Over 20km of world class mountain bike and walking trails now surround Mount Morgan's No.7 Dam so get set to weave your way through those historic hills!
The $620,000 project is funded by the Queensland Government's Works for Queensland Program.
Member for Rockhampton Barry O'Rourke welcomed the Palaszczuk Government's support for the region.
"This is a government that is committed to Central Queensland's economic recovery and that's on show today as we open these trails," Mr O'Rourke said.
"The construction phase has delivered 23 jobs for locals, helping to drive our economic recovery.
"Importantly this infrastructure will make the region more accessible and bring tourists and locals alike to Mount Morgan."
Acting Mayor Neil Fisher said the trails idea was one of the key projects identified in Council's 'Advancing Mount Morgan' strategy, which was adopted in November last year.
"The Advancing Mount Morgan strategy is designed to support business, create opportunities for employment and education, and unlock the tourism potential of Mount Morgan's multiple natural and historic assets," said Acting Mayor Fisher.
"The strategy was produced after extensive community consultation, including roundtables and surveys, and it's a real pleasure to see one of the projects in there come to life today.
"These trails are going to be a fantastic tourist drawcard as well as a favourite for locals. Being able to mountain bike alongside a beautiful body of water is a wonderful feature of this network.
"Another element of the Advancing Mount Morgan strategy is to work on a feasibility study to find a safe and legal area for four wheel driving, and we look forward to starting that early next year.
"We are very grateful to the State Government for funding this project through their fantastic Works for Queensland Program, which has invested so much into our region."
Parks and Divisional Councillor Cherie Rutherford said the trails had been named with the area in mind.
"We worked with Gangulu Elders and local mountain bikers to name the trails, and I'm so pleased that they reference different aspects of Mount Morgan," said Cr Rutherford.
"The five trails are of varying length and difficulty, meaning that anyone from the casual walker to the mountain bike pro can come to Mount Morgan and find something that's perfect for them.
"It's a wonderful addition to Mount Morgan and the whole Rockhampton Region."
The five trails are:
- .The Gangulu Trail
- Named after the Traditional Owners of the Land
- Offers riders XC (cross country) riding for those that like an epic long distance ride, and features great vistas of the Dam from the Eastern side
- .The Bungoona Trail
- Bungoona is the Gangulu name for where Mount Morgan was built
- Offers views of Mount Morgan and spectacular views of the Dam, with a nice climb and downhill section offering drops, jumps and a few gaps
- .Miners' Mercy
- Acknowledges the mining background of Mount Morgan
- Like the Gangulu Trail, Miners' Mercy offers riders XC (cross country) riding for those that like an epic long distance ride, and features great vistas of the Dam from the Eastern side
- .Mundagarra
- Named after the Gangulu creation spirit which created the Dee River
- Features a steep long climb that rewards riders with a flowy decent packed with berms and jumps
- .Cutter's Run
- Connects mining history, Morgan Street and the mountain bike trails
- Offers a clear view of the mine stack on the climb up, and on the way down is a flowy trail made for speed with a few obstacles in-between
