure. The 2026 project builds on successful stabilisation works completed by the Foundation over the last seven years around Boat Harbour, Conspicuous Cliffs, Parry Beach and West Cape Howe NP, and reflects principles of sustainable trail stewardship by being both remediating and preventative. Big thanks to our Maintenance Manager, Andrew, for securing this funding and planning the work.
Field Days in Frankland and Albany
Maintaining 1000kms of hiking trail is no mean feat. Each year, BTF’s dedicated sectional and maintenance volunteers gather for field days, focusing on specific maintenance challenges on different sections of the Track. Upcoming field days include Albany district on Saturday, 28 March, and Frankland district on Sunday, 29 March. Thanks to our dedicated Volunteer Manager, Helen, for her enthusiastic wrangling of volunteers (and CEOs) for the upcoming field days.
International Connections
New Friendship Trail Partnership – Raknus Selu (Taiwan)
October will be a busy month for the Foundation, with the unveiling of the Bibb’s newest sectional Friendship Trail partner – the Raknus Selu Trail, represented by Taiwan’s Thousand Miles Trail Association, adding to our growing global network of likeminded communities. We’ll also be welcoming visitors from the Bruce Trail Conservancy, who look after Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath, the Bruce Trail, which includes the magnificent Niagara Escarpment. Read more about our Friendship Trails partners here.
World Trails Conference & Ambassador Program
This year, the World Trails Conference is coming to Perth for the first time. The WTC has previously been held in international trail nodes such as Jeju Island (Korea), Tottori (Japan), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Skiathos (Greece) and Ottawa (Canada). The 2026 conference in Perth will be the first time this gathering has been staged in the Southern Hemisphere. We hope to take the opportunity to showcase our world-class hiking trail, our unique landscape, and our hybrid model of trail stewardship.
If you’re thinking of attending the conference, Early Bird registrations close 1 April.
The World Trails Conference organising body, the World Trails Network, also runs an Ambassador program for people aged 18 – 35 years old. The World Trails Ambassador program is intended to be a multicultural group of rising leaders contributing to trails around the world. The program is a two-year commitment and opportunity linking Ambassadors to a global network of trail experts and resources and includes attendance at the World Trails Conference.
Applications for the World Trails Ambassador program close on 28 February 2026.
Events & Community Engagement
BTF Bus!
Yes, you read that right! We once again have a bus to support our programs and events. Thanks to Events Manager and Lead Guide Steve for leading the charge on this, and to the team of vollies who helped clean and prepare her for use.
Events Calendar
Our popular events calendar is filling up fast as usual. Expect member nights, volunteer get-togethers and more opportunities to come together and celebrate our incredible community. Jump on to the Calendar of Events online, or drop in or phone us, to book upcoming events, and stay tuned for more.
Milestones & recognition
Bibb News Milestone Ahead
The long-awaited 100th issue of the beloved Bibb News is well underway and due for release in just a few weeks! In recognition of this milestone, the 100th issue will be bigger than ever before, with an extra section on the history of the Bibb News, and its journey from a black and white, 4-page newsletter in 1993, all the way up to the 32 (plus!) page magazine that it is today. Thanks to all of you for your patience, to everyone who has submitted content for the upcoming edition, to Jim Baker for his ongoing work as editor, and to Neil Gibson and Mona for their help with layout and content.
“Plane-ly” Speaking…
Terrible puns aside, we can now share that “Bibbulmun Track” has been chosen as one of six aircraft names for Qantas’s new Airbus A321XLR fleet. The six names chosen so far highlight nationally significant cultural and environmental assets, and we are delighted that our beloved Bibb features prominently in that list. The Bibbulmun Track plane will initially fly on East-West routes across the country, starting in the coming months.
Track Protection
Water Tank Theft at Helena and Waalegh
The Bibbulmun Track is so much more than a trail; it’s a shared responsibility.
Recently, the theft of water tanks from Helena and Waalegh campsites has been a disappointing reminder of how vulnerable the Track’s infrastructure can be. Your continued care, whether by reporting damage, supporting maintenance, or simply setting a good example while out on the Track, helps protect these resources for everyone, so thanks to everyone doing the right thing!
Strip Mining in the Northern Jarrah Forests
The ongoing and future management of WA’s precious Northern Jarrah Forests, through which the Bibbulmun Track traverses some 300km (nearly one third of the its current length) has been a topic of discussion for some time now. The Foundation’s position on this is articulated in our letter to then-Premier the Hon. Mark McGowan in 2023, and largely remains the same. Our mandate is to ensure that the Bibbulmun Track is protected, well maintained and renowned as a sustainable long-distance walk trail of international significance and quality. To this end, we are extremely troubled to learn of the unlawful clearing of forests for mining operations that has recently come to light, and ongoing failure to rehabilitate strip-mined land. These findings reinforce concerns that the Foundation has raised about the accelerating and cumulative impact of mining on this unique landscape, and by extension on the Track, and the ineffectiveness of past and current rehabilitation strategies. We will continue to engage in discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of the Bibbulmun Track and its surrounds for the benefit of track users, supporters, and the community at large.
Please continue to look after your selves, each other, and the Track. The future of our world-class trail relies on shared care and community stewardship!
As a non-profit organisation, the Bibbulmun Track Foundation is deeply grateful for the support of our members, donors, and volunteers. Every contribution helps us take care of the Track for current and future walkers, and for the benefit of the collective.
If you’d like to join, renew, donate, or learn more, visit:
👉 www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/get-involved
On a personal note, over the coming months, I’m here to listen, learn and connect. Please feel free to reach out anytime with feedback, questions, or simply to say hello. You can reach me at friends@bibbulmuntrack.org.au, or drop into the office in West Perth for a chat.
Thank you for continuing to walk alongside us.
Happy hiking!
Su-Mita Hill
Chief Executive Officer
Bibbulmun Track Foundation
