Construction of Granite Stone Steps on Granite Skywalk – Castle Rock Trail

This project was managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, we undertook the challenge, completing over 750 natural granite stone steps from the top to bottom of this unique trail in the Porongurup National Park. The 4.4km return walk trail had been experiencing dramatically increased popularity which was leading to erosion and drainage issues which required repairs and preventative remediation. It was funded through the state governments Covid Recovery Plan of 2020. The project designers and managers sought to upgrade the integrity of the trail whilst improving accessibility, fire resistance and aesthetic value by using stone to create durable steps. The initial program of works was split into stonework and a separate dedicated drainage component which was completed by Common Ground Trails.

In the initial phase we undertook the task of devising a new methodology for manual construction whilst keeping the very popular trail open to the public. The biggest challenges were transporting many hundreds of bags of material and treated rock up the trail without machinery access. To achieve this we constructed electric powered wheelbarrows to enable the crew to get within 200m of the peak! We then engaged the fantastic crew at Goodwin-McCarthy (GM) Helicopters who made life a breeze to get those final touches finished at the very top of the trail, around Balancing Rock and the lower lookout.

With all of the kinks worked out we completed similar steps and drainage improvements to the bottom half of the trail. We finally had some machine access but really honed our rehabilitation skills by reducing the trail width after it had been widened by other trail builders and our little kanga loader. The team sought to remove all traces of construction, leaving behind only the steps. Towards the end a significant number of trail users didn’t believe the steps were new, this was the ultimate feedback to hear! Meanwhile a significant expansion was going on in the carpark at the bottom of the trail and the team assisted with setting steps, a granite stone pillar and stone pitching.

In all a big project, spanning 11 months, which saw the team grow, innovate, adapt and excel. A big thank you to all our project managers, local suppliers, the many considerate and positive trail users and most importantly the crew who put in the long yards and turned a concept into reality.  (June 2022)

**Please note most images shown here are in-construction or before vs after, to see the full effects post build and rehabilitation we recommend experiencing the trail first-hand!