It didn’t last long before the council came and flattened it.

Not to be discouraged, they kept pushing the council for somewhere to make new jumps legally. Eventually they were given a small piece of land at the end of Club Court.

It was the beginning of the Strathfieldsaye 20 G Trails – a local institution that has survived into 2018 through regular flooding, no funding and a generation of BMX riders who eventually moved on.

Josh Boykett was about 15 when he and five mates made their way to the trails in 2014, just after a period of heavy rain and flooding had levelled them once again.

It was the third time in four years the jumps had been destroyed by flooding in the area, and it looked like no one was left to repair them.

The group started digging, but they had little knowledge about how to make jumps that could last.

“They were left to rot basically. They weren’t jumpable at all,” Josh said.

“The problem was that kids were still trying to jump them. It was too unsafe.”

Despite their efforts, the trails were effectively abandoned again in 2016.

There was still demand for BMX trails in Strathfieldsaye however, demonstrated by riders continually making small attempts to rebuild the jumps.

It wasn’t until last summer that a proper collective effort started to return the trails to their former glory.

“It was in a pretty bad state, they were just stuffed,” Josh said.

“All the smaller ones here aren’t great. They’ve had to be fixed a few times because so many kids ride over them, so they're the first to get ruined.”

They started building larger jumps with a variety of trails around the edge of the park, enlisting the help of any kids who happen to be at the trails at the time.

Armed with shovels, picks and their own hose making use of the council’s water connection, they spent countless hours packing mud to build varying sizes of jumps. Large rocks need to be sifted out by hand.

A time lapse video of jumps being made at Strathfieldsaye:

Video: Aussie Steez, YouTube

They now have at least 16 jumps.

The work does not end there though. With each rider, the jumps deteriorate slightly and need to be reinforced and watered beforehand.

When it rains, drainage needs to be dug with shovels to remove the excess water.

Despite the heavy workload, the jumps are in the best shape they’ve been for years.

Josh said it took a change in attitude to make sure the latest effort to rebuild the trails did not end up like previous efforts.

Instead of the older riders intimidating the younger ones, and yelling at them if they so much as touched the jumps, they decided to work together.

“Some kids have never been told how to ride properly before, so we teach them, give them some advice,” Josh said.

“I remember when I was their age, there was no way you’d go up to the 20-year-olds because they didn’t want anything to do with you. They’d shout at you if you touched any of the jumps.

“We wanted to bring the next generation through and teach them how to maintain the jumps, instead of seeing it all go stagnant again like it has in the past.

“The main thing we wanted to do was to create an environment that wasn’t scary for the younger kids.”

Video: Aussie Steez, YouTube

Tom Bennett said helping out at the Strathfieldsaye 20 G Trails was a lot better than the alternative – sitting at home in front of a screen.

“I don’t have screens because I know I’d end up staring at them all day, and I want to be outside,” he said.

“This is better than Fortnite.”

Tom Parkinson, in Year 8 at Bendigo South East College, said everyone was treated as equals.

“When I came here everyone was just really nice,” he said.

On the AFL Grand Final public holiday, a post was shared on their Facebook page inviting riders to come down and check out the jumps. They had at least 50 people turn up.

Every afternoon there are up to a dozen riders enjoying the facility.

There are still a range of challenges, however.

The volunteers keep equipment in crates at the back of the trails. They have been robbed twice in the past few months.

There is also no shade, making things tough in the summer.

And – despite their best efforts – working by hand can eventually take its toll.

Josh said he had tried to make contact with the City of Greater Bendigo for a little support. He said having an excavator come down for a day, or a council staff worker to lend a hand once in a while, would make a world of difference.

“I emailed the council, I just wanted to start some communication but we got no response for two months,” Josh said.

“They basically just said this is your area, do what you want.

“It’s a lot of maintenance though.

“We just want to know who we can talk to, to make sure this can remain here into the future.”

The City of Greater Bendigo considered funding for the site in 2015/16 after a request from the Strathfieldsaye user group, but “budget limitations” and a need for “external funding” meant it did not eventuate.

The council has spent $600,000 over three years on the Eaglehawk BMX track, with more work to come.

It has also committed funding to the Spring Gully pump track for BMX riders and will consult with the community this financial year on how best to spend the funds, in a formal partnership with volunteers.

City of Greater Bendigo community projects co-ordinator David Hogan said the council could consider a similar partnership with Strathfieldsaye volunteers based on the outcome at Spring Gully.

“Part of this project will look to formalise a partnership between riders, volunteers and the city, so that the users can benefit by improving the longevity and quality of the track, with support and assistance from the city,” he said.

“If successful, the city will look to roll out a similar program, with associated upgrade works, at Strathfieldsaye BMX jumps and others across the municipality in future years.”

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