With the warmer months behind us, the Bibbulmun Track’s first hikers of the year are trickling into town.
Maggie Buktenica, from Oregon in the US, stopped off in Collie recently while hiking the track from Kalamunda to Albany.
She said she had heard about the track while hiking a similar path in New Zealand and decided to give it a try, giving herself a month to cover the 1000km.
Ms Buktenica also said she was excited to share her experiences on the track once she went back home.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said it was great to see hikers starting to come into town now that the summer had passed.
“It’s exciting to see visitors walking around town with their hiking gear in hand,” Mr Murray said.
“It’s even more exciting to find out that some people have travelled to Australia specifically to hike the Bibbulmun track, which goes directly through our town.
“I hope they spread the word with other people they meet along their travels and back home about how good our corner of the world is, encouraging more people to visit.
“This growing industry of nature-based tourism is something we should encourage to make sure Collie benefits from having the trail go through town.”
