Must ride trails in Australia

M

Michael_Roberts

Squid
Hi,

I am taking the family on a year long around Australia road trip next year. I would hate to drive past great mtb trails and not even know about them. So what are the must ride areas in your state? Keeping in mind that I will often be dragging the family around the trails with me, so some areas with easier options would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
clockworked

clockworked

Like an orange
I've ridden a few, here is a list thats close to in order; ,tathra, moruya, nowra, (or go stromlo, sparrow hill), old man's valley, ourimbah, awaba, glenrock, taree, jollynose, nambucca, cows with guns, grafton, mt-cootha, bunya are all fairly accessible during the NSW portion. Smithfield is good once you get to the top, mt carbine is a bit of work, atherton is nice.

There's a lot more, but these are mapped and public tracks.
 
Calvin27

Calvin27

Eats Squid
Most DH will call me soft but here is Vic:
- Buxton
- Forest (ottways)
- Lysterfield
- You yangs
- Wombat
 
Dozer

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
clockworked said:
I've ridden a few, here is a list thats close to in order; ,tathra, moruya, nowra, (or go stromlo, sparrow hill), old man's valley, ourimbah, awaba, glenrock, taree, jollynose, nambucca, cows with guns, grafton, mt-cootha, bunya are all fairly accessible during the NSW portion. Smithfield is good once you get to the top, mt carbine is a bit of work, atherton is nice.

There's a lot more, but these are mapped and public tracks.
Click to expand...
You could skip cows with guns, it's garbage and even the kids would hate you for it. Nambucca and Grafton are well worth the stop though.

Michael_Roberts said:
Hi,

I am taking the family on a year long around Australia road trip next year. I would hate to drive past great mtb trails and not even know about them. So what are the must ride areas in your state? Keeping in mind that I will often be dragging the family around the trails with me, so some areas with easier options would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
You're after just trail riding or will you go for some solo stuff that the kids won't handle? Downhill as well?
 
Jim Junkie

Jim Junkie

Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
My most enjoyed over the past while:

-Stromlo: love the Pork Barrel - Double Dissolution combo)

-Orange: Quite a good network of trails, and riding through pine trees was a nice change

-Bunya / Bunyaville (Jinker Track, Brisbane): Some great trailwork being done here lately, really enjoying the new stuff.

Appin: It was a little hard to find the trails when I just dropped in, but it was a good ride when I did find it. A good loop if you follow the signs.

Mt Joyce: Some pretty good trails here, Black Rock in particular I enjoy. Be prepared for a climb though, or go on shuttle days. Take plenty of water.

Gap Creek in Brisbane I find a bit tame lately, although it has it's moments. Get's quite busy on the weekends though.
Daisy Hill also gets a pretty good wrap from most, although I find the trails a bit more separated that I'd like. Mostly just unfamiliarity I think, as it's not very close for me so I don't so often. Cornubia (next door) and Daisy Hill do have some good trails to ride if you're in the area though.
 
Fish90

Fish90

Likes Dirt
Adelaide has a maze of a amazing trail network! I'd hit
fox creek-
"green smoothie" (with the family) and if you get a chance to do a few runs by urself try and hit "duck n weave" as well as a few of the DH tracks.
Eagle on the hill has some great trails to but probably not the best for the family!
Best family trails are probably craigburn farm, (sidewinder, little river, walk the dog, cowbones etc) and if you get a chance by urself give "craigburms" and sticks and stones a crack!
Also don't forget Prospect hill!! These are probably my favourite trails, fun flowy, not super technical and in a majestic little Forrest!! So much to explore I'm there!

Hope this helps!!
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
There's a shit ton of great single track around castlemaine in Vic. You could stop there and hit wombat, redesdale, Bendigo and others around the area.
 
Ackland

Ackland

chats d'élevage
Fish90 said:
Adelaide has a maze of a amazing trail network! I'd hit
fox creek-
"green smoothie" (with the family) and if you get a chance to do a few runs by urself try and hit "duck n weave" as well as a few of the DH tracks.
Eagle on the hill has some great trails to but probably not the best for the family!
Best family trails are probably craigburn farm, (sidewinder, little river, walk the dog, cowbones etc) and if you get a chance by urself give "craigburms" and sticks and stones a crack!
Also don't forget Prospect hill!! These are probably my favourite trails, fun flowy, not super technical and in a majestic little Forrest!! So much to explore I'm there!

Hope this helps!!
Click to expand...
Don't forget the new Shepherds Hill, Mitcham and Sturt Gorge trails.

Adelaide also offers heaps of "Epic" all day destination riding.

Then there's Melrose.....
 
S

SummitFever

Eats Squid
I do the road trip thing with caravan, family and bikes whenever I can. If you're wanting to stay in caravan parks, there's a number that are located close to great trails. These offer great riding plus many other things to do for wife, kids and the whole family:

- Bright, VIC - can park is pretty much in the centre of town and a 5 min stroll from the brewery. Many, many excellent trails. Rail trails as well for some leisurely cruising.
- Melrose, SA - van park is 10m from the trails. Great range of trails for all the family.
- Wilpeena Pound, SA - awesome riding in and around the Flinders, particularly north from Wilpeena Pound into the heart of the Flinders Ranges.
- Coomealla, NSW (on VIC border) - flatland riding for all the family.
- Tathra, NSW - great trails, good caravan park right on the beach for swimming and fishing.

There are many, many more. Is this the sort of thing you're interested in?

I try to get to places that have good riding and a variety of things to keep the wife and kids occupied in addition to riding. Such as good places to eat, drink etc., bushwalks, sightseeing, historic attractions, museums etc. I also try to organise it so I can get some bigger rides in but involve the family too. eg. I'll get up in the morning and drive the car out to the far end of a ride, ride back and the we'll all ride out to the car. I get 2x the riding and we all get a gourmet picnic lunch at the other side, plus a car ride home.
 
Fish90

Fish90

Likes Dirt
Ackland said:
Don't forget the new Shepherds Hill, Mitcham and Sturt Gorge trails.

Adelaide also offers heaps of "Epic" all day destination riding.

Then there's Melrose.....
Click to expand...
Still hasn't got to melrose yet!! Might try and get there this week ;)
 
M

Michael_Roberts

Squid
You're after just trail riding or will you go for some solo stuff that the kids won't handle? Downhill as well?[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I will try and ditch the family and ride solo whenever I can get away with it. However, my 9 year old son can handle pretty much any thing I can (He is a little freak on a MTB). I am not up for much in the way of down hill but after a year of riding the best Australia's got to offer who knows.
 
clockworked

clockworked

Like an orange
public trails are the best thing that's happened to riding in this country. Who remembers what this conversation would've been like 10 years ago; it was closer to a bunch of surly surfers holding fast to their localism.

If flow trails are the necessary evil we have to cop, that's fine with me.
 
K

Klips

Likes Dirt
Come to Canberra. There's heaps of shit here. If you've got a year to go around Aus, spend a week here.
 
M

Michael_Roberts

Squid
Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions. I will have to look up all of these places and start plotting them on a map. Hopefully I can come up with a route that lets me ride them all.:clap2:
 
silentbutdeadly

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
There's also trail networks at Wagga Wagga, Cootamundra and Broken Hill that are well worth an explore.

Clare Valley rail trails in SA are great for the family and are part of the much longer Mawson Trail. Flinders Ranges is full of spectacular family friendly double track. Plus of course the Southern Flinders and Adelaide Hills...

South West WA is riddled with trails from the Perth Hills all the way around to Denmark. Karratha in the mid north has its own network too.

Alice Springs has quite some trail too...
 
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