Mogo-a-go-go! Discovering the wild side of NSW's next big MTB classic
Eurobodalla Shire Council, Next Level MTB and Rocky Trail Destination have continued to build on the barnstorming success of Mogo’s initial trail network, and we made sure we were there sample their frankly astounding freshies including a new 28km adventure trail.
The NSW South Coast is unlike anywhere else – a sweeping stretch of dense forest and pristine coastline. Hard to believe it was ravaged during the Black Summer bushfires just a few years ago. But riding here now, through lush regrowth and a community thriving again, it’s clear: this place is rising, fast. A phoenix from the proverbial ashes.
The bushfire recovery fund from the Federal and NSW State Governments has played a key role in this redemption, particularly in terms of trail development, with a slew of world-class trail networks installed along the south coast or built around pre-existing riding, coupled with frankly ridiculously idyllic beachy living. This all makes for one of the most appealing areas for a mountain biker to visit nationwide, particularly thanks to progress made in the last two years. Flow visited Mogo during the opening of the initial explosion of trails in the area, and it’s been wildly popular from day one.
Now the trail wizards at Next Level MTB have concluded construction of yet more delectable mountain goodness, and we’re not in the business of turning down a visit when it’s due.
Time for round two: Mogo-a-gogo.
Side note: Jono, Clint and I had driven up from Melbourne, opting to take in a few more riding opportunities with Tumbarumba and Narooma only adding a couple of extra hours to the drive — and this meant we could visit with an icon of the Snowy Mountains region: the giant trout of Adaminaby.
There’s no short drive to Mogo from Victoria — though coming from the other direction, it’s only about four hours from Sydney or two-and-a-half from Canberra — but hitting fresh trails and big roadside fish attractions really helps break things up.
What’s new in Mogo? Everything you need to know
Since Flow’s last visit, there’s been an explosion in development for Mogo, with works undertaken by Next Level MTB’s trail teams and managed by Rocky Trail Destination, in collaboration with NSW Forestry Corp and the Eurobodalla Shire. While construction finished in May 2025, the Council is working with the Batemans Bay Mountain Bike Club to ensure the network continues to have community involvement.
This includes a brand new 28km adventure trail named Burnaaga (Goanna), forthcoming amenities which will include a high-end bike wash and a pump track. As if this weren’t enough, the main network will benefit from the addition of five new trails and a dedicated skills park.
This brings the total kilometerage of the trail to 125km — making it one of the largest destinations in the country!
Anything from a full-power e-Bike to a short travel trail bike and everything in between will be a ball of fun in Mogo, thanks to the broad range of blue trails and spicy black diamonds within the network. Mogo is a year-round riding destination thanks to the temperate climate and tacky dirt found throughout the network, and it’ll be hard to beat as a winter riding spot. There’s no membership needed here as a public facility in the state forest; it’s free to all.
A shuttle contract has been awarded to Southbound Escapes, but for the time being, it’s just for the Burnaaga (Goanna) adventure trail. The Council anticipates the shuttle service will eventually extend into the eastern part of the network after a few boxes are ticked, ‘Ts crossed and ‘Is dotted.
Park at the Mogo Trig car park for best access to the trails on the Mogo side, where you’ll find fresh blacks like Vertiginous and Seamstress (more on these later). Riders can also park at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden, just north of Mogo, and the Curtis Road entrances for alternative access into the network’s many trails.
Mountains to Sea | Riding the Burnaaga (Goanna) adventure trail from the top of Wandera Mountain
Burnaaga-Goanna adventure trail need to know:
- Distance | 28km, 600m ascending
- Rating | Blue
- Type | Backcountry adventure
- Recommended bike | e-Bike, trail or enduro
This is a long ride, and certainly one you’ll need to be well prepared for. Bring at least two litres of water each, particularly on hotter days, and a generous stack of snacks and spares you’d expect to take on an all-day mission. Though there isn’t a gargantuan amount of climbing, this sort of riding can certainly sap energy across a full day. It’s also worth noting that although we had phone service for the majority of the ride, if you’ve got a personal emergency device, pack it, just in case.
Key to the impressive new trail developments to launch in Mogo is a nearly 30-kilometre backcountry adventure trail from atop nearby Wandera Mountain, called Burnaaga (Goanna).
Wandera Mountain is visible from the main network just outside of Mogo’s township, and it’s easily spotted thanks to the radio tower jutting from its peak. Other than clocking this when we arrived the day prior, we had very little idea what to expect from the adventure trail itself — chances were it’d be good though, right?
A pre-dawn mission to the start began with a car drop through the twisting, mist-covered back roads out of Mogo. Agricultural land peppered with hints of ancient trees and beautiful native foliage gave way to a full-blown canopy enveloping the route; tinges of sunlight started to illuminate the scene as we drove. It felt like a very special place indeed.
