Did you know? Our research helped Australians choose the right walk
If you have planned a walk in an Australian national park, you have probably encountered the Australian Walking Track Grading System.
From accessible Grade 1 tracks through to challenging Grade 5 routes for experienced bushwalkers, the system helps people answer an important question:
Is this walk suitable for me?
What many people may not know is that research undertaken by Instinct & Reason helped inform and optimise the system.
The challenge
Before the introduction of a nationally consistent approach, walking-track difficulty was described differently across jurisdictions and land-management organisations.
Descriptions could be inconsistent or difficult to understand, making it harder for people to determine whether a track matched their fitness, experience and ability.
This was particularly important for entry-level walkers, families with children, people with disability and those considering more challenging or unfamiliar walks.
Listening to walkers
In 2008, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and representatives from state and territory park agencies selected Instinct & Reason to undertake the final and most comprehensive phase of the research.
The research was conducted in two stages.
First, eight qualitative focus groups were held across Australia to understand how walkers judged whether a track was suitable for them.
This was followed by a large quantitative study involving 1,898 walkers aged 18 and over. Participants included walkers from every Australian state and territory, metropolitan and regional areas, and international visitors from the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
The research examined the information people considered when choosing a walk, including:
- Distance
- Gradient
- Track quality
- Track markings
- Experience required
- Steps
- Estimated time
- A recognisable grade symbol
The importance of these features varied depending on the walker’s level of experience. This demonstrated that an effective system needed to work for everyone, from occasional walkers to highly experienced bushwalkers.
A system designed around real decisions
Instinct & Reason applied qualitative, quantitative and Discrete Choice Modelling to help optimise the proposed grading system.
The result was compelling:
97.3% of people surveyed said the proposed information would enable them to decide whether a walk was the right level of difficulty for them.
The findings helped support a clear five-grade system that translates technical track classifications into information the public can understand and use.
Research with a lasting impact
The Australian Walking Track Grading System continues to help people make clearer, safer and more informed decisions about walking tracks across the country.
It is a powerful example of how research can move beyond a report. By understanding how people make real-world decisions, research can help shape systems and services that remain useful for years to come.
You may not always know our name, but you may already know our impact.
Read the original Australian Walking Track Grading System discussion paper.
CONTACT
Dr David Donnelly, Founder, at Instinct & Reason
Phone: 0409 203057
Email: ddonnelly@instinctandreason.com
Alison Dexter, Head of Consulting, Instinct & Reason
Phone: 0499 586 681
Email: adexter@instinctandreason.com
