What better destination to head for when Winter hits than the Sunshine Coast in Queensland?

Pack your bags and bikes and head north to ride in “The Sunny 80”, a mini stage race promising 80km of weekend riding on a bunch of fun trails set to the backdrop of iconic golden beaches and weather that really is beautiful one day, perfect the next. Don’t forget to bring a hat and sunscreen!

The event begins with a fun 8km Prelude Stage at the renowned Sugarbag Trail Complex right on the coast at Caloundra. This short time trial is not to be missed as it sets your handicap for the weekend stages and also makes for a sweet start to the weekend before you enjoy a beer at the welcome function down the road at Moffat Beach Brewing Co.

Stage 1 on Saturday morning will again start and finish from Hidden Valley at Nambour, right on the perimeter of the incredible trail network of Parklands, which features over 30km of single track, passionately maintained by the awesome crew at Bushrangers MTB Club. The stage design will once again features the best of Parklands’ single trail, broken up by sections of fire road to give riders a break and the chance to overtake. We have made some revisions from last years course to make it a bit easier and even more fun!  If you are only planning to do one day, this is definitely the stage to pick!

Stage 2 will again be held at Ewen Maddock Dam, a 20 minute drive east of the Sunshine Coast and on the way back to Brisbane. Here the beautiful surrounds of the Dam will see riders begin with a Special Stage at Ferny Forest featuring around 10km of the best trails this stunning area has to offer.  Stage 2 will then restart with a rollout mid-morning from the Country Club up to the testing tracks in Dularcha National Park before riders