Autumn Trekking

FEATURE

Mounting up for autumn rides

As this long, drawn-out summer finally comes to a close, now is the perfect time to think about an autumn trek writes JANE CAMENS.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, is how the romantic English poet John Keats described the cooler weather we can sense around the corner.

For equestrians with a yearning to get away and ride till they can’t no more (apologies to rapper Lil Nas X), this is one of the best seasons to head out of town. The holiday crowds have gone, and opportunities abound to enjoy some breathtaking horsey adventures.

We’ve picked three wish-list organised rides to dream about, or to book for next year. These rides can book out up to a year in advance, so act early if you want to ensure you can ride. All these rides provide excellent horses and take you to some of the most beautiful parts of Australia, full board provided.

To make the most out of these big adventures, you’ll want to be able to sit in a saddle for up to five hours a day, be comfortable at a trot and, preferably a canter as well, although all rides work to the level of the least confident or accomplished riders. There are shorter or gentler options offered by these companies, but we focus here on their big full rides.

BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

THINK THE BAROSSA, THINK WINE! Hence the Grape Horse Adventure. This quality boutique adventure ride, led by natural horsemanship practitioners Jen Clingly and Jeremy Ford, boasts not only some of the best educated Arabian and Arabian-cross horses you’re likely to have the chance to enjoy, but also some of Australia’s finest food and wine.

We found this ride because Jen and Jeremy also lead a fabulous ride in Tasmania (Tassie Tiger Trail), but not during autumn. By March they’ve moved across to the more temperate South Australian climate to lead rides through the Barossa Valley, one of the world’s great wine regions.

The Grape Horse Adventure is a five-day four-night ride held during Australia’s autumn months. It takes a maximum of six people on each ride. This adventure is included in many of the world’s great rides offered by the Australian-based travel company Globetrotting, a luxury boutique riding company founded by Queensland-based Kate Pilcher.

As Kate says, the Grape Horse Adventure is “an absolute must” if you like great wine and food. “Jen comes from South Australia and knows this area intimately,” she says. “Jen and Jeremy are both foodies and have found the Barossa’s bestkept secrets and riding trails.”

Among the culinary highlights of the trip is a dinner at the world-class St Hugo Restaurant, with a glass of St Hugo wine. On the last day there is a lunch stop at Maggie Beer’s Pheasant Farm shop and cafe that offers a true paddockto-plate experience. In between, you ride from vineyard to vineyard, enjoying spectacular views of the region while discovering its history.

The unique aspect of the ride, Jen stresses, is the focus she and Jeremy put on natural horsemanship. “We are all about training and horsemanship,” she says. “We’ve studied a lot of natural horsemanship. I’ve been right through the Parelli levels and we’ve trained with Victorian-based Argentinian Carlos Tabenaberri, the author of Through the Eyes of a Horse.”

Jen and Jeremy, both of whom are endurance riders, want people on their rides to join them on their natural horsemanship journey. To this end, all their beautiful horses are ridden bitless and barefoot. Both Jen and Jeremy are internationally trained barefoot farriers and also hold workshops in barefoot trimming and hoof care.

This enterprising equestrian couple hope to pass on good horsemanship skills while offering great riding and a wonderful tourism experience. They pride themselves on their well educated, fit and happy horses.

The quoted cost of this ride per person is $3,995. It includes transfers between Adelaide airport and accommodation at a well-appointed homestead, as well as all meals, beer and wine, showcasing some of the best wines the Barossa has to offer.

You can find out more about the ride on the Globetrotting website: www.globetrotting.com.au/horse-riding-holidays/thegrape-horse-adventure-barossa-valley-australia

Serving morning tea on the shady lawns of the Grant Burgess Winery.

THE APPLE ISLE - TASMANIA

THE ALWAYS GORGEOUS APPLE ISLE has several organisations running trail rides, but Cradle Country Adventures, run by Ray and Laura Becker, is one of the few that do longer rides during the autumn. Their rides, in the central and north-west regions of Tassie, make use of three stunning locations: Cradle Mountain in the Vale of Belvoir Conservation Area; Kimberly in the beautiful Mersey Valley, and Bakers Beach in the Narawntapu National Park. The rides start from just a couple of hours, which are fine for novices, but the Beckers also tailor rides that cover multiple locations and last four or five days.

Ray Becker thinks March up until mid-April is the best time of year for riding in their part of the world. “The holiday hoons and bikes have gone, so at last we have the beach and mountains almost to ourselves,” he says. Easy to agree with those sentiments!

It’s hard not to long to ride with Ray when you hear him talk about his lovely horses, the glorious landscapes and fine local produce served up to his clients. Some of the terrain that the rides cover includes parts of the famous Tom Quilty endurance course and the 480km Tasmanian Trail. Because this part of the country escaped the terrible fires last season (at the time of writing), you’re bound to see lots of wildlife.

Here’s an example of a four-day ride with Cradle Country Adventures, which is their most popular longer ride:

Day One: is spent riding around the Mersey Valley, home of the famous Mersey cheese. It winds through forests, grazing country and river flats, offering spectacular views of the Great Western Tiers, which are a collection of mountain bluffs within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site. Lunch is eaten on the banks of the Mersey River where, if you’re lucky, you might see platypus or trout. Experienced riders will have the opportunity for plenty of trotting and cantering.

