Coastal Walk Trail Project
The spectacular 50 kilometre Coastal Walk Trail will greatly enhance the Rottnest Island experience and become a major environmental, cultural and tourism show piece for Western Australia.
The Coastal Walk Trail project aims to protect, preserve and raise awareness of both the environmental and cultural values of Rottnest Island. As a major tourism and conservation initiative, it will involve the development of a trail network that will provide an exploratory narrative for visitors, connecting Rottnest’s beautiful natural features to its cultural history in an environmentally sustainable manner. It should set the benchmark for sustainable coastal interpretation.
The development of a cohesive network of walking trails aspires to control and manage the access of visitors traversing the Island, while encouraging visitors to appreciate the cultural significance, multiple histories and environmental dynamics of the Island. This is key to ensuring the reduction of ad hoc access which has caused significant environmental degradation of the surrounding coastal formations and vegetation. The integration of interpretation and trail design must communicate the diverse values of the Island to ensure visitors continue to respect and protect the Island.
The project has been designed in a manner that allows for the majority of the trail to be constructed in small stages, utilising efforts from volunteer and community groups, and Aboriginal youth training schemes. Other more complex sections may need to be constructed by contract labour adhering to engineer designs.
The Coastal Walk Trail Project is focused on achieving sustainable management to facilitate the following objectives:
- Reduce human impact on the coastal dune systems
- Rehabilitate erosion areas
- Create opportunity to improve visitor yield and numbers
- Create opportunity to communicate educational and sustainable management messages
- Protect the visitor from coastal risk issues
- Enhance visitor experience
- Create training, employment and business opportunities
Current Progress
The first segment of the Coastal Walk Trail, the West End Boardwalk, is currently under development. The West End is a popular site for visitors to Rottnest Island. This project aims to replace the old boardwalk and replace it with a low maintenance, environmentally friendly design using sustainable materials, such as recycled plastics. The project is also seeking to rationalise the footprint to reduce impacts on nesting shearwater birds while providing a recreational experience that meets visitor expectations.
The new West End Boardwalk has been proudly sponsored by the Rottnest Conservation Foundation and is due to open by December 2011.
Coastal Walk Trail Information
An exciting opportunity exists for organisations to align themselves with the development of the most significant recreational opportunity on Rottnest Island in the foreseeable future. The Rottnest Island Authority, together with the Rottnest Conservation Foundation, is seeking to partner with corporations to support the funding and implementation of this benchmark project. If you are interested in becoming involved please visit www.rottnestconservationfoundation.org.au
Coastal Walk Trail Documents
The following Coastal Walk Trail Documents can be accessed below:
Rottnest Island Authority Concept Report.pdf (43 MB)
Rottnest Island Authority Walk Trail Sponsorship Opportunity (968 KB)
Coastal Walk Trail Proposal DVD
Coastal Walk Trail
The Coastal Walk Trail is all about creating a trail network that will control and manage access of visitors traversing the Island, by connecting Rottnest's beautiful natural features to its cultural history in an environmentally sustainable manner.
This cohesive network of trails will reduce ad hoc access, which will greatly reduce environmental degradation caused by visitor impact on the surrounding coastal formations and vegetation.
Rehabilitation will occur at the sites damaged by impact as part of the Project. The integration of interpretation along the trail will expose visitors to the cultural significance, multiple histories and environmental dynamics of the Island to ensure visitors continue to respect and protect the Island.
The documents located at the links below, all relate to the Coastal Walk Trail Project for the RIA:
Rottnest Island Coastal Walk Trail Site Development Plan (12MB)
Rottnest Island Coastal Walk Guide Signage (3.64MB)
Rottnest Island Coastal Walk Guide Facilities (2.36MB)