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Gabrielle K Schenk

Travelling with horses in the bush is a unique way of taking time out from the stresses of everyday living. There is time to relax and feel the peace of a natural environment, combined with doing something that is very physical and challenging. The Bicentennial National Trail gives you the opportunity to get out there and do something different. Something that can change your perspective and help you get in touch with life. I am riding the BNT basically because I love the horses and the bush. I grew up camping in the bush on weekends and riding on bush trails, and as a child often dreamt of running away with my horses. So when the stress of work became too much, I decided I had to take time out to follow my dream.

Since leaving 5 years ago in April 1994, I have spent half that time riding the BNT and Tasmanian Trail. It has been an incredible experience and an amazing adventure.

My four horses and I have travelled over 7,000 km, most of this has been along the the Bicentennial National Trail, riding over scenic sections of the Great Dividing Range in NSW, the ACT and Victoria, through rugged bush and tropical rainforest, remote cattle country of Far North Queensland, and the stunningly beautiful alpine areas of south eastern Australia. There have been difficult sections of bush and forest country not accessible by other means, river crossings, drought, solitude, country towns and pubs, high altitudes and extremes of climate.

I have had numerous encounters with native wildlife and met many wonderful people along the way. Some of the most spectacular parts of the Trail have been: Barrington Tops National Park in NSW; down the range in the Daintree Rainforest; Kroombit Tops National Park in Queensland with its fabulous views; The Guy Faukes River National Park; and along the Maclay River and the Kunderang. More recently I have enjoyed the alpine areas of the Snowy Mountains through Kosiosco National Park in NSW and the Alpine National Park in Victoria. This last section of the BNT was absolutely incredible.

See the Map of Australia showing The Bicentennial National Trail.

For current updates on the completion of the ride from Canberra to Healesville please look up the Updates page. On completion of my trek from Cooktown to Healesville along the Bicentennial National Trail, I continued the ride taking the horses to Tasmania riding the Tasmanian Trail from Devonport to Dover, a further 477 km. This was another incredible experience and a half (updates still to be completed).

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NSW - New South Wales ACT - Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) Home Photo: The Great Dividing Range, Central New South Wales - Riding through the Ben Bullen State Forest in May 1994. Contents Photo: Outback Central Queensland - One of my horses (Kandor) stops to look up the road to a station I rode past. September 1996. Ride Photo One: New South Wales countryside - Travelling with Ian Padgham and Kirsten Cosgrove in June 1994. Ride Photo Two: The Burdekin Dam, North Queensland - Riding along the road at the base of the dam wall with my four horses, Fonz, Minnie, Gambit and Kandor. September 1995. Ride Photo Three: West of Townsville, North Queensland - Cattle in the yards at Dotswood Station early in the morning. September 1995.