Mount Keira Adventure Playground – MTB proposal

jgdj18

jgdj18

Likes Dirt
Sounds great, I'm really hoping that this goes ahead.

I think they will need a variety of trails to be successful though. They will probably need a trail which would be family friendly to satisfy the need for that area of tourism and beginner riders and at least one other trail which would satisfy the more experienced riders. I don't think that a single trail to suit all riders would work.
 
bikesarefun

bikesarefun

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nerf Herder said:
Please dont build a flow trail, even if its described as an xc trail ... we have enough smooth fracking trails getting built. Surely we can have rough/textured trails that are still sustainable and shed water without them being turned into smooth BMX single track with uphill pumps or tight corners before uphill sections.:whistle:
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All this hate for flow tracks. Retarded.

It's great to have a trail that can be ridden on anything from a $100 recreational bike to a $10k DH sled. That's what gets more people into the sport, and that's what we need at the moment. Look at Full Nelson in Squamish as a good example.


There's plenty of tech rocky rooty trails in NSW already. Y'aint going to get many noobs into the sport safely that way.
 
placebo

placebo

Likes Dirt
No fucking way this will happen. Wollongong council haven't been able to stabilise and reopen Mt.Keira road in a year. An existing road on the same hill. Think about it, existing tarmac is beyond the maintenance and funding capabilities of the council. There's no fucking way the bunch of crooks and idiots that comprise the elected representatives and the employed planning staff of Wollongong council could ever achieve anything like this. No developer backhanders in this. Look at every project the management at council has been given permission for lately. That fucking ugly disaster on top of Bulli, twenty million flushed down the toilet. The mall revamp, pavers and gum trees costing another twenty million. Seriously, twenty million just to repave the mall and plant some gum trees. Wollongong council is a busted arse bunch of motherfucking idiots who are raising rates twenty five percent over the next couple of years just to cover the financial blackhole they've landed everyone in because of their proven track record of mismanagement, failure and corruption. People are whining because there might be a flow trail and that's a deal killer for them. You're fucking kidding yourselves, that's an illusion.
 
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D

Dh2

Likes Bikes
How long are we looking until this may start construction?. Also is this just going to be another Thredbo closer to Sydney? Or more like Queenstown bike park?, a really quality bike park for all?
 
H

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Muz that is Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park which is located south of Wollongong. This proposal is for MT Keira and construction is a long long way off. Mt Keira Road is due to reopen soon and the existing trail network is not a legal trail network.

Placebo raised a few truths about council but one difference here is that this is being pushed by Destination Wollongong as part of am overall plan to increase tourism in Wollongong. It will need council and land owners support but there are some positive signs at the moment.

The best thing people can do at the moment to show support is voice your opinions when ever there is an opportunity, like the articles posted above. There are plenty of negative comments from people opposed to this plan and it would be great if this was outweighed by more people supporting the proposal.
 
indica

indica

Serial flasher
Halo1 said:
The best thing people can do at the moment to show support.
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Go for it for sure.
What appeared to work here is the club had council members in the club and actively pushing for things to go ahead. We have well over $1m of trail constructed or being so in the last two years and it is amazing for a town of less than 15K people. The amount of cars with bikes on the back is amazing, bike parks and indeed a decent trail system are a major boost for local and long distance tourism.

Good luck.
 
Nerf Herder

Nerf Herder

Wheel size expert
bikesarefun said:
All this hate for flow tracks. Retarded.
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Smooth flow trails in Australia to me are what none mountain bikers think mountain bikers want. Nice low liability single track freeways with a few jumps and shizz. Smooth flow trails are what contractors build on their paid jobs, not what they build for themselves.

So much quicker to build smooth trails and use hardening agents rather then building it with rock, having to heli it in, or worse barrow the anchor rocks in one at a time.

So, I don't hate flow trails, I hate artificially smooth flow trails, built on obviously rocky geology and ignoring the often sandy nature of soils on the east coast of Australia. All to replicate an awesome trail experience from overseas, located on totally different soil compositions. Now thats bloody retarded.

Lets build trails to highlight the diversity of Australian terrain ... no need to dumb it down for new riders. We all survived, I'm sure new enthusiasts will too and be the better riders for it. Similarly, why copy what other people do overseas, we have our own unique shizzle here, let them come here and copy our trails.

World Class Trails in the Gong !!! don't compromise
 
crank1979

crank1979

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nerf Herder said:
Smooth flow trails in Australia to me are what none mountain bikers think mountain bikers want. Nice low liability single track freeways with a few jumps and shizz. Smooth flow trails are what contractors build on their paid jobs, not what they build for themselves.

