REVEALED: The blueprint for a world-class MTB trail in Rocky
What’s 4.5km long and a one-way thrill ride from top to bottom - they call it ‘Blue Dawg’
Rockhampton
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IT’S the trail Dan Witten believes will cement Rockhampton’s place as a true mountain biking destination.
Called Blue Dawg, it’s a 4.5km one-way thrill ride from the top of Mount Archer down into First Turkey Mountain Bike Reserve.
Witten is president of the Rockhampton Mountain Bike Club and is keen to see the concept become a reality.
He and his executive are working on a proposal to present to the Rockhampton Regional Council and the state government in a bid to secure funding.
“Blue Dawg has the potential to be a massive signature trail,” Witten said.
“We’ve got 500m of elevation on that mountain. At this point in time, no one else in Queensland has anything close to that.
“This trail would definitely make Rockhampton a true mountain biking destination.
“It would be tough terrain but the views and all the features that would be in it would be unreal.”
Witten was buoyed by comments from Keppel MP Brittany Lauga who recently had her first ride on the First Turkey trails.
She was excited about what was on offer and proclaimed that CQ “could absolutely be the mountain bike capital of Australia and the world”.
Witten said Blue Dawg would complement the 30km of existing trails, which cater for riders of all skill levels.
“We think it’s something that both council and the state government could get behind to put Rockhampton on the map,” he said.
“We’re probably going to need $50,000 to $60,000 initially to work through impact assessment, Native Title and getting an actual trail design.
“Once that’s done, we would need to go chasing dollars to build the actual trail, which could be upwards of $200,000.”
Witten said the club already had some state government grant funding in the pipeline for a skills area inside the reserve and a 2-3km green trail running from Zamia walking trail up towards Turkey’s Nest hub.
“Rocky has so much potential and scope,” he said.
“Our winter climate also makes it a really desirable destination for mountain bike tourism, which is growing phenomenally every year.
“Having a trail like Blue Dawg would be the icing on the cake.”
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