Hunter Mountain Bike Association
This week I had the pleasure of attending the Hunter Mountain Bike Association club base at Awaba to announce a $450,000 Stronger Country Communities Fund grant to expand the mountain bike park with world-class trails.
Included in that expansion is the addition of trails for disabled riders, making the park the first such venue on the New South Wales east coast to be fully inclusive.
While I was there I met Hank Duchateau, a disabled rider who travels regularly from Coffs Harbour—five hours away—just to ride and compete at the park.
The club is the oldest mountain bike club in New South Wales and is going from strength to strength.
Mountain biking is growing rapidly in popularity, and this particular park is attracting hundreds of weekend visitors from outside the region.
It is a fantastic club run by an energetic committee that provides not only an all-inclusive sporting venue but also a real tourism destination.
I applaud president Clint Musgrave, vice-president Dallas Barham, secretary Andrew Hardy and all the club's members for their work to provide this valuable community facility that is putting both their sport and Lake Macquarie on the map.
Photo courtesy of David Stewart, The Lakes Mail