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Kiama trails
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
I am staying in Kiama this weekend. Anyone know of some trails in the area. I have limited time and am just after anything that will give me a few hours on the bike. Technical, non technical whatever there is. There was a post a few months ago about a coastal track, has anyone riden that. Thks
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Yeah I've ridden the coastal track. It's not technical, but a nice ride. There are excellent cycleways from the centre of town to the trailhead, and then you are riding along the clifftops for about 7km to Gerringong. Very picturesque.
Also worth checking out is the headland of Bombo Beach, which you can also easily ride to from the township. It has a couple of firetrails into an old quarry. Again, some great views are on offer.
Inland from Kiama there is Hoddles Track (see the writeup on Trailflix).
Nice part of the world down there.
it's been raining in the last few days, most of the tracks will be very heavy and not much fun, if your really keen to ride, then blackbutt reserve just outside shellharbour (approx 15mins north of Kiama) will be the best bet. It's ok after rain, dries out reasonably quick.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Blackbutt%20For...
AROC recently held an adventure race, the bike leg included the reserve. PM me if you need more detail.
Phil
PM Sent
Not many tracks around Kiama in terms of offroad... (im there most wknds and i haven't found many) but lots of road/footpaths and like someone suggested the walking path between Kiama and gerringong
however there are some nice off road tracks in south Nowra (one very nice SCUM track) and a few others which are a good ride.
Ok time to share ...
The recent AROC Adventure race held the mountain bike leg in Blackbutt forest reserve, we've been using the reserve for training for the last 6 months. After the AROC event the trails cleaned up so much, I feel that sharing and getting more riders up there will only improve the tracks. So here's a rough guide to the tracks. There are plenty more tracks just waiting to be cleaned up. I've illustrated about 1/2 the tracks ...
We can ride for about 2 hours, mixing up the tracks. All tracks can be riden in both directions, there's not much flat work, it's all up and down. The other great thing about the reserve is it dries up quickly, you can ride this place a day of two after rain.
Hate to bring this up, but are these trails authorised for riding? I found a map put out by Tourism Shellharbour that shows only two main firetrails, the rest marked as walking tracks.
I also found this document on the Shellharbour Council website:
http://www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/default.aspx?...
So I'm guessing that riding on walking tracks in this area is an unauthorised use and going to give mountain bike riders a bad name.
Unless you have a council document stating otherwise?
Thanks everyone. Will avoid Shell Harbour until the legality point is resolved.
I bumped into the rangers some months ago up at the reserve and asked them if it was ok to ride the trails, their response was YES, as long as you stay on the trails, do not go cutting your own and respect the rights of others, like walkers. Do you think that the council would allow the AROC group to run and event up there and then make it illegal for other to ride the same trails?
ps. there are no signs anywhere across the reserve that indicates NO BIKES ... called the coucil and awaiting something offical from them, will update thread when it comes through.
No, but one may wonder if perhaps AROC got special dispensation for their event? And which specific trails did that event take in?
Most reserves are meant to be regulated by a plan of management, but I cannot find one on the council's website.
You might find this pedantic, but as we have found in the Northern Beaches, when dealing with councils and what they do and don't allow in reserves it's best to get everything in writing and not rely on what you are told by rangers.
Just got off the phone with "Barry" from Shellharbour council, he concurred with my thoughts, stay to the trails, do not go as he put it go "bush bashing", or "cutting down flora" and be respectfull of others using the trails. He also stated there are no signs up there that proclude bikes from the reserve.
All good then... but seriously, I'd get that in writing (an email will do so long as it's from a council address).
another trail I can ride when i'm down that way , I was told about this trail by the local bike shop at Warrawong earlier in the year , so it must be ok too ride there then