MAKING NEW TRACKS

I came to Collie, 200km south-east of Perth, to change my perceptions. It is known to many as an industrial, hard-hitting workman's town — the latter blatantly true with yellow visors hard to miss — but when I finally drove away from Collie, I felt as if my mood peaked at ultrazen. I felt a sense of awakening, an epiphany where it all just clicked, and my previous views about Collie were banished. More than anything, I discovered that Collie is a retreat for the soul and adrenaline spirited.

With a history steeped in coal mining, it may have been previously hard for many people, like myself, to see 'the powerhouse of Western Australia' in a new light — one not fuelled by coal. Instead, I discovered it is one for the wicked. The town of 8,000 takes the unofficial crown as the south-west adventure capital, with world-class mountain bike trails and former mine-sites turned natural pools. One could expect to have the absolute pinnacle of cheap thrills in its pleasant, untamed wilderness setting.

The town has struggled to shake off its industrial tag and be seen as a holiday destination — until now. Things are changing, the