On your bike

Duck left into Hydrangea Lane, into a steep dip, then turn right onto the next gravel road to reach this little gem of a backpackers’ establishment (1.5km).
I met up with locals Dan and Stu who offered to guide me to the elusive singletrack, and we made our way back onto Wolfridge Road (the main road into the forestry plantations). Just after Madonna and Child Waterfall (4km), we turned right on a steep hill onto a rugged service jeep track following the cliffs overlooking the Tyume Valley below.

This duck-and-dive through tall stands of wattle brought us to Robinson Dam (8.4km). You start a reasonable climb along the left of the dam, cranking through stands of pine towards the ridg­es from which Hogsback gets its name. The surroundings are pretty enough to keep you smiling as you ascend, plus there’s the knowledge that you’re about to hit the turn-off to Blackwoods and the singletrack section pretty soon (10km).

An uppity little track doglegs you onto what is part of Hogsback’s original singletrack history, and for the next five minutes you are certainly ‘away with the fairies’ as you bomb the s-bends into the emerald heaven below. This section leads onto an equally beautiful track, winding through tree ferns and crossing through a cascading stream, before you eventually connect back onto Wolfridge Road (13km).

Bear right to get to Hobbiton and, just before the gate, sneak right onto another kilometre or so of singletrack. This was extremely gnarly on our ride after heavy rain, so keep things focused until you hit the Arboretum Road back up to the village main road (17km). Another kilometre will take you back to the Arminel Hotel and its welcoming pub; all you need to do now is order a draught and enjoy.