Places That Rock: Jindabyne
Jindabyne's riding offerings have exploded in recent years, making it a must ride on a Snowy Mountains trip.
Words: Will Shaw
Photos: TBS
In the fourth article recapping our Snowies Roadie from last year we're focussing on Jindabyne. Often viewed as a good place to stay if you want to ride Thredbo but stay somewhere a bit bigger, Jindabyne's riding offerings are getting better every year. Read on for our experience riding in Jindabyne for a couple of days.
After finishing up at Mount Gladstone, we packed up the MUX and headed to the Bungarra trails, just outside of Jindabyne. The Bungarra trails are located off Barry Way on Bungarra Lane. The trails are open to the public; however, a small fee is required for a day pass due to the insurance costs of having the trails on private property.
We headed to Bungarra to check out the trails, but also to see the Jindy Girl Riders (JGR) in action. JGR run programs for girls and women of all ages, and they’re incredibly popular. On the afternoon we were at Bungarra it was pretty wet and wild, but the carpark was full of cars jam packed with bikes. Too see all the kids so excited about riding was pretty special.
The trails at Bungarra have been specifically designed with rider development in mind. There’s plenty of green trails, multiple skills parks, and a fantastic pump track. Moving up in difficulty, there’s quite a few blue trails, with the Copperhead Flow Trail being a standout. All of the rollers can be jumped, but are also super smooth to roll or manual, making them a great platform for learning a variety of skills.
Finally, there’s the black loop, which consists of the Garden Trail and Rock and Roll. These trails go a bit higher up the hill, almost to the summit of the 1261m Round Hill. These trails reminded us of Mount Buller due to their tight and technical nature set amongst the snow gums. The Rock and Roll descent is a real old school trail, with line selection being critical to maintaining speed.
The following morning, we headed out with Brooke and Jane from the Jindy Girl Riders to check out the Mill Creek trails at the Tyrolean Village. Whilst we drove out there, the Copper Tom trail goes all the way from town, so you can ride from your accommodation to the trails if you’re staying in Jindabyne.
Mill Creek packs plenty of great riding into a reasonably small space. We began by riding the machine built ‘Pink Trail’, a flowy downhill that was packed with riders both times we rode it. The Pink Trail isn’t your average flow trail, however. Due to its multiple line choices and incredibly well-made nature, this trail is a local favourite for everyone from World Cup racer and Jindabyne local Tegan Molloy through to families enjoying an afternoon of mountain biking.
Aside from the Pink Trail, Mill Creek has a number of blue and black options. All of the trails run either side of the Mill Creek Trail, which is a cruisy green that can be used as a climb to get back to the top of Mill Creek, or to take you back towards Copper Tom. Two of our favourites were Knights in Shining Armour, and Three Lions.
Whilst there’s always been riding in Jindabyne, seeing just how much work has gone into both Bungarra and Mill Creek has us excited for the future. There are rumours of a trail circumnavigating the whole of Lake Jindabyne down the track, and you can already ride the TVT all the way to the Hatchery Bay trail and then to town. If you’re on your way to Threbdo, you’d be mad to not take a day and explore what Jindy has to offer.
Where: The Mill Creek trails at the Tyrolean Village have parking located on Rainbow Drive on the right as you first drive in. The Bungarra trails are located off Bungarra Lane.
Accommodation: There’s plenty of accommodation for all budgets. We stayed at the Highland Lodge Farmstay, which is located on Eucumbene Road just 10 minutes from the Mill Creek trails. The drying room was much appreciated after a wet afternoon on the trails, and there’s lots of attractions for families with free bike usage on the property, as well as animals roaming around.
Riding style: XC to trail, with some more technical sections. Trails like Three Lions at Mill Creek and Rock and Roll at Bungarra could get hairy at high speeds.
Trail surface: Mainly hardpack, with some rooty and rocky sections.
Don't forget: There’s a small charge to ride at Bungarra to cover the insurance as it’s on private land. You can find all the information about this on their website. If you’re planning on shuttling the Mill Creek trails, be respectful of people’s private driveways when picking riders up.
What's on? The Jindabyne Trail Stewardship are constantly working on the trails and posting trail updates. Check out their Facebook page for all the latest trail info.
Local shops: There’s a number of local bike shops in Jindabyne offering servicing, sales, and rentals. Alpine Sports at Nuggets Crossing helped us out with a lightning speed brake bleed and plenty of local knowledge. There’s also Sacred Ride and Gravity Jindabyne.
More details: The Jindabyne Trail Stewardship on Facebook is the place to go for the latest trail information. For more information on the Jindy Girl Riders, head to their Facebook page also.
