As part of the development of the new suburb of Whitlam on the southern side of William Hovell Drive a new water main is being extended down from Weetangera. It will traverse the whole of The Pinnacles Nature Reserve from the big water tanks on Springvale Drive. While it will make a very big trench through the nature reserve it will only cross one equestrian…
While the closure of the Majura Pines for harvesting purposes was a recreational inconvenience for all users and resulted in the temporary loss of a number of bike tracks it has created some new opportunities. In a post harvesting inspection with Forests ACT and the Majura Trails Alliance ACTEA discovered that some trails created since 2015 were very close to the equestrian routes along the…
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists are holding a three day mountain bike event in the coming long weekend. Instead of shutting down one facility for the whole weekend they are spreading the event over three different sites – Stromlo Forest Park, Majura Pines and the pine trees around the Arboretum – for one day each. Saturday 29 September – They will be using the bike tracks in…
Forestry ACT wants to indicate that pine forests are for horses as well as mountain bikes. They are looking for images of horses being ridden in ACT pine forests to include in their publicity and presentations. ACTEA has lots of pictures of horses in native woodlands and open paddocks and near water holes but none on pine forested trails. Can you help? Pictures need to…
The strange weather we have been having and forecast dry conditions have prompted the ACT Emergency Services to declare the start of bushfire season a month early this year. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised a predicted El Niño event may produce hotter and drier conditions as we head into summer and unless the future outlook starts to suggest a different situation, predicted elevated risks…
For many years there has been an equestrian route from Kaleen Horse Paddocks, around the edge of the Crace Gracelands in Mitchell, across Flemington Road, and by various routes past EPIC to the Federal Highway, then up the green space in Watson to Mount Majura. Changes in the area north of EPIC, upgrading of Well Station Road and finally the routing of the Canberra Metro…
In May 2017 ACTEA and the local Bicentennial National Trail Coordinator discovered the existence of a three year old Tracks and Trails Plan for the Arboretum that envisaged moving the BNT route to the western boundary of the Arboretum and covering the slopes of Dairy Farmers Hill with winding tracks. This plan was completely at odds with the more recently developed map of recommended equestrian…
The Weston Creek Dog Park is open for customers. The entrance off Warragamba Avenue is pretty highly engineered with posts and boulders to direct motor vehicles and speed bumps to slow them down. There is a large gravel pad in the middle of the bitumen driveway especially for horses travelling along the long verge between Streeton and Eucumbene Drives. There are equestrian signs in place…
ACTEA has for some time been trying to organise a demonstration of the Project Wing delivery drone being trialed in Bonython. The Project Wing licence from CASA requires them to confine the drones to a limited area around Bonython and they felt their base was inappropriate for a number of people to watch a demonstration. They finally arranged to use a local playing field for…
The historic Brookvale Ride is on again – 29 to 30 September. Ride base will be at beautiful Brookvale. ACTERA is offering 80, 40, 20 & 13k rides for all levels of experience in the Brindabella National Park and Uriarra and Sherwood Forests. Pre-nomination will be through Trybooking, available closer to the ride date. More details in their flier.