Worth mentioning, there is a shuttle service dropping riders at the start of the trail, operated by Southbound Escapes. Given the ride culminates right back in Mogo proper, this will eliminate the need for car-drop shenanigans, so you can focus on riding this monumental beauty. We reckon that’ll be the move.
The view from the top is magnificent, the shimmering coast off in the distance, bathed in golden light. A nice day for a bicycle ride, you might say.
Right from the outset, this feels like unique terrain. The team at Next Level have put together a wild section of blue flow. Stopping briefly near the summit to present riders with an even more insane 180-degree view, proudly carved into the side of the hill with a beautiful timber ‘MOGO’ sign, just in case you forget your end goal. Squint and you’d think you were in Tuscany with bands of low-lying cloud wafting through the rolling hills stretched out for miles below.
Onward, then! Excellent flowy traverses and sweet, tight switchbacks insistent on highlines. Straight sections were peppered with rocky drops and catches. There’s more rock up top than we’d anticipated, especially considering the rainforesty feel of the area. There’s no time to focus on geology when you’re laughing your head off, though.
This section would come to host Lia’s near-hugey; immortalised in Nick’s incredible photo sequence. Save of the century? Behold…
It’s often easy to overlook just how much work goes into a trail like this while you’re racking up huge distances of non-stop riding, ever-changing forest and pleasing undulation.
Not that there’s a huge degree of climbing on the whole point-to-point. You’re looking at around 600m all up, and a trail that’s certainly ripe for an e-Bike rip. That said, you’d be just as happy riding this on a full-blown enduro bike as you would on a short-travel rocket ship. It’s just that well put together.
With distance comes change, and the sections of pure backcountry joy descending it for 6km brought the gang out at a beautiful river crossing. As you’d expect, this signified a climb out, and one of the most beautiful bits of ascending you could hope to do on a bicycle followed.
Dense bush, beautiful fern-lined valley walls, and huge, gnarled native trees sit waiting peacefully on the perfect incline.
A quick stop for a fire-road breather and snack intake awaited at the top. Our local guide Mick was bouncing around in anticipation of what came next.
“There are loads of lines through here, and they’re all built around huge rocks,” he says, grinning from ear to ear.
Well then, we’d better get on with it!
Granite Goodness | Adventuring among the rocks on lower Burnaaga (Goanna)
From here, we traversed along the side of the hill, beautiful views out to our left, and the pure artistry of a trail whisked us along. This section was littered with line choices, at times as many as four options, some with several junctures in the middle to crossover. High, low? Low, high? A bit of all of it, madam? A granite boulder strewn choose-your-own-adventure, and an instant classic.
These monolithic rocks and the inventive features built around them would typify the trail for the coming kilometres, much to the gang’s delight. Expect some Derby-sized granite with huge rolls and expertly stacked stone berms on the runout, undulating climbs scattered throughout to keep you honest. Though we’d been on the run shooting for most of the day, the level of enjoyment far outweighed any pesky tiredness we might’ve felt.
The team even slotted in an expert climbing feature, which we had no choice but to hold a climbing competition on.
Round a corner, drop into your lowest possible gear and roll onto the impossibly steep, velcro-like rock at the right pace, and you might just have a chance of making it the remaining fifty metres or so. You might want to save some beans for this one, with a fair bit of distance already under the belt.
What lay beyond was a dizzying zig-zag up through crunchy gravel dirt, meandering through bubble-like boulders of a million shapes and sizes. The team agreed, in heavy breaths, that this is no ordinary place to swing a leg over the bike.
Among the soon-to-be iconic features across the trail, what came next may be the most spectacular.
Our guide Mick uttered very little before rolling down the factory-sized rock platform we were perched on, cranking a few pedal strokes and yanking hard on the bars to land in another postcode on the rock ledge below. We gasped as he approached an egg-shaped rock further down, boosted up the side of it using a dirt ramp, and landed at a stop squarely at the top. Outrageous riding in an astounding place.
Electrified but tiring fast, we rolled onto the next sliver of trail artistry. This section was much like the rocky riding you’d find around Sydney, though with far more intuitive, and therefore predictable drops and chunky rolls. A full blind train for the gang with Lia out front made for a wild few minutes of descending, and one requiring a high degree of concentration to avoid over-egging a section and binning it into a rock garden.
Popping out at a fire road, we regrouped to be advised by Mick that we’d be on the last, fast section of trail. We’d opted for a slightly shorter route, which cut the last 9km or so of trail, owing to time limitations. So our magnum opus came with a seriously rapid straight line section of trail, which had been part of the original network in Mogo.
Tunnel vision and warp speeds would provide just the finish we needed. Shin height berms provided just enough real estate to hit at 40 km+, even if you’re wearing a camera bag, it would seem.
