The Loss of another DH venue - Awaba

[sammydog]

Thought I would share some info with those of you that have had the pleasure of riding the awaba "Amazon" DH track.

HMBA was recently contacted by the State Forests who have advised that mountainbikes can forget about using this track and area in the future. This basically stems from the complaints from local residents about the amount of rubbish that had been left in the carpark area over race day and on subsequent weekends by trail users. The club has since been billed for the clean up.

I know that members of HMBA spent a long time cleaning the track, canteen and start finish areas at the close of racing (in the rain) the carpark area was overlooked, partially because it was dark at the time.

I guess to be honest I don't understand why people can't just put the shit in their car and take it home with them rather than leave it on the ground.

Please people, take note and when you go riding (anywhere) take home whatever you take in.

We are waiting for the outcome of a meeting held at the track today but from info at hand, it looks like any future state rounds hosted by HMBA will be back at Killi.

[Daver]

Thats some poor form... Normally the race sites are pretty clean, but there are always a few morons who tarnish the areas. Just like when the pre race party's were abandoned at Thredbo... Apparently downhillers were too rowdy... Never!

[Squidly Didly]

God Farkin Dammit!

Thankyou very much to all those dickheads who have NFI how to use a bin. Do you have any idea of what you've done? I'm sure you do but you're just sooo rebellious as displayed by your lack of care for the trail, that you'll probably continue to ride this track despite knowing the amount of sh!t you'll cause. Congratulations on your supreme idiocy for losing one of Australia’s best DH runs. Clean up your act asswipes!

This goes for anyone who rides MTB. It's a simple rule that's not hard to follow.
"Take out what you take in"
or all our local trails will suffer the same fate. It's not that hard people.

[/rant]

[sammydog]

I think you have just summed it up perfectly.

It is the last thing DH in Newcastle could afford after losing Sugarloaf (insurance reasons) and then Heaton (environmental reasons) we are set to lose awaba through acts of stupidity.

[Timmy Bee]

that realy sucks. that was a sick track, and i was realy hopping to ride that track a lot in the future.

i know i may get drilled for asking this, and labeled as one of those guys that ruins it for everyone, but im purely asking out of interest. so what will they actualy do to stop people from riding it, fines? fences? signs? and what will happen if you do ride it.

people, please dont get pissed off at me for asking this, im just asking, and im not planning on going there and riding it illegily, and completely ruining any chance of that track beeing opened again in the future.

and saying that, do you think there may be ANY chance of it being used again? even just for extremely special events.

this is a real dissapointment, but hopefully this loss will make people think twice in the future, i know i will (not that id leave my rubbish anywhere on purpose, but every now and then you make a mistake)

-Timmy

[notb4dinner]

I'm pretty pissed off about this. The track is really close to my house, yet I've only had one run and now this. It was a farkin sweet track too. What's worse is that this reflects badly on us as a group in the entire area where there's a lot of potential.

Is the closure just for organised races or is the trail completely off limits for bikes?

[Regan]

This is very sad news. I personally helped with the cleanup on the night of the State champs... but, doh... the carpark didn't even cross my mind.

The track has obviously been in existence for ages, but looked like it had not been heavily used by moto riders. For me, I thought the club had found GOLD!

The rubbish was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back... Maybe it was also the amount of cars and speeding buses :) that were constantly making dust and noise on the dirt road past the houses. I guess you need see that from their side... Once a quite dirt road and then suddenly a race track!

I reckon we'd still be able to personally ride the track regardless of the outcome. We're not the first to ride in the area... and I'm sure we'll not be that last. Our club will probably just be stopped from running events at Awaba.

But this may force us to sort out the insurance issues on MT. Sugarloaf... Which would be an equally cool track once a few mods are implemented... :D

[sammydog]

Regan,

The use of the road was only a minor concern. The neighbors had all indicated that as long as the traffic wasn't a weekly occurrence they were fine with it.

As for the rubbish, I took home a boot load of stuff on the night from the start area and track. Like you said the carpark didn't cross my mind either at the time.




The effect of people continuing to ride the track while we try and sort it out will be to ruin any chance we have of reopening the track. It will also wreck whatever chance there is of using other state forests in the area.

[chuckrockswell]

Yeah think long term here people, stay off it for the time being and maybe we'll be able to use it again.

That also goes out to the Newcastle Huckwits - you know who you are.

[GUNNRUNER540]

When will people learn to clean their shit up. As it is MTB'ers are loosing more and more areas in which we all can ride in. Developers and uneducated people who think mtbs cause untold soil erosion are taking enough of our riding wonderlands from use without lazy f*@ks shooting us and themselves in the foot. I don't know about you guys but I like being able to ride a variety of different tracks without having to travel in the car very far. How Hard Is It To Put Shit In The Bin.

