Mogo now boasts Australia’s largest cycling trails. Photo: Sea Otter Festival.
Batemans Bay will earn its stripes as a world-class cycling destination later this month when the inaugural Sea Otter Australia (SOA) Festival hits the South Coast.
Utilising the now fully opened 125 km of trails at Mogo, it is the first time the world’s largest cycling festival brand has held SOA in the Southern Hemisphere.
The five-day event from 22-26 October is being organised by the locally based Rocky Trail Group and will transform Batemans Bay and the spectacular Mogo Trails into the ultimate hub for the international cycling community.
The participation-focused festival is expected to attract more than 2000 athletes and an estimated 5000 additional cycling enthusiasts from across Australia, North America, Europe, New Zealand, and South-East Asia.
“The arrival of Sea Otter on the NSW South Coast is a game-changer for Australian Cycling,” Sea Otter Australia CEO Juliane Wisata said.
“We’re establishing a major international anchor event that puts the Mogo Trails and the NSW South Coast on the global map. This is where world-class racing meets industry innovation, all built around a celebration of bicycles for all ages and abilities.”
The event will include the full spectrum of riding and racing for elite athletes and amateurs alike, from gravity enduro to marathon endurance racing and a gravel adventure ride in Mogo State Forest.
The event is expected to attract participants of all ages. Photo: Sea Otter Festival.
Spectator highlights include the first beachside cyclo-cross race, a new eBike action race and a freestyle jump competition.
The “Flipper Race” for children under 12 will be a major highlight each day.
While the cycling action will largely centre on the trails, Hanging Rock will host Australia’s largest outdoor cycle expo in Batemans Bay, with more than 170 Australian and international brands committed to exhibition and product demos on the trails.
Dedicated kids “Pedal & Play” and adaptive rider zones will put the focus on the grassroots growth of the sport and inclusivity.
A Sea Otter spokesperson said the choice of the Eurobodalla region as the festival’s home was highly significant, celebrating its resilience and ongoing revival following the 2020 bushfires.
Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher welcomed the new festival and said it was in line with the strategy behind Mogo Trails – Australia’s largest – to support tourism and economic growth in the shire.
“This event will not only elevate Batemans Bay as a world-class cycling destination but also boost the local economy and tourism industry,” he said.
Photo: Jon Harris Photography.
“When the planning for Mogo Trails began, we knew we wanted to build an international standard MTB destination. That was always the aim, and we’ve been fortunate to have Rocky Trail Entertainment and Forestry NSW as brilliant partners in this project, always supporting our vision.
“South-East NSW is fast becoming the premier MTB destination in the country.
“Mogo Trails is now fully open and we already see a steady rise in visitation because of the wide variety of riding and world-class racing that the network offers. Narooma Trails are pumping visitors, and further south there’s brilliant trails at Tathra and Eden, plus all the Snowy Mountains riding just a few hours inland.
“We’re so excited to be working with Rocky Trail Entertainment to bring Sea Otter to the NSW South Coast. I can’t think of a better way to launch Mogo Trails on the world MTB stage.”
Rocky Trail anticipates the inaugural event will generate a multi-million dollar economic boost for the region in year one.
The organisers have secured a 10-year licensing contract to host SOA, cementing a lasting economic and sporting legacy for the region.
The $8 million Mogo Trails project was built using a $5 million grant from the NSW and Federal governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund and a $3 million grant from the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies fund. Eurobodalla Shire Council estimates the trails will inject $12 million into the local economy in the first year alone.
More details about the event are available here.