There really is so much to recommend about the Burnaaga (Goanna) trail, and honestly, it could easily form an article all of its own. There are a handful of trails in a similar vein that come to mind, including Cascades at Lake Mountain, and the Indigo Epic also in Victoria, Bay of Fires, Blue Tier and the Silver City trails both in Tasmania. All of which represent a key drawcard for riders with a bit more time on their hands and the inclination to cover some serious ground.
Unlike those trails of a similar length, this one may just offer even more in terms of broad-ranging terrain and sheer uniqueness in trail building. It’s definitely at the darker end of the blue spectrum when considering the remoteness and technicality of some sections — so we’d recommend riding it with caution and preferably in the company of other intermediate riders who are familiar with backcountry riding.
Back To Mogo | Riding the new gravity trails
The next morning, after the rush from our big backcountry adventure had settled, it was time to shift our focus to the other fresh additions to Mogo, a suite of brand-new gravity trails.
One of many draw cards for Mogo’s trail network lies with the ability to park up just about anywhere on its network of forest roads, ready to drop straight into a trail (or self-shuttle back up). Some areas may be subject to closure once shuttles start running officially, though it’s currently unclear as to which.
Our guide for the day was Morgan, a softly spoken local with anything but a soft approach to riding.
Seamstress need to know
- Distance | 1.1 km, -92m descending
- Rating | Black Diamond
- Type | Tech
- Recommended bike | e-Bike, trail or enduro
- Accessed from | Mogo Trig
First order of the day was a freshly cut barnstormer of a creation, curiously named Seamstress. Always fun when trail names step away from the archetype.
This black, off-camber charge-a-thon was exactly what the team needed to get the plasma pumping. Wild catch berms teleporting you to high-lines and into steep, diving corners made for some seriously engaging riding. Trying to maintain a lock on an ever-speedy Lia proved too much at all times.
Seamstress then quickly evolves, narrowing among the saplings with a quick-fire corridor of duffy catches and rocky step-ups. Rocky enough indeed that our point-woman copped a flat tyre on the very first lap. Even that couldn’t dampen spirits already through the roof.
Vertiginous need to know:
- Distance | 724m, -82m descending
- Rating | Double Black Diamond
- Type | STEEP tech flow
- Recommended bike | e-Bike, trail or enduro
- Accessed from | Mogo Trig
Vertiginous might sound like something you’d say to a medieval king to let him know you don’t approve of his behaviour, but as one of the fresh trails in Mogo’s main network, its actual definition is far more aligned.
Hint; it means ‘extremely high or steep’.
Vertiginous is a tricky trail to define in terms of its character, blurring the lines between freeride, tech and flow in a way none of us had really experienced before.
A short, hipped shark fin throws you in at the proverbial deep end. You’re quickly thrust into a hard 90-degree jank corner, staring down the barrel of a seriously steep chute to a beautiful catch berm that feels like it’s a kilometre away.
Some trails just feel like their creator was having too much fun doing it, and this is certainly one of them.
Here they’ve rustled up jumps into off-camber sections, dual-line zigging and zagging on steep, fluffy dirt into huge berms that would stop a freight train. If you hold off the brakes, you’re rewarded with the high line into the next diving chicane, and all the G-forces that may bring.
The rain rolled in as we concluded things on Vertiginous, but it left us beyond intrigued as to the nature of the handful of other trails exploding into life around the network, packed tightly alongside its alignment.
Skyrabbit need to know
- Distance | 1.2 km, -92m descending
- Rating | Black Diamond
- Type | Jumps
- Recommended bike | e-Bike, trail or enduro
- Accessed from | Wombat Soup Junction
“We’ll drop into Skyrabbit now,” Morgan says with a grin after a brief climb. “It’s a sort of progressive jump trail with increasingly big features.”
Descriptions don’t get much more apt, it would appear. We rolled in six deep to a rollercoaster of dust plumes and transitioning gaps, ramping up at an alarming pace.
Hit Skyrabbit at trail speed and refrain from jabbing at your brake levers, and you’ll find yourself in truly safe hands. Easier said than done when you’re rolling warp speed on a never-ending down ramp, with a step up developing like a storm swell of dirt in front of your eyes.
My bike took a few big hits on this trip, but landing square on the knuckle of the monster Skyrabbit step-up may have been the shellacking of its life. Moral of the story; this is one of the better jump trails we’ve ridden in Australia, provided you stay on the gas of course.
Spicerack need to know:
- Distance | 1.3km, -83m descending
- Rating | Black diamond
- Type | Jumps
- Recommended bike | e-Bike, trail or enduro
- Accessed from | Mitchells
Re-collected and having ensured nobody had sustained ankle injury or whiplash, we went sunset hunting. Happily, that’s easily done in Mogo with some beautiful jump lines on the west-facing hill. Think golden light, beautifully sculpted tables and the perfect end to the day.
