Mountain Biking along Sapphire Coast
Recently I had the pleasure of mountain biking on the East Coast of NSW along the Sapphire Coast. I had been told that the Mountain biking was great at Mandeni Park. I have to be honest on arriving at the park it felt like something out of a horror movie, perhaps a version of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' style. The car park was virtually empty bar one other car and there was a old man probably in his 70's with a overweight labrador in the same vintage who greeted us on his rundown golf buggy (he reminded me of the professor in Jurassic Park, you know the one with the walking stick and amber stone handle!). We handed over $5 each to ride the trail which was to help with upkeep of the trails and the facilities etc so I guess that seemed reasonable.
The track itself was beautiful and there's something for every standard. I was with my dad on this day and it really did cater for both of us. There was plenty of jumps and log rides, drops, river crossings, ups and downs, and if you felt like doing more you could cross into the next park over a fence and extend your ride by another 6 km or so. The beauty of this park was it's diversity, scenery, wildlife and surprisingly tucked away somewhere between the trees a perfectly maintained golf course (honestly I have no idea where this golf course came from but it was seriously special).
For more details on this great ride check out http://familypark.mandeni.com.au
It has something for everyone, take your friends and family there, you'll find more than mountain biking, there's accommodation, golf, archery and much more.
p.s watch out for Slippery the Eel!
