BNT - a Big National Treasure!
1 January 2008
What is over 5,000 kilometres long, passes through Hall, and is a well kept secret? It is of course the Bicentennial National Trail. Hall Showground is a designated camping place for Trail users - a link in a very long chain going from here out through Gundaroo to the north, and Namadgi National Park to the south.
According to the BNT website the Bicentennial National Trail is the "longest marked non-motorised self reliant multi-use trekking route in the world, stretching an extraordinary 5,330 kilometres from Cooktown in tropical North Queensland, to Healesville in Victoria.
The inspiration of the legendary bushman R. M. Williams, the Trail follows the historic coach and stock routes, old pack horse trails, and country roads. Wherever possible along its great length the Trail has been designed to be a "living history" of our country, following the routes of our early pioneers and highlighting historic sites and artifacts along the way.
As it winds virtually the length of the country, the Trail links eighteen of the country's National Parks, and reveals some of the most spectacular scenery in Australia. It traverses lush tropical rainforests, rugged mountains, valleys and gorges, remote dry plains, alpine meadows, snowfields and wilderness.
The Trail gives access to some of the wildest, most remote country in the world and provides endless fascination for those interested in Australia's unique fauna and flora".
The route northwards from Hall has been adapted over the years, and now follows the suburban edge of Gungahlin around the north-west corner of the ACT to the Gundaroo Road.
The Progress Association is a member of BNT.