Crafting Nature’s Playgrounds: World Trail and Finch Hatton

World Trail stands at the forefront of trail design and construction, driven by a profound ethos that harmonises human activity with nature’s rhythm. They are at the top of their game in trail building, responsible for some of the best mountain bike experiences in Australia – including Derby and St Helens in Tasmania, and Mt Buller in Victoria.

Their services and expertise are sought after globally for trail construction. However, they don’t take on just any project; it needs to align with their core values. For the World Trail team, it’s not about merely carving paths into the sides of mountains. It’s about creating something more: an experience centred around community and sustainability, ensuring enjoyment and ecological harmony go hand in hand.

So, Why Did They Take on Finch Hatton?

The Place

It’s not often an opportunity comes along to build a world-class MTB trail in one of Australia’s oldest rainforests. Huge undulations, towering white gum trees, open scrub, eucalyptus, and dense rainforest compose the landscape, not to mention the stunning rivers, creeks, and waterfalls that breathe life into the land.

But it’s not just the location of the trails themselves that excited World Trail. The asset is the town. The quaint charm of Finch Hatton and the inviting warmth of its residents, whose enthusiasm for embracing a project that the town could once again take pride in, truly stood out. An experience centred around community is what World Trail aims for, and in Finch Hatton, they found just the right mix of elements to help them achieve their vision.

The Data

You can’t just build MTB trails anywhere, and World Trail has a strict set of criteria for site selection. Without delving too much into engineering or scientific details, the evaluation of the site ticked all the boxes: soil, topography, water drainage, vegetation, wildlife impact, and seasonality. Red volcanic soils, organic rock slabs, and rocks and boulders all indicated that this was the spot.

To Be Part of Another Amazing MTB Success Story

World Trail has a proven track record in developing successful trails. They recognised the potential in Finch Hatton shortly after evaluating the site.

The combination of environmental factors—from the soils and hills to the growth opportunities and the laid-back lifestyle of the local residents—confirmed that this was the place where a trail network would thrive. They wanted to be part of another Aussie MTB success story.

To Create Something for Beginners to Pros

The ultimate aim for World Trail is to cultivate happiness through the sheer joy of mountain biking. Finch Hatton and the surrounding hills lent themselves to the construction of highly energetic airflow trails, accommodating a wide range of riders. The opportunity was to design trails that could nurture the mountain biking community—from kids and adult first-timers to seasoned enthusiasts, while also providing the facilities to host professional events.

As we invite riders to discover the beauty and challenge of Finch Hatton’s MTB trails, we also celebrate the vision and values of the team that made it all happen. As trail architects, World Trail has and continues to contribute to the emergence of mountain biking as a globally recognized and cherished sport.

And boy, are we happy they chose to continue their legacy here at Finch Hatton MTB.