[Wattsy]

hopefully, hmba, and state forest will be able to sort something out, and maybe have to have a much more pricey entry fee. this track had so much potential, and i for sure, loved it. last thing i want to see is it gone. so, if Ur a racer, and/or go to races. if u see rubbish lying round, pick it up, cauz it could be that bit that we get in shit for.

[mtngoat]

thats unbelievable that there are fukwits that do that. it really ain't hard i actually ate in my car so the rubbish remained in the car, they're probably the same ones who were dropping some circle work thinking tough.

as for the ride we were planning we didn't go up for the reasons above , good luck crawling with state forests, i know we are all behind you, and personally id do anything to ride there again..

fuck those littering bitches with their tiny dicks.

[Nitrosoxide]

im not sure if it's been mentioned before or even if there were signs up, but maybe putting a few notices up to either take your rubbish with you or place all your rubbish in the bins and if you don't then we may never get to race here again, or this track will be taken away from us, etc...As a last resort the club can maybe issue suspensions or disqualify the racer/s if they see people littering ?? what do you think ??

[sammydog]

That is all well and fine except a lot of people who ride the track don't race and aren't affiliated with any club. I'm not sure that you could take any action like disqualifying someone for riding outside of an event anyway.

It shouldn't really matter if there are signs or not, people shouldn't litter, it really isn't that hard a concept to grasp.

[notb4dinner]

Any updates on this situation? I'd be keen to ride it again if that's not going to cause any problems.

[Robbie Mac]

Ok heres the deal kids.

After the race (NSW State Title) State forests were unhappy with the amount of rubbish found in the carpark after the race.

This was brought to the clubs attention and was addressed at our meeting however the person left in charge of the minor clean up didn't end up venturing out and the rubbish situation was handled by state forests.

State Forests contacted the HMBA to make them aware that no future events were to be conducted at the site.

I wrote the apology letter to state forests asking what could be done to keep the area open and the reponse back was indeed very, and I mean VERY favourable considering the fact we dropped the ball with our first event.

State forests would like to make the area a Mountain Bike Park!!!

Our first meeting is with them this saturday and that means access roads, possible amenities, IMBA level trails both XC and DH and something that we can all share together. Let it be said though... The HMBA will have to take a lease out on the land and anyone not conforming to the rules, especially in regard to cleaning up after themselves will face the wrath of the state forests and indeed the HMBA. The time has come to realise that we dod not have free reign over anything that is bush and we need to clean up and look after what we have, because there aint much left.

Keep it clean.

Robbie

[FuTAnT]

That's sounds like an awesome idea, and it's good to see the SF and HMBA coming to some favourable decisions on what is to be done.

Let's hope a good working relationship (with no RUBBISH!) can be struck so that we can all use the area and make it a great track.

Eeeeexcellent.

[Wattsy]

robbie man,
thats the best news i have heard in a while.
very very good work on that. cant wait to get riding on the amazon track again, defintly a top faverote track of mine
good work

[Regan]

Fantastic work Rob! Thanks!

I just love that track. So, we'll need a trail construction and maintenance crew... sounds like I could lend a hand.

[scblack]

I was talking the older guy from Central Coast club at Lithgow race a couple of weeks ago. I did not get his name. He was riding his sons Haro for the day. And checking results from the race, it seems his name was Alan Grundy, but still not 100% sure.

Anyhow, he was telling us that the reason the track was closed for competition, was that the area was classed as a "Heritage Logging Area". I'm pretty sure those were his exact words. I've never heard of such a thing, but was he misinformed or something? Anyone have an answer with that?

Great news if what Robbie says is happening.

[sammydog]

The answer to that one is that the trail utilises parts of an old bullock trail. Indeed, there are quiet a few of these trails in the area and they aren't that hard to spot.

Basically we had managed to piss State Forests of enough that they did what the NPWS would do and threw every excuse at us to keep us from the area. One of those reasons was that the trail was using a heritage bullock trail.

Thankfully things in this case have worked out for the best but the message everyone needs to take out of it is, that no matter where you ride, you need to look after it. This includes a lot more than just cleaning up rubbish.

[notb4dinner]

Wow, that's awesome news Rob - thank god we've got proactive people like yourself. Once things get under way I'd be more than willing to lend a hand wherever it's needed.

[Jordy]

I was talking the older guy from Central Coast club at Lithgow race a couple of weeks ago. I did not get his name. He was riding his sons Haro for the day. And checking results from the race, it seems his name was Alan Grundy, but still not 100% sure.


probably was Alan Grundy...but he rides his own haro, a blue one with drop off 2's or something

[Cave Dweller]

So does this mean Awamba can be ridden or is it still kind of off limits.

-Matt

[mtngoat]

cheers to all those involved in the discussions with state Forrest's. this is a second chance no-one can over look, lets hope the original litterfuks don't stuff it for us all well and good.

[2DRUNK2HUCK]

Yeah think long term here people, stay off it for the time being and maybe we'll be able to use it again.

That also goes out to the Newcastle Huckwits - you know who you are. 8) The newcastle huckwits allways obey o great one!