About Trail Towns
meet the Hosts
Dieter Kahsnitz
Deetz has been at the forefront of mountain biking since its inception in the early ’90s. As a mountain bike racer in the early days, to working in one of Melbourne’s most renowned mountain bike stores, his passion for cycling and travel has been apparent.
Having worked across TV, in both presenting and producing roles, Trail Towns now brings together the professional and personal sides of Deetz.
The ability to share his passion for cycling, along with the history of old rail towns, perfectly captures how he feels about these rural communities and what they have to offer.
Paul Van Der Ploeg
Vandy first represented Australia at the 2006 World Mountain Bike Championships before winning a World Title in the Mountain Bike Eliminator event in 2013.
As an elite athlete, Vandy also competed at the highest level in Road Cycling, Cyclo-Cross, and Gravel racing.
With a love of cycling and a passion for travel, Vandy has found the perfect recipe for meeting new people and exploring new and interesting places. Trail Towns now blends cycling and travel in a way that allows others to share in the adventure.
our story
Trail Towns began on Deetz’s first MTB holiday to Falls Creek, in 1990. Having taught skiing there in the ’80s, he knew the resort well. Suddenly, mountain bikes hit the scene and he bought a $200 bike, grabbed a mate, and thought, let’s ride there!
Throughout the next three decades, he’s been on countless Trail Town holidays. With friends, partners, and now with his kids and family. One thing that always frustrated, was the lack of cohesive information about a town or region. Not just where the trails were, but where are the places to stay, to eat, to drink, to play, and to relax?
So three years ago, on a coffee catch-up with Vandy, Trail Towns was born. The one place to find out where to ride, where to eat, where to stay, and where to play in towns and regions across Australia and New Zealand. Now, after three years of hard work, Trail Towns is preparing for its first season on network TV.
Trail Towns is dedicated to encouraging more families, couples, and friends to visit more cities, towns, and regions for a bicycle holiday, and when they do, stay, spend money, and help those places prosper and flourish.
Today, with the travel restrictions of C19, Trail Towns is perfectly placed to tell the story of these towns and hopefully help record numbers of people to visit amazing Trail Towns in Australia and New Zealand. Today, with more towns than ever building trails, rail trails, and bike-friendly offerings, Trail Towns is perfectly placed to tell their story. With the advent of E MTBs that allow anyone to ride almost anywhere regardless of fitness along with people growing tired of an online world, craving for places that are real, Trail Towns will take the audience to meet the locals and be personally welcomed to their region.
With over 250 Trail Towns in Australia and New Zealand, we hope there will be many seasons of Trail Towns showcasing amazing places to have your next bicycle holiday.
notes from the road
