Trails in Port Macquarie


muzg's picture

By muzg - Posted on 31 January 2011

I'm heading up to Port Macquarie in a couple of weeks, which XC trails do you recommend for a fun ride for a couple of hours?
Thanks

Hop fiend's picture

Kiwarrak forest back down near Taree or ask at Local Bike Shop at Port Mac. as current 24hr world solo champ Jason English hails from up there

Jason P's picture

Considering all the Port guys come down and ride Kiwarrak regularly and leave with big smiles on their faces I'd say ride Kiwarrak.

But if you insist, Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders (HVMTBR) have a XC course at Telegraph Point just off the highway 15min north of Port.

There are also pockets of urban singletrack around the beachfront and at Lake Innes.

Bago SF is good.

Links to trails up Port Macquarie here http://www.hvmtbr.com/07/index.php?module=pagema...

craked's picture

Drop into Grahame Seers cyclery and ask about the Queens lake trails at Bonny Hills and maybe Gary in the workshop will give you a tour!
Also great trails at Bago Mnt, Wauchope.

QuikStep's picture

Having moved up to Port Macquaire last year there is heaps of choices with in a 45min drive. Kiwarrak to the south is a favourite with enough variety for more than a few hours. Bago State Forest in Wauchope has got some good trails bit hard to follow as there are not so well maintained. Telegraph Point is the club XC track and there are a few ways you can do the loop 10km+ to keep you going. Kempsey to the north has a really fun network of trails behind the golf course that is fairly flat but has great flow.
In town the club is building a track around Wayne Richards oval on Koala Street that fits about 5km of single track into a compact space but is now surprisingly flowing.
I have not been down to Bonny Hills yet but as mentioned the guys in Graham Seers Cycles recommend them.
Let me know when your going and if I'm free I might be able to show you around or at least hook you up with a group going riding.

Rob's picture

These places sounds pretty close to Kiwarrak which is the main track in the Great Lakes area, right? Does anyone fancy having a stab at documenting them? Smiling

QuikStep's picture
Jason P's picture

Port Macquarie is 80km or so north of Kiwarrak with Telegraph Point another 15min drive.

Kiwarrak is in the Manning Valley, the administration centre of which is Taree. The Great Lakes region has Forster-Tuncurry as its centre.

I think the confusion centres from the club being called Manning-Great Lakes Tip Riders. The name was chosen as a lot of the guys who ride Kiwarrak drive the 38km north from Forster (Great Lakes) and with no club in the Great Lakes they have been included by their brothers in the Manning Valley. Someone once said, "Half of Taree works in Forster and half of Forster works in Taree."

hathill's picture

+1 for Kirrawak - spent an entertaining hour or so up there while on holidays in January tailing a couple of very helpful locals.

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