There’s a small town on the New South Wales South Coast that’s about to hit the world stage, and not because they uncovered a new mineral or became the next Byron Bay. No, Mogo is pinning its future on mountain bikes. A dedicated trail network, $5 million in federal funding, and a forecast of 45,000 annual visitors have turned this once-devastated town into a case study in adventure tourism revival.
So here’s the question. If this works for mountain bikes, why the hell aren’t more regional towns doing it for 4X4ers?
4WDers Are Already Coming So Why Not Formalise It?
Let’s face it: every long weekend you’ll see convoys of lifted Hiluxes, dual cab Rangers, and old-school Patrols with 33s and swags strapped to the roof pulling into rural servos. But instead of offering a few scattered tracks or just hoping folks pass through and drop a bit of coin, towns could take a leaf from Mogo’s playbook.
Formal trail networks. Signage. GPS routes. Formalised campgrounds. Maybe even basic 4X4-specific infrastructure like air stations, pressure boards, or graded sections for novice drivers. Right now, it’s a free-for-all. And that often means bush pinstripes, closed gates, and people accidentally stumbling onto private land. Imagine the difference if it was guided, welcomed, and supported by locals.
Derby Did It with Dirt Jumps, So Why Not With Diff Locks?
Let’s talk Derby. That little mining town in Tassie went from ghost town to $30 million-a-year tourism darling by embracing mountain bikes. Now it’s a destination, not a detour.
Now apply that model to a town with forestry access, great views, and a few enterprising locals willing to think big. You don’t need to pave paradise or build an amusement park — just create a drawcard. For 4X4ers, that could be:
- A mapped and maintained 4X4 trail system with graded difficulty
- “Stay and Play” packages with local pubs, motels, or campgrounds
- Local mechanics and recovery businesses involved as sponsors
- Monthly tag-along tours run by locals or local clubs
- 4X4 training parks with short loops and obstacle courses
We’ve seen it work in private parks like Levuka, Landcruiser Mountain Park, and the likes of The Springs. But imagine if that kind of setup was two minutes outside of a small rural town with a bakery and a caravan park. That’s money in the till and tyres on the track.
Jobs, Not Just Joyrides
Like mountain biking, formalised 4X4 tourism creates jobs. Trail building, track maintenance, guiding services, mechanical support, hospitality, even marketing. You can’t outsource track clearing to an overseas call centre. And once the infrastructure is there, the tourism runs on torque.
Even green focused councils could get behind something that puts money in local pockets without damaging the environment. Done right, these trails can have proper erosion control, seasonal closures, and education built in, teaching people to tread lightly, not just mash the throttle.
What’s Holding It Back?
Let’s not sugar-coat it. There are roadblocks. Insurance, risk aversion, and old-school councils that still think 4X4ers are hoons with no respect for the bush. But that stereotype’s well past its expiry date.
Modern 4X4ers are families in $80,000 rigs with touring setups that cost more than a new hatchback. They’ve got apps, satellite comms, and composting toilets in their vans. If councils can wrap their heads around cyclists in lycra, surely they can do the same for families looking to have a little technical fun behind the wheel and a few good yarns by the campfire.
Final Thought: Build It and They’ll Come – With Swags and Engel Fridges
Mogo’s about to be flooded with knobby-tyred bikes and GoPros. And good on ‘em, they’ve earned it after years of bushfires, floods and rebuilding. But towns all over regional Australia could follow suit. Not with a mountain bike trail, but with a mapped 4X4 loop, a campground, and maybe even a “Bacon & Boggings” breakfast run once a month.
The opportunity is sitting there in low range, engine running. Time for someone to shift into gear.
