Omeo Mountain Bike Trails Project update – February 2024

Forging ahead

While most of us had an extended break over Christmas and New Year, the Common Ground crew was back on the tools from early January, building awesome trails.

We have a swag of trails reaching completion between now and April, including XC10 Up and Down, with a combined length of around 7km.

Frustratingly, a heavy storm hit while the crew was tuning XC10 and altering its climb, damaging the freshly reworked sections. It is still, however, on track to open next month.

Across the other trails:

• XC11 is nearing completion. The crew has made it through Darkside to complete the loop. There is still some tuning to do and clearing of vegetation.

• XC12, at a whopping 9,480m long, is being tuned.

• XC13 Down, at the top of Sam Hill (Mt Sam), is proving to be a challenging trail to build due to the amount of switchbacks (pictured right), but it is taking shape and looking great.

• X15 Down, another section packed with turns at the top of Mt Sam, will be some 3,040m long, and has seen construction progress well.

• GR4 will offer just shy of 3km of trail once it’s had some final touches.

And how good does the new bike wash area (pictured below) look!

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Trail access talks progressing

In recent months, we have held a number of constructive meetings with landowners sited adjacent the newly constructed trails regarding emergency services and maintenance team access. These important discussions are being held in good faith, and require patience, confidentiality and sensitivity from all parties – so we’re asking everyone to hold off discussing the process, so we can ease tensions as we work towards an amicable outcome.

Vote of confidence

After taking advantage of the sections of trails already on offer, Bairnsdale teenage mountain biking sensation Hudson Tarling, who scored an impressive eighth place at the national downhill championships in his age group last year, has made a bold claim for the new trail network.

“I’m calling it now,” he wrote on Instagram. “Omeo is going to be one of the best gravity parks in Australia. The place is insane.”

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Ride Omeo social media sites launch

We’re pumped to launch our new Facebook and Instagram pages. Hit Like and join the discussion about the latest trails and upgrades. Tag us or hashtag #RideOmeo when you post your Omeo photos and trail tips. Let’s create a community.

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Visitor information rolls out

If you’re more analogue than Facebook digital, head into Omeo’s Visitor Information Centre to check out a display of the latest trail photos, information about the Omeo Mountain Bike Park and trail builders Common Ground, an up-to-date trail map, as well as a handy rider code of conduct guide.

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Wheeling our way

Two spectacular cycling events are wheeling their way towards Omeo in the months ahead. The Peaks Challenge on Sunday 10 March will see approximately 2000 road riders pass through Omeo, while the Cattlemen 100 MTB, on Saturday 27 April, will attract up to 300 gnarly off-roaders.

Peaks Challenge

Cyclists and spectators alike are gearing up for a spectacular journey through the breathtaking Omeo region on Sunday 10 March. The 235km loop, with over 4000m of climbing, starts and ends at Falls Creek, hitting Mount Beauty, Harrietville, Dinner Plain, Omeo and Anglers Rest.

With an expected peloton of 2000 riders, this event is set to be epic. Omeo businesses are urged to step up and show the riders what they've got – from bike-friendly accommodation, to hearty dining experiences and must-see local attractions. It’s the perfect time for businesses to shine. So, saddle up and be part of the pulse of this event.

Cattlemen 100 MTB

The Cattlemen 100 MTB, Australia's toughest one-day cycling event, starts and finishes in Omeo on Saturday 27 April. It promises a gruelling 175km off-road journey across Omeo's breathtaking terrain, boasting a challenging 4000m of elevation gain. With a 12-hour cut-off time, riders from across the nation flock to test their limits, putting Omeo firmly on the cycling map. Already, registrations are flooding in, with an anticipated 150-300 competitors. Put your business on the cycling map by turning out on the day and help to make Omeo a year-round active tourism hot spot.

Community leadership training

Bookings are open now for a free community leadership training workshop to be held in Swifts Creek on Monday 22 April. The workshop, delivered by Non Profit Training, will teach the key skills needed to effectively run a non-profit enterprise.

This project is provided and coordinated by East Gippsland Shire Council and jointly funded by the Victorian Government through Emergency Recovery Victoria’s Recovery and Resilience Grant program and the Commonwealth Government under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in response to the 2019-20 Eastern Victorian Bushfires. Online community resource the Learning Byte Resource Library is also coming soon, with videos on grant writing, governance, finance, meetings and other community training topics.

For more, visit nonprofittraining.com.au

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Going with Flow

The team from online mountain bike magazine Flow Mountain Bike are coming to Omeo this month. They plan to update their readers on how construction is progressing, while getting some sneak peaks from the key trail builders of what we can expect to see when the bulk of the trails open in spring 2024. So, look out for their write-up and mark your calendars for a spring/summer visit.

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Map your next visit

Visit Gippsland has worked with Gippsland design studio The View From Here and illustrator Angharad Neal-Williams to create this handy map (below) that brings together all of the best destinations for mountain bike riding across Gippsland. The map is also available online and a physical version will soon be set up in Livingstone Park – the very best place on the map to be.

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