STEELE TAKES ON THE INAUGURAL PILLIGA ULTRA
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Contributed by Julie Steele, AURA member (Bulli, NSW)
PILLIGA ULTRA, COONABARABRAN (NSW), 26 March 2022
In the last weekend in March, my husband Bruce and I headed out to Coonabarabran, NSW to compete in the inaugural Pilliga Ultra, held in the pristine Pilliga Forrest. Organised by For Wild Places together with The Wilderness Society, the ultra had to be rescheduled a couple of times due to some pesky pandemic before finally becoming a reality.
The event headquarters were based at Pilliga Pottery (Barkala Farm), about a 30 min drive from Coonabarabran. The venue was ‘all-inclusive’ offering various accommodation options from handcrafted artistic huts with private facilities to bunk rooms and camping grounds. Being family-owned and run by a close-knit group of artists, Pilliga Pottery provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere for this inaugural event. Owner Maria and her staff went out of their way to meet the needs of all the runners and their supporters. They provided us with hearty meals and spaces to shelter from the unexpected rain during the weekend. There were also plenty of activities for non-runners, such as feeding farm animals, pottery classes, a swimming pool and bushwalking, making this a family experience. On the evening before racing started, we were privileged to have local Gomeroi Elder, Uncle Casey, welcome us to his country before the race briefing. And at the post-race party, we were entertained by local indigenous dancers and a band, all from Coonabarabran.
Three distances were on offer – 6km, 20km and 50km – with a shorter run for the kids. The unique trails we traversed were lovingly cut and maintained by 70-year-old Kerry, who has travelled to the Pilliga Forest for 12 years, making a new trail through the rugged terrain each year. Throughout the forest, Kerry has erected hand-painted signs that name each trail, lookout and other forest features. The names are of family and staff at Pilliga Pottery. Only a handful of runners have ever had the opportunity to run these unique trails.
The terrain varied from fresh tracks cut by a tractor through waist-high grass, undulating trails shaded by towering forest, rare eucalypt woodlands, open farmland lined with local cows, and single trails that twisted up and down rocky ridgelines and along unfenced clifftops. The trails were interspersed with 4WD tracks that provided a welcome chance to cover sections of the trail a little faster, when not drenched with rain. Although we all anticipated and hoped for dry and hot conditions characteristic of outback NSW, the rain seemed to follow us from the coast, with a torrential downpour commencing just as the race hub was being set up. And the rain continued for most of the event.
Once the run started, I happily kept up with the back of the small pack for the first 10-20km, slowed a little by the need to climb over paddock gates. I soon lost touch with the predominantly young runners once we hit the more technical sections of the forest. Constant rain before and during the event made the technical sections of the course challenging. Loose and slippery rocks were scattered along the trail, and deep creek crossings ensured everyone had constantly wet feet. Given that I navigated most of the course alone, I was thankful the route was relatively well marked. The occasional ‘missing’ marker or wrong colour arrow added a couple of extra kilometres to the course. I was extremely thankful for the brilliant app, Avenza Maps, which redirected me back to the route after I had deviated into the wilderness.
The local wildlife (including snakes) seemed to be hiding away from the rain, although birds were delightfully everywhere. I was particularly chuffed to discover a hand-painted sign highlighting Julie’s Lookout, with spectacular views across the Pilliga Forrest. Waiting as we crossed the finish line was a much-appreciated cold beer provided by an event sponsor, Stone and Wood. Despite being wet, the rain kept temperatures cooler and made the forest glisten – it was a truly spectacular experience.
As an inaugural event, less than 100 runners participated in the event, making it a personal experience. Only 14 of us completed the 50km event. As the slowest 50km participant, I was privileged to have lots of time to traverse the forest, savouring each step taken in this unique landscape. I even managed to place as the 2ndfastest woman over the 50km – although there were only two of us in the event! Bruce stepped aside from running this event, instead volunteering to help set up and pack away the event hub, as well as manning the first and last aid station – ever waiting for the slowest 50km runner, yes me, to appear out of the forest before he could pack up.
The event was organised to raise awareness of and funds to protect the ancient Pilliga Forest from being ravaged by the company, Santos. Santos plans to drill up to 850 coal seam gas wells throughout this pristine forest. Known as the Narrabri Gas Project, drilling would cover 95,000 hectares, 38 times the size of the City of Sydney. The Pilliga Ultra provided me with an ideal opportunity to combine my passion for trail running with such an important cause – to protect a sacred and wild forest from being destroyed merely for outdated fossil fuel resources. Running 50 km through this stunning rugged wilderness to help raise awareness and funds for local communities was a privilege. I was initially apprehensive of the need to try and raise funds to participate in the event. However, the organisers are exceptionally supportive, providing substantial helpful resources, and are sympathetic to difficulties in reaching fundraising targets. In reality, every cent counts. To date, the event has raised over $83,000 for this crucial cause.
Events such as the Pilliga Ultra provide opportunities for the trail running community to help protect wild places from destruction. It is also a brilliant location for a family adventure, and one I would strongly recommend.
Photographs – Supplied/Julie Steele.
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