Bundjalung Man Guides Hikers Through Ancestral Trails in NSW

In November 2025, the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk in northern New South Wales is set to offer hikers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the region's rich Indigenous history. The 42km multi-day trail, which opened to the public earlier this year, largely follows ancient walking paths used by the Bundjalung nation for thousands of years.

Ashley Moran, a proud Bundjalung man of the Widjabul Wia-bal clan, has been instrumental in the development of the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk since its inception in 2018. As the chair of the Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation, Moran worked closely with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council to ensure the trail's routes respected and protected significant Aboriginal sites.

The Gidjuum Gulganyi, meaning "Old People's track," provides a rare window into the region's deep connection to its Indigenous inhabitants. Only 19km of the trail is completely new, with the rest following ancient pathways used by the Bundjalung and Minjungbal peoples to travel between the coast and the tablelands. These trails were even repurposed as logging routes in the late 1800s, but now they are being revived to share the area's cultural heritage with hikers.

Moran hopes the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk will not only promote the Widjabul Wia-bal and Minjungbal people's history, but also create new business opportunities for his community. Plans are underway to develop a cultural tourism experience at Minyon Falls, the end of the trail, and to have Indigenous custodians take over the maintenance and operation of the route.