It may well be the greatest piece of tourism infrastructure created in Wollongong since the Blue Mile.
At the weekend hundreds of mountain bike enthusiasts from this region and beyond flocked to the escarpment at Mount Kembla to test their skills and enjoy some of the best trails in the country.
Reuben Viles, from the Wollongong Mountain Bike Club, helped in the design of the 20 kilometres of tracks and said he might be a bit biased. "I think it's fantastic."
He was joined by friends Kelvin Ritchie, from Sydney, and another local, Patrick Kane. The Illawarra Flame caught up with them unwinding at the historic Mount Kembla Pub, after many hours testing out the new trails.
"The vibe is really great up there, a great community feeling," Patrick said.
Something for everyone
The trails, built at a cost of $13.4 million, have been designed to cater for riders of all ages and abilities, featuring green and blue trails, as well as black trails for experienced riders.
"There's something for everyone," Rueben said. "There are families and people who look like they've never ridden a bike before up here having a go," said Patrick.
Their Sydney friend, Kelvin, loved the experience and will soon be spreading the word.
"People living in the Shire and in south-western Sydney really need a network like this; it's fantastic."
Mount Kembla Pub said it had noticed an upswing in visitor numbers since the new trails were opened only a few weeks ago, following a delay due to recent wet weather.
On Sunday, the owner of a popular coffee cart, Sarah Widodo, said cyclists had started queuing for their first caffeine hit of the day even before she opened for business at 7am.
"I'd done my normal day's takings by 10am," she said. "It's already been great for business."
Bowling club feeling the benefits
It was a similar story in Kembla Heights, where the local bowling club is having a resurgence, after being closed for a long time during the pandemic.
Mia Bennett reopened the cafe just last Wednesday off the back of the mountain bike trade and the Windy Gully Bistro is turning out great pub food for hungry cyclists.
"We are working with Destination Wollongong to get the word out," Mia said. "Today was our busiest day yet," she said on Sunday, September 21.
"And we aren't just here for the mountain bikers. There's free barefoot bowls."
While still getting back on its feet, the club is mainly run by volunteers.
Suzy Lawler, from Figtree, says she volunteers at the club "just to give back".
She helps with the raffles on Friday and Sundays, helps behind the bar, and even does a spot of gardening.
Enjoying the hospitality
Enjoying the club's hospitality in the beer garden were mountain bike enthusiasts, Nichola Beachcroft and Craig Baylis, from Shellharbour. "This club is great. Where else can you get a beer for $7?" Nichola asked.
She'd just completed her second visit to the new mountain bike trails and will become a regular.
"They're amazing, so social, and everyone's having a good time. It's good to have a place that's legal to ride. It feels like you're doing the right thing."
Rodney Mazik from Mangerton was also on his second visit. "I came up the first time on Father's Day. The infrastructure is fantastic and it's very well signed so there's no chance of getting lost."
Mal Swishburne, from Balgownie, praised Wollongong Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service for creating the trails. "It's a massive amount of effort and everyone is embracing it," he said.
A great new tourist attraction
Peter Newhouse brought his "very excited" son, 12-year-old Jacob, for his first test of the tracks. "No doubt this will become a great tourist attraction," Peter said in a packed main car park.
Social media is how a group of Sydney friends found out about the new trails, and they were loving their first time experience.
"There's really good variety out there," said Amy Nguyen.
"It's the thrill and the speed, and it's really good exercise," Jeffrey Boyd said.
A Balgownie couple, Sarah and Scott Emerson, have already become regulars. We caught up with Sarah on her second visit, while Scott had just completed his fourth.
"We normally do this together as a family," Sarah said. "It's all about the adrenaline and the fitness."
The Illawarra is fast gaining a reputation for being a mountain biking mecca, and that will only grow when construction on the next two stages of the trails – Kembla Trails Stage Two and the Balgownie Trails.
Once complete, Destination Wollongong will have a 70-kilometre network of mountain bike trails to promote, as a healthy, fun way to enjoy a visit to the Illawarra.
