Tasmania is shaping up as a premier cycling and mountain biking destination, with breathtaking scenery from soaring mountain ranges and cliffs to Jurassic style temperate rainforest.

Mountain bike enthusiasts say the trails that wind through rainforest with pristine streams and granite boulders are among the best in the world, offering big turns, big jumps and natural hand built trails.

Maydena Bike Park

A brand-new mountain bike park only 75 minutes from the Capital Hobart is the latest addition to Tassie’s world-class mountain biking offerings. The privately-owned park is built by trail developers, Dirt Art.

The Bike Park utilizes an old elementary school – rent your bike and book an uplift in one of the old classrooms, or grab a bite to eat from the school’s cafeteria!

An uplift (20-minute bus shuttle) takes riders and sightseers to summit of the park, where visitors can commence their descent, or just settle in for a coffee, beer or a snack with 360-degree views across the rugged World Heritage Wildness.  Packages start at US$60 (A$80). Hire bikes, skills coaching and group skills sessions are also available.

Blue Derby

Blue Derby in the state’s north east, with nearly 60 miles of purpose-built single track and transforming the sleepy former tin mining town of Derby in the process.

Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails, built by World Trail, has 52 miles of trail, with 18 more miles opening by mid-2018. Blue Derby’s newest trails are ideal for beginners and families.

Derby, only 90 minutes from Launceston, hosted the Enduro World Series (EWS), in April 2017, the first time the race was held in Australia. One of the race stages was voted by the elite professionals as the best of the series, in a year where other races were held in France, New Zealand and Canada. Derby will host the EWS again in March, 2019.

Heli-biking

Tasmania also has the country’s first heli-biking experience. Rotor-Lift Aviation, a Hobart based helicopter operator has partnered with McVilly Velo to drops daredevils at the top of Maydena, to ride down, as well as taking riders to other remote mountains across the state.

Launceston

If biking at a slower pace, and packing in history, local stories and tastings has more appeal, visitors to Launceston, Tasmania’s major northern city can choose from a range of tours including ‘Ride The River’ and ‘Ride The Harvest’ that explores the famous Harvest market. Oenophiles can enjoy ‘Ride The Vines’, a two-hour cycle ride around, and through the vineyard that makes the Josef Chromy range of wines, finishing up with a tasting. www.onyourbiketours.com

Bangor

Tasmanian E-Bike Adventures has half, and full day trips using electric mountain bikes to explore Bangor, a private, Tasmanian coastal property with nature trails through blue gum and oak forests to reach the stunning Cape Frederick Henderick. This includes the site of the Abel Tasman monument and the first documented interaction between European explorers and Aborigines.

Tasmania MTB trails info:

In Tasmania you can do everything from an easy one-hour scenic ride through to a three-week cycling holiday along Tasmania’s west coast, listed by Lonely Planet as one of the best cycling routes in the world.

For self-guided planning this map is designed as a planning tool for your cycling trip to Tasmania.

For guided tours:

• Tasmania Mountain Bike Adventures
• Tasmania Bike Adventures
• On Your Bike Tours

For further information on Tasmania visit here.

Accolades:

• Tasmania – Number 33 – New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2018
• Tasmania – Fodor’s Global Go List 2018