Spicerack joins a host of imaginatively named trails at Mogo, presumably referencing the sizeable jumps on offer. This one feels like an expertly constructed bike park trail, with big swoopy berms you can press into as heavily as you desire, straight into a big table or approachable hip as you hold speed.
Oceanfront pizza in nearby Batemans Bay for dinner felt like the only way to fully appreciate all of the fun we’d had so far, and though we ate in, Sam’s Pizza surely delivered.
Off-Bike / On Water | Enjoying the coast of the South Coast
Of course, we’d be remiss if we went to the NSW South Coast and didn’t experience some of the fruits of the ocean, so we indulged in two very different activities (fortunately not at the same time). Jet-boating and oyster slurping.
The Oyster Shed at Batemens Bay is a hell of a vibe. A ramshackle wee blue building, suited for two very specific things — shucking oysters and serving views. We bought a few trays, some Sydney Rock Oysters and other local ones, just to make sure we were conducting our research thoroughly. Lathered in one of their many sauces we guzzled them by the dozen, feeling more attuned to the salty sea with each gulp.
Now, we’d driven past our jet boat a few times, bobbing unassumingly in the Batemans Bay marina near our accommodation. Its bright red colourway should’ve been an indication of its ability, and The Red Rocket of Ocean Jet tours was not for the faint of heart.
By the time the crew were strapped into their rally-car-like seats, all completely unable to move, we realised this was no ordinary ship. The giant diesel engines roared to life, and we chugged out of the marina, enclosed by the batwing doors on either side of the vessel. Our captain, also called Mick (this is a theme we can get behind), turned in his chair to address those aboard with a standard safety briefing, bookended with a not-so-standard;
“We’ve no idea how rough it’s going to be out there today.” Don’t they have weather reports for this stuff?! Our glances at each other indicated.
With little chance to read too much into this statement, Mick had dropped the hammer, and the jet engines spooled just a few centimetres behind our heads with an intoxicating whir. Blast off!
The uncontrollably nervous laughter will be a lasting memory, along with that gut-wrenching feeling every time we launched off the top of a head-height wave, crashing down on the other side with an almighty thud. They make these boats strong, right?… Right?
For twenty minutes, we thrashed around in the open, angry ocean, Mick slamming the boat to a 360-degree spin at times, just to make sure nobody was asleep.
“Is everyone okay back there?” He yelled over the roar of the engine and the aggressive party bangers he’d dialled into the sound system.
We all nodded nervously, but our camera gun James had begun changing colour. A green that usually precludes an evacuation of sorts.
The boat battled out to nearby islands, jumping waves and slapping back down with neck-crunching vigour, slowing to view the battered shores and for a brief lesson on the area once fished by the traditional landowners. Before long, though, we were charging back to our place of origin, Jimmy Barnes’ indomitable Working Class Man soundtracking our near-vom experiences as the boat became more muted. We trundled into calm waters and docked, with Mick’s partner greeting us through the hydraulically activated doors.
“Why is there so much water in the boat?” she said.
“That’s the roughest I’ve ever seen it out there,” came Mick’s response. This all made a lot of sense, considering our photographer, Nick, looked like he’d gone overboard.
For something a bit more relaxing, we spent the afternoon at the idyllic Foxdog Distillery. Set on a 160-acre property that’s very close to the Mogo Zoo trailhead, there are sweeping views of Wandera Mountain from the verandah.
Specialising in vodka, gin and all things botanicals, they also do a mean burger and fish and chips.
If Mogo was a must-visit before the turbocharging of additional trails, then it should be very high on the list for riders both across Australia and internationally. A truly world-class, year-round riding destination, coupled with the otherworldly beauty of the NSW South Coast as its backdrop means it’ll be another jewel in the crown for an already outstanding place to visit. All eyes in the mountain bike world will be squarely focused on Mogo as the hosting town for Sea Otter in 2025, and we imagine this will only serve to further advance the area’s street cred.
And that was it for our short weekend in Mogo. We’ve been twice now and only begun to scratch the surface of this sprawling mountain bike destination. And you can bet we’ll be back.
Anybody up for a road trip?
Meet the team:
Lia Ladbrook | Host extrairdaire, Mogo expert and queen of amazing saves
Chris Sansom | Chief Banter Officer and team scribe
Jono Wade | Mover and shaker, master of bum whips
Clint White | Always prepared and bringer of good vibes and big smiles
Nick Waygood | Knows a thing or two about lenses, f-stops, and making bangin’ photographs
James Hiscut | Master of moving images and definitely a land-lubber
Mick Porter | Adventure trail guide and superintendent of shredding big boulders
Morgan Fitzgerald | Gravity guy and leading light through all things steep and deep
- This article was originally published on Flow Mountain Bike Magazine on June 12, 2025.