Day Two: the ride travels through the magnificent Vale of Belvoir, one of the most significant places for nature conservation in Australia. Among the many important species of fauna and flora in the area are the vulnerable spottedtailed quoll, the endangered Tasmanian devil, shy ground parrots, endangered ptunarra brown butterflies and numerous wildflowers. This special environment offers views of Cradle Mountain.

Day Three: is spent on a ride into Narawntapu National Park. This takes the group through to Bakers Beach, an amazing stretch of pristine beach, where you can canter through the shallows, and the brave (if you don’t mind cold, let’s make that freezing, water) have a chance to swim with their horse.

Day Four: Ray suggests riding through the coastal bushland of Narawntapu, past stands of the unique Australian Grass Tree. This ride also offers breathtaking views.

Over the three nights accommodation, two nights are in comfortable shearers’ quarters, with one night in a home-stead at Bakers Beach. All meals are provided.

Ray and Laura keep their groups small, but they have 40 horses from which they can find the most appropriate mount for each rider. The

Ray and Laura Becker take their guests on trail rides through stunning Tasmanian forests on their Cradle Country Adventures.

Riders take in the raw beauty of Bakers Beach in Tasmania.

horses are a mixture of Percheron-Shire crosses, ArabianStock Horse crosses and a range of other different breeds. Ray says they have a variety of different saddles, all of which have toe stoppers on the stirrups, which is fairly normal in endurance riding.

“We have lots of clients who ride all around the world,” says Ray. “People don’t fork out their hard-earned money unless they want to enjoy life and have the maximum enjoyment from a ride, so it’s our job to give them that.”

Special HorseVibes Offer:

Currently, this four-day Cradle Country Adventures ride is priced at $1,520 per person, including two nights accommodation at the shearers’ quarters at Kimberley, and one night accommodation at the Bakers Beach homestead, with all meals provided. The price may change next year, but if you tell Ray you’ve read about this offer in HorseVibes, he and Laura will honour this quoted price. Contact Ray or Laura on 0447 790 363, or check their website: https://cradleadventures.com.au Tour guide Gabi on her mare Jazz.

PORT MACQUARIE, MID NORTH COAST - NEW SOUTH WALES

IF YOU’D LOVE TO RIDE A FORWARD-MOVING, surefooted Arabian horse, or an Australian Brumby through the bush and beaches of the New South Wales Mid North Coast, Southern Cross Horse Treks offers a variety of rides all year round, starting from just a day-ride up to seven days in the saddle. But you’ll want to be fit and saddle ready!

Owned and run by Netherlands-raised Kathy Holtrust, who has been living in Australia for 20 years, all Southern Cross Horse Treks begin and end each day at her home, Kerewong Lodge, just south of Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast. One of her newer rides also includes a focus on

horsemanship.

Kathy takes a maximum of four people on her rides, mainly as a safety precaution. This makes the rides personal and exclusive. She also requires people coming with her to be reasonably competent. Some days she might cover up to 40 kilometres on her tough and nimble horses.

Kathy’s rides follow quiet forest trails through 20,000 hectares of State forest where there are eucalypts, rainforests, creek

Kathy leading riders through the local State forest. Photo: Kate Kaizer Photography.

Tour guide Kathy with Quarab mare Ness. Most Kerewong horses like water and have fun splashing around. Photo: Kate Kaizer Photography.

crossings, rock formations, and spectacular views.

“The fires last summer made this really difficult,” she says. ‘We didn’t experience fires near us, but the forest tracks were closed for the duration. But we always have the beach for riding. Most people love the beach and for the horses, it’s quite an easy day.”

Kathy grew up with horses in Holland where she competed with them in dressage and show jumping. After completing secondary school, she studied psychology and then spent a year of practical work in Australia. She decided, however, she’d rather work with horses and live fulltime in Australia.

She was required to return to Holland but after five years emigrated with her then-husband to follow her dream.

Together they decided to show people this beautiful country, catering only for experienced riders over 18. “I get a lot of people from Europe,” Kathy says. “Everyone loves it that we can ride through the forest and not see any people!”

Kathy also showcases local produce, fitting in a visit to a local winery and making sure her guests get the chance to taste unique produce from this region.

Visitors love her 24ha property. “Whichever window they look out, they can see the horses,” Kathy explains.

Kathy recently expanded her herd with the addition of two beautiful Brumbies from the Guy Fawkes National Park. “The Arabians are fairly full on. The Brumbies are more relaxed and easier, but they keep up. The Arabians can become impatient and irritated if they’re tied up for long periods, but you can tie up the Brumbies all day and they’ll just stand. I wanted to raise awareness about the Brumbies and prove that they’re good riding horses – they are so sure footed! These two were with a natural horsemanship trainer before they came to me, so I didn’t take them right from the start, but I’ve found them to be very easy and relaxed.”

Kathy’s riders use endurance saddles and her horses can be ridden bitless, unless the rider isn’t comfortable without a bit.

Seven days and six nights with Kathy at Southern Cross Horse Treks costs $2,500. Everything is provided. To book, go to the website www.horsetreks.com.au.