Warning: Riding Illegal Tracks in National Parks

[alchemist]

Two riders were caught and photographed by National Parks Rangers riding the illegal track near the model aircraft field near Oxford Falls (Garigal NP near Sydney).

It appears they have given false addresses (and presumably names) to the National Park Rangers. So now once they are identified they will not only be receiving a fine of $300 for riding illegally, they'll also each receive a second fine of $500 for providing false information.

[jules21]

riding on proscribed trails just harms the cause of MTBing generally. aside from having respect for the law and national parks, i think this is the major reason not to do it, as opposed to the various fines that it sounds like they've managed to evade.

[leximack]

yep, stay on legal trails
Its the only way we can get more trails opened up legally
Its the few that spoil it for the rest of us.
Hope they find them

Don

[318ute]

We in SA have the same issues as everyone else and everytime someone rides where we are told not to, the self righteous "Friends of the Parks" groups use that as an argument for why we should not be allowed in any national park.
I have to agree with them to a point, because I would bet even if the trail they were pictured on was open they would simply go and ride another trail they are not supposed to ride! Selfish people!

I fully sympathise with the argument that there is so much beautiful single track and trails to be ridden which rarely see man, that we should be allowed to ride, but we simply can't and it makes life tougher on the people trying to campaign for access on our behalf each and eveyrytime we leave tracks where were not entitled to ride....
I trully hope they catch these guys and sting them in the pocket......



Steve.

[}SkOrPn--7]

Same crap,different day,different depth nothing will change but a slap on the wrist and sent on there way.................. Let me deal with them they would understand in a split second the error of there poor judgement.

[toolonglegs]

Which track were they actually on?.
As far as national parks are concerned pretty much anything that isn't a fire trail is illegal to ride on...not many legal single track anywhere.
To be honest I have ridden every track in and around Oxford Falls and I never even knew it was a national park...there are no signs anywhere.Considering we used to race XC on the loop around the model planes area a few years back...until the Model Planes people decided they didn't like that.We also used to race on a XC course near the entry road to that area as well.There also being to downhill courses there as well....I would be surprised if anyone knew it was illegal to ride there...I personally thought it was under the same regs as red-hill (which will eventually all be built on!).I used to ride deep creek 2 or 3 times a week.Saying that I did notice the once simple single track that ran thru there for years had started to turn into a free-ride area with a few other trails turning up...

[alchemist]

To be honest I have ridden every track in and around Oxford Falls and I never even knew it was a national park...there are no signs anywhere.

There are now, so really they had now excuse.

The DH course is on Aboriginal Land Council land and still ridden but probably only because they want to develop this area.

[toolonglegs]

Well if there are sign's up now then no excuse I suppose.