Where People Play: Recreation in the Southern Darling Range, South Western Australia Report Prepared for WA Department of Sport and Recreation by: September 2009 Preface This report was prepared under contract to the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation. Members of the project team were Colin Ingram and Michael Hughes. This document should be cited as follows: Ingram, C.B. and Hughes, M. (2009) Where People Play: Recreation in the Southern Darling Range, South Western Australia. Resolve Global Pty Ltd, Perth KEY WORDS: Outdoor recreation, water catchments, water bodies, Darling Range. Recreation mapping Resolve Global Pty Ltd ABN 57 133 071 217 September 2009 Disclaimer: Resolve Global Pty Ltd and Curtin University of Technology developed the material contained in this report in consultation with a number of individuals and organisations. The views and opinions expresses in the material do not necessarily reflect the views of or have the endorsement of the Western Australian Government or the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation or indicate the Western Australian Government’s or the Department of Sport and Recreation’s commitment to a particular course of action. Resolve Global Pty Ltd, Curtin University of Technology and the Department of Sport and Recreation accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents and accept no liability in respect of the material contained in the report. Resolve Global and the Department of Sport and Recreation recommend users exercise their own skill and care and carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the report and where necessary obtain independent professional advice appropriate to their own particular circumstances. In addition, Resolve Global Pty Ltd, Curtin University of Technology and the Department of Sport and Recreation, their members, employees, agents and officers accept no responsibility for any loss or liability (including reasonable legal cots and expenses) or liability incurred or suffered where such loss or liability was caused by the infringement of intellectual property rights, including the moral rights, of any third person. Front Page Photos: o Baden Powell Day Use Area (top Left) and Caravans at Logue Brook Dam (bottom right) by Michael Hughes; o Trail bike riders (centre top) sourced from Recreational Trail Bike Riders Association WA website; o Mountain bike rider (centre bottom) sourced from Perth Mountain Bike Club website; o 4WD Dwellingup camp (top right) by Bryan Mynott, West Coast 4x4 club; o Horse riders (centre right) sourced from http://www.experienceperth.com; o Hikers on Bibbulmun Track (bottom left) sourced from http://www.flickr.com/photos/wanda2000 Acknowledgements The WA Department of Sport and recreation funded this project as part of the Southern Darling Range Regional Recreation Strategy (SDRRS). The authors thank Yvette Peterson, the Southern Darling Regional Recreation Strategy Project Steering Team and all the outdoor sport and recreation associations, clubs and representatives who gave generously of their time and knowledge for this project. We would also like to thank the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) staff, John, Dunn, Amanda Smith, Martin Randall, Robyn Weir and Geoff Banks for their assistance in providing visitor use data and mapping information. Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... i Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Context............................................................................................................................ 1 Project Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 1 History of Recreation in the Southern Darling Range .................................................................. 2 Method ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Identification of interest groups ................................................................................................... 6 Information Gathering ................................................................................................................. 6 Desktop Research .................................................................................................................... 6 Recreation Group Survey ........................................................................................................ 7 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Findings: Current Recreational Use of Southern Darling Range ...................................................... 9 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 9 Bushwalking/hiking .................................................................................................................. 11 Canoeing and Kayaking ............................................................................................................ 15 Climbing ................................................................................................................................... 18 Endurance Horse Riding............................................................................................................ 23 Four Wheel Driving .................................................................................................................. 26 Freshwater Fishing .................................................................................................................... 29 Motorcycling ............................................................................................................................. 34 Mountain Biking ....................................................................................................................... 38 Orienteering .............................................................................................................................. 41 Rogaining.................................................................................................................................. 44 Shooting .................................................................................................................................... 47 Swimming ................................................................................................................................. 49 Water Skiing ............................................................................................................................. 50 Issues and Implications ................................................................................................................. 54 General Recreational Use Patterns ............................................................................................. 54 Some Common Concerns .......................................................................................................... 55 Summary Implications .............................................................................................................. 56 Future research: ......................................................................................................................... 56 References .................................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix 1: Initial list of recreation contacts ................................................................................ 61 Appendix 2: Interview Survey Form ............................................................................................. 62 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of bushwalking trails Perth - Collie. ....................................................................... 14 Figure 2: Map of canoeing and kayaking locations in the SDR project region ............................... 17 Figure 3: Map of common climbing locations in Southwest WA ................................................... 20 Figure 4: Map of commonly used climbing locations, Perth - Collie .............................................. 21 Figure 5: Map of common climbing locations Collie - Albany ...................................................... 22 Figure 6: Map of Endurance Horse Riding courses in the Darling Range ....................................... 25 Figure 7: Map of popular 4WD areas Perth - Donnybrook ............................................................. 28 Figure 8: Map of fishing areas Dwellingup -Collie ........................................................................ 33 Figure 9: Map of popular motorcycle use areas ............................................................................. 37 Figure 10: Map of popular mountain biking locations ................................................................... 40 Figure 11: Map of orienteering areas ............................................................................................. 43 Figure 12: Map of rogaining areas 2004-2009 ............................................................................... 46 Figure 13: Map of shooting areas