Derby

Derby was built on tin from the 1870s, and after the mine closed and a dam burst catastrophically in 1929 the village declined to a few hundred people with boarded shopfronts. In 2015 the first mountain bike trails opened in the surrounding forest, built to international standards through wet eucalypt and rainforest, and the transformation was rapid: the Blue Derby network now runs to over a hundred kilometres, has hosted Enduro World Series rounds, and the village has filled with cafés, bike shops, breweries and accommodation. Trails range from flowing green routes to steep technical descents, with shuttles to the top of Blue Tier for a long point-to-point run.

What you actually see

• The Blue Derby trails - over a hundred kilometres of purpose-built singletrack.
• The Blue Tier descent - the long shuttled point-to-point ride.
• The rebuilt village - cafés, breweries and bike shops in old mining buildings.
• The forest - wet eucalypt and rainforest the trails run through.

When to go

October to April for the driest riding; northeast Tasmania is wet and trails get muddy but stay rideable. Race weekends fill the village entirely. Winter riding is possible but cold and slick.

Honest expectations

This is a mountain biking town first; non-riders will find limited alternatives. Accommodation is tight and books out on event weekends. Trails include genuinely difficult descents, and rider injuries are common. Rain is frequent.

Nearby

Bridestowe lavender is west; St Columba Falls and the east coast lie southeast.