All of these trails can be linked up with short road sections to create a ride of well over 60km. Then to get really serious include the trails on the south side of Terrey Hills (Neverfail Gully Trail, Cooyong-Aumuna Trail, Cooyong Track, Sandy Trail, ), St Ives and Belrose and Oxford Falls for a truely outrageous XC adventure - perfect for long distance race training.

Sorting out the trail names

Depending on where you look and who you ask the actual section of trail called "Sandy Trail" can be quite different, even some online maps change the name of the trails in the area depending on how far you zoom in or out - which doesn't help at all!

The gate at Cooyong Road heading west (often referred to as Sandy Trail) is signposted as "Cooyong/Neverfail Trail" - but that is the only occasion where this naming convention appears and quite frankly it creates a lot of confusion so we've ignored it. It does make sense however to have the Cooyong Track start from Cooyong Road rather than start at some random point in the bush running off the Sandy Trail and linking up with the Ryland Track.

To add to the confusion the Ryland Track is by far and away the most sandy with huge unavoidable sandpits that are barely rideable and subsequently gets referred to as the Sandy Trail - but it's definitely called Ryland Track.

To add more fuel to the fire the trail commonly known as the Neverfail Gully Trail seems to have gone through an official change. The gates at Cooyong Road and at Coonawarra Road have signs for "Neverfail Gully Trail", while the gate at Aumuna Road (cnr of Coolowie Rd) has that section of trail signposted as "Cooyong-Aumuna Trail".

At the other end the trail commonly known as Duckholes Track technically starts from Mona Vale Rd with a single track down to the Duckholes Gate, which of course is an unauthorised trail for mountain bikers. The upper trail from McCarrs Creek Road to the Duckholes Gate is technically known as the "Terrey Hills Track" however no one seems to call it that so we've ignored it. Also the word Duckholes is sometimes spelt Duck Holes .. we've stuck with the former.

Confused?

So based on the best info we could find from various mapping sources, current signage and some logical decisions we decided to name the trails as follows.

Ryland Track: A fire trail on the north western side of Mona Vale Rd (over the road from Bunnings) down to the intersection of the Cooyong Track then turns west (left) and continues out to a dead end. Included within our St Ives and Belrose section.

Cooyong Track: From Cooyong Rd in Terrey Hills down to Kierans Creek, then up the other side ending at the Ryland Track (where the Ryland Track forks to the west).

Sandy Trail: From Killawarra Rd, Duffy's Forest to the Cooyong Track. The intersection of the Sandy Trail and Cooyong Track is at the top of the big climb north from Kierans Creek. (We've definitely shortened the Sandy Trail when compared to many other listings)

Neverfail Gully Trail: From Cooyong Rd to Coonawarra Rd (Once again major adjustments from other listings but the signs at the trailheads are pretty clear cut)

Cooyong-Aumuna Trail: From the end of Aumuna Rd (at the corner of Coolowie Rd near Kinma School) to the intersection of the Neverfail Gully Trail (at the bottom of the descents from Coonawarra Rd). This section is most often referred to as "Neverfail Gully Trail" but again the signage at the trailhead is clear cut.

Duckholes Track: From McCarrs Creek Rd down to McCarrs Creek Road :) We've ignored the unauthorised single track from Mona Vale Rd to the Duckholes Gate and the alternate name of Terrey Hills Track.

Terrey HillsLast Update: 25/10/2013

Notes:

Sorting out the trail names

Confused?

Blog articles that mention this trail

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