Destination Southern NSW (DSNSW) has officially launched Great Southern Trails, a new tourism initiative that aims to position Southern NSW as Australia's premier mountain biking destination.
Great Southern Trails connects 10 mountain biking trail networks and towns, offering 550+ km of dedicated MTB trails across the South Coast, Alpine Region, and the Capital. The initiative was launched at the inaugural Sea Otter Australia MTB Festival in Batemans Bay in October 2025, marking its debut on the national stage.
"Mountain biking is one of the fastest-growing tourism segments in regional Australia. Tourism Research Australia estimates cycle tourism contributes $1billion annually to the visitor economy. Every trail network brings riders to local cafes, pubs, accommodation, visitor attractions, and tours," said Richard Everson, General Manager of Destination Southern NSW.
"The Great Southern Trails tourism initiative aims to inspire visitors to choose Southern NSW for their next MTB trip. The initiative helps them plan, and encourages longer stays, higher visitor spend, and stronger year-round tourism visitation - delivering real economic and social benefits to our local towns and communities," Mr Everson added.
The Great Southern Trails brand and website have been developed by DSNSW with support from MTB clubs, tourism industry operators, local councils and government. It provides an epic 1000 km mountain biking road trip taking in 10 locations that can easily be broken into smaller segments of 2, 3, and 4-day MTB adventures. "Southern NSW is home to some of Australia's best mountain biking trail networks, which is the reason we brought our business and the internationally renowned Sea Otter Australia MTB Festival to Batemans Bay and Mogo Trails. From the iconic Stromlo Forest Park to Thredbo Resort and the recently opened Mogo Trails, Gravity Eden, Narooma MTB, and Mt Tumbarumba, nowhere else in Australia comes close to the quality and diversity of MTB riding on offer in the region," said Juliane Wisata, Founder & Marketing Director Rocky Trail Entertainment, Australia's leading MTB event business.
"It makes sense to collectively market the MTB trail networks in this region and ensure the MTB riders of Australia know the incredible MTB experience on offer here," Ms Wisata added.
In addition to showcasing the region's trails, Destination Southern NSW also aims to strengthen tourism industry collaboration and sustainability of the MTB tourism sector through capacity-building skills workshops, networking and advocacy.
Websites: www.greatsoutherntrails.com.au Organisation website: https://dsnsw.com.au/
About us:
About Great Southern Trails | MTB Southern NSW
Great Southern Trails is a Destination Southern NSW tourism initiative showcasing the South Coast, Alpine Region, and the Capital as Australia's ultimate MTB road trip touring route. It features 10 MTB trail networks across Southern NSW – Mogo, Narooma, Tathra, Eden, Cooma, Jindabyne, Thredbo, Tumbarumba, Stromlo, and Majura Pines – the network offers diverse terrain and experiences for riders of all levels from the mountains to the coast.