So much quicker to build smooth trails and use hardening agents rather then building it with rock, having to heli it in, or worse barrow the anchor rocks in one at a time.

So, I don't hate flow trails, I hate artificially smooth flow trails, built on obviously rocky geology and ignoring the often sandy nature of soils on the east coast of Australia. All to replicate an awesome trail experience from overseas, located on totally different soil compositions. Now thats bloody retarded.

Lets build trails to highlight the diversity of Australian terrain ... no need to dumb it down for new riders. We all survived, I'm sure new enthusiasts will too and be the better riders for it. Similarly, why copy what other people do overseas, we have our own unique shizzle here, let them come here and copy our trails.
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Agreed. All we're missing is a national advocacy body (with State reps/offices) to help with access and design. Didn't we have one of these a little while ago?:behindsofa:
 
Dragonwoody

Dragonwoody

Likes Dirt
The long term plan is for a lift assisted bike park with a variety of trails from newbies to experienced riders. It's about catering for everybody and I think do this there should be smooth/easy/flow tracks/callthemwhatyoulike to world class DH tracks in which World class events can be held as per Cairns. Variety is good, vision is good.

I am an optimist so I can see this happening, but to get there there will need to be baby steps I think. If this includes a short basic smooth loop trail to begin with then so be it. It is progress.

As Halo1 has stated there seems to be support gathering for this to happen and the more positive support it receives the better it is to drown out the non supporters that are normally so vocal.

National Parks will be a big sticking point but as per other examples such as Glenrock, they seem willing to work with councils and the biking community to an extent.

Let's make this happen!
 
H

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nerf Herder said:
Smooth flow trails in Australia to me are what none mountain bikers think mountain bikers want. Nice low liability single track freeways with a few jumps and shizz. Smooth flow trails are what contractors build on their paid jobs, not what they build for themselves.

So much quicker to build smooth trails and use hardening agents rather then building it with rock, having to heli it in, or worse barrow the anchor rocks in one at a time.

So, I don't hate flow trails, I hate artificially smooth flow trails, built on obviously rocky geology and ignoring the often sandy nature of soils on the east coast of Australia. All to replicate an awesome trail experience from overseas, located on totally different soil compositions. Now thats bloody retarded.

Lets build trails to highlight the diversity of Australian terrain ... no need to dumb it down for new riders. We all survived, I'm sure new enthusiasts will too and be the better riders for it. Similarly, why copy what other people do overseas, we have our own unique shizzle here, let them come here and copy our trails.

World Class Trails in the Gong !!! don't compromise
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I agree, if the plan is to attract world class events then they need to build world class trails!!!

There is a naturally formed line from the top, if thats the kind of stuff your into..:flypig:
14a62aa0-8109-468e-aa43-1801367bbecb.jpg

I will probably still hit the flow trail:hippie:
 
bikesarefun

bikesarefun

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nerf Herder said:
why copy what other people do overseas
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So we can save $2,500 a year on flights to Canada.

But agree that Kiera might not be especially suited to a proper flow trail. Would be a lot of work tearing our trees and importing dirt. Bare Creek, on the other hand.....

Also, agree that the local attempts at flow trails have been woeful. Frankly, I don't think there's any trail building companies in Australia with the experience to build one of those trails successfully. Need the Coastal Crew, or Gravity Logic, or someone like running the show.
 
crank1979

crank1979

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Halo1 said:
Well almost no one ever. The Illawarra Branch of National Parks Association weighed into the debate
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2410068/why-mt-keira-adventure-park-is-a-bad-idea/?cs=298

I respect their opinion but they just don't get it. Still it was good to see some positive comments in support of the proposal.
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I think it's important to point out that the National Parks Association (NPA) is not the same organisation as the National parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Looking at the most recent Illawarra branch newsletter I'd suggest that they are representing less than 50 financial members. Only 20 are mentioned as attending their 'successful' Xmas walk and lunch. I would think that should be one of their gretaest attended events of each year. As we've seen in the past with the Mounatin biking in NSW National parks discussions from a few years ago, NPA and other similar organisations are small but vocal.

A local, proactive club should be driving the push for this park to happen in conjunction with Destination Wollongong.
 
nrthrnben

nrthrnben

Likes Dirt
Update here? We need to keep momentum up with this, this has the potential to be the biggest thing for NSW MTB and maybe even AU MTB in a long time, how often is there a proposal on the table in Australia with Chairlift assisted DH and Technical Flow trail included?
 
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