How Trail Hiking Australia is funded and how independence is protected
Trail Hiking Australia is a free, independent public resource focused on hiking safety, preparation, and access to trail information across Australia.
This page explains how the platform is supported, how funding decisions are made, and how editorial and safety independence are maintained.
Purpose first
Trail Hiking Australia exists to help people plan and undertake hikes safely and confidently. The platform prioritises:
- Public access to reliable trail information
- Safety, preparation, and informed decision-making
- Accuracy over speed or volume
- Long-term trust over short-term growth
These priorities guide every decision, including how the site is funded.
How Trail Hiking Australia is supported
Trail Hiking Australia is supported through a combination of:
- Community support
- Limited advertising
- Carefully selected, values-aligned partnerships
Funding sources are intentionally diversified to avoid dependence on any single model and to protect the independence of the information published on the site.
Trail Hiking Australia does not operate behind a paywall and remains free to access.
What funding does not influence
Funding arrangements do not influence:
- Trail descriptions, grades, or route information
- Safety guidance, preparation advice, or risk information
- Editorial decisions or content priorities
- Which trails, tools, or resources are published
Safety and accuracy take precedence over commercial considerations in all cases.
Approach to advertising and partnerships
Trail Hiking Australia does not operate as a traditional advertising platform.
Advertising and partnerships are deliberately limited and selective. Any collaboration must align with the platform’s core principles, including:
- Editorial independence
- Safety-first messaging
- Honest, experience-based information
- Respect for public land and shared outdoor spaces
Not all opportunities are accepted, and many are declined to maintain focus and trust.
What Trail Hiking Australia does not do
To protect independence and credibility, Trail Hiking Australia does not:
- Sell editorial control or influence
- Publish undisclosed sponsored content
- Accept pay-to-play articles or advertorials
- Prioritise promotion over safety or preparedness
- Design content primarily to maximise clicks or conversions
These boundaries are intentional and central to how the platform operates.
Transparency and disclosure
Where partnerships, product reviews, or collaborations exist, they are disclosed clearly and transparently.
Trail Hiking Australia aims to ensure users understand when commercial relationships are present and what influence, if any, they have on published content.
Related information: Information about partnerships and collaboration opportunities is outlined on the Work With Trail Hiking Australia page.
Community support
Some members of the community choose to support Trail Hiking Australia financially as a way of helping protect its independence and long-term sustainability.
Support is entirely optional and does not provide special access, influence, or preferential treatment.
More information about community support is available here:
Support Trail Hiking Australia
Questions or enquiries
If you have questions about how Trail Hiking Australia is funded or how independence is maintained, you are welcome to get in touch.
Darren Edwards
Founder and developer of Trail Hiking Australia
ex*****@*************om.au
