Ben Lhose
Hepburn Shire Council recently opened 32 kilometres of Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) five months ahead of schedule.
The Hepburn Shire quietly announced the opening of half of the Djuwang Baring network last Friday. Djuwang Baring means ‘long track’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language. When completed Djuwang Baring will be a 60 kilometre network of mountain bike trails starting from the Hammon Park Trailhead, a five minute walk from the centre of Creswick.
After years of planning, hoping, waiting, delays and frustration Creswick suddenly became a trail town with 30km of trails right on its doorstep. Unlike many trail networks, the trail head is right in town and the trails are an easy ride from town. The network mostly consists of lots of shorter trails that make the most of the limited elevation on offer. (Let’s face it, Creswick isn’t known for its mountainous terrain). This has given the builders the opportunity to build a range of different trails to suit every rider. It also means there are lots of loops and variations for everything from a quick after work jumps session to an all day cross country expedition.
From the trail head at Hammon Park, riders head out through a skills park with green (easy), blue (intermediate) and black (difficult) jump lines to the trails proper. Some riders may not even get past the jumps, deciding to spend an afternoon sessioning the jumps. Past the jumps the main climbing trail, an easy (green) meander up the hill through pine forest takes riders to the “gravity” trails. The gravity trails offer jump lines and tech lines for those who like to work with gravity rather than fight it. The jump lines are of the modern dirt jump style. Not jumping is not really an option. I’m sure the dirt jump shredders will love them but not my cup of tea as an old guy who prefers to keep his wheels on the ground. There are also some tech lines from the gravity hub that have a great old school hand-built feel.
Keep going past the gravity hub and you reach the Wood Coupe trails and Cosgrove trails. The trails out here have a narrow cross country feel and take you out exploring in some picturesque bushland but they have a modern twist with berms to support you and maintain speed though the corners and smaller rollable jumps to keep the rider engaged. There are enough loops and options out here that most riders will need a couple of visits to explore all the options.
Then once your legs tell you they’ve had enough you can roll back into Creswick for a coffee and pastry or maybe a beer and a burger. While you’re enjoying your hard earned refreshments you’ll be planning your next trip to ride the trails you missed or maybe to go back and hit that trail that really floated your boat because everyone is going to find a trail somewhere in the network that ticks the boxes they’re looking for in a MTB trail. And then you’ll remember that this is only half the network with another 30km of trails due for opening in December. Could a mountain biker ask for a better Christmas present?
Funding for Hammon Park and Djuwang Baring has been provided by the State Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund ($4.66m) and Creswick Community Bank ($250,000 for Hammon Park) with Council funding the remainder.
Construction is continuing on the remainder of the trails. Cyclists are asked to stay off trails under construction for their own safety and the safety of construction workers. Trails under construction are marked with signage, fencing and orange flagged bunting.
For more information on the trails and to plan your next ride, please visit our new look and feel website djuwangbaring.com
Ben Lohse is and avid mountain Biker who lives in Creswick. He is also the MTB Rides coordinator for the Great Dividing Trail Association.
