A bold vision to turn Tenterfield into a world-class mountain biking destination is becoming a reality, thanks to the passion of a small grassroots group, a lot of grit, and a crucial funding boost.
In January this year, the Angry Bull Trails organisation received an $8.2 million grant from the Australian Government’s Growing Regions Program. This funding, combined with a previous $4.1 million grant, brings the total investment to $12.3 million.
The Angry Bull Trails initiative was formed in 2020 by local rider Joe Smith and social enterprise advocate Vince Sherry. The first 13km section of the project, the Bald Rock Adventure Trail, began construction in March and is expected to be open by spring 2025.
“It’s a pretty spectacular track,” said Angry Bull Trails spokesperson Caitlin Reed.
“There are sections where you ride straight through two massive boulders about the size of a house. The trail follows a travelling stock route that borders Bald Rock National Park, so the views are absolutely incredible.”
The trails have been created from scratch, rather than repurposing existing paths.
“We had some fire trails through the forest and a lot of gravel roads, which are great for gravel riding, but this project is all about purpose-built, world-class mountain bike trails,” Ms Reed said.
“The trails are how we fund the work. We use them to build something far bigger than a cycling destination.”
At the heart of the project is a bold social enterprise. The initiative is designed not only to attract visitors but also to tackle Tenterfield’s high youth unemployment rate which is currently around 17 per cent.
“Youth employment is at the very heart of what we’re doing,” Ms Reed said.
“We want kids to have the option to stay in Tenterfield. Right now, a lot of them leave town after school because there aren’t enough opportunities.”
To combat this, Angry Bull Trails has launched a Trainee Trail Builder Program. Each construction crew for the project will include at least one trainee, with a particular focus on First Nations employment.
“We recently held our first information sessions for the program. It was brilliant,” Ms Reed said. “High school kids were updating their resumes, telling their friends all about it. It’s exciting.”
A major part of the project is the restoration of a century-old heritage building on the main street into a multi-use Trail Centre, due to open by March 2026. The space will house a café, retail shop, visitor information hub, end-of-trip facilities such as lockers and showers, and function as the financial engine for the social enterprise.
“It’s got incredible bones,” Ms Reed said. “It was a tyre centre for years, but now we’re reimagining it as the heart of our whole operation.”
The first phase of the project which comprises the trail centre and 100km of trail, is due for completion by June 2026. A second phase, including a further 60km of trails, will be finished by April 2027.
“We’ll be doing soft launches for each trail as they’re completed,” Ms Reed said. “We’re hoping the first trail will open this spring.”
By completion, the project is expected to attract 35,000 additional visitors to Tenterfield each year, a major boost for the local economy.
An earlier cycling event, the Gravel & Granite ride, held in March, drew over 500 cyclists and generated an estimated $667,000 in local spending.
“Next year’s Gravel & Granite will be in May, and we’re aiming to have the trail centre fully operational by then,” Ms Reed said. “That’s our big milestone.”
Importantly, the trail centre will create even more employment opportunities through hospitality and tourism traineeships, including barista, chef, and food handling roles, as well as back-end business positions in marketing, events, sponsorship and more.
“We’ll also need mentors to guide all of these young people,” Caitlin said. “This is a true community project, done with the community, for the community.”
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