Appalling discovery along popular national park bike track
Cyclists on the central coast of NSW made a horrifying discovery over the weekend while riding through a popular national park.
Many young families and bikers ride out to Bouddi National Park and Scott Uzelac, who is a keen mountain biker, is one of them.
While cycling with friends near Maitland Bay which is located inside the park, they were surprised when one suffered a flat tyre.
The group quickly realised what caused the flat.
“I thought there must be a sharp root or something there so I started kicking the area and I couldn’t see anything,” he explained to Yahoo News Australia.
Mr Uzelac then saw a leafy area which he also put his foot through, striking something hard.
“I got down on my knees and saw this row of nails sticking out a piece of 30 by 40 with two big anchor bolts... I couldn’t even count how many nails were sticking out.”
Mr Uzelac says it’s an area he visits with his children, and “freaked out” over the startling discovery.
“I was shocked and a bit dumbfounded. I just couldn't believe somebody's done that, to be honest,” he said.
“If [my children] trod on it in the right way, the nails are that long it would have gone straight through their feet and through the other side.”
The Kincumber resident said many of the trails in the area, including the one he and his friends were on, have been created by mountain bikers due to a lack of routes.
However he says they are not recognised as official tracks.
The 41-year-old also pointed out that there has been an influx of walkers now using the unofficial tracks, who are furious with the cyclists using the paths.
“Some of the older walkers think they have the right [of way over cyclists], I’ve heard of some of the older bushwalkers throwing sticks on the trails so people can’t ride through them,” he said.
Mr Uzelac took the booby trap to Terrigal police station.
Yahoo News Australia reports investigations into its placement on the track are ongoing.
The father said there was growing pressure among riders to have designated routes identified by the local council, to distinguish separate pathways for cyclists and walkers.
Images: Scott Uzelac