The expansion and redevelopment of the popular mountain bike and shared-use trails at Casuarina Coastal Reserve and Charles Darwin National Park have been completed as part of the Territory Labor Government’s $1 million investment into the NT Mountain Bike Master Plan implementation.

The works helped to support local jobs and develop specialist trail-building capacity as the contracted company, Trailscapes provided on-the-job training to its local workers.

The project includes two new trails and upgrades to five existing trails at Casuarina Coastal Reserve, and five new trails and upgrades to two existing trails - Wirraway and Spitfire - at Charles Darwin National Park.

There are now 6.5km of trails at Casuarina Coastal Reserve and a further 15km of trails at Charles Darwin National Park, including several new black diamond-rated tracks that offer challenging terrain for experienced riders alongside trails suitable for all skill levels.

Quotes from Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Lauren Moss:

“The Territory Labor Government is investing in mountain biking to improve liveability for locals and to attract tourists, as mountain bikers tend to be high-yield visitors who often spend more on accommodation, food and other tourism services, which will help boost our economy.

“Mountain biking and adventure tourism are growing in popularity, and improvements to trails in the Territory will help put us on the map for people looking for such experiences.

“This project has helped upskill Territorians, as those employed by the contractor now have on-the-job experience in this type of work, and those skills will remain here in the Territory.

“The project is also a great example of the consultation process at work, and we thank the members of the Darwin Off-Road Cyclists group for their valuable input, which means the trails offer the best possible experience for riders.”

Quotes from Darwin Off-Road Cyclists Vice President, Keogh Conboy:

“Local and visiting riders are very happy with the upgrades and new trails, which have built upon what the local mountain bike scene had started.

“Lee Point and Charles Darwin National Park trails are easily accessible and have long been valued by the mountain bike community; the investment by government will further enhance the rider experience.

“We are a growing sport and it’s been great to have the government acknowledge this by investing in it.”

Media contact: Lisa Sennett 0436 929 858 LisaJ.sennett@nt.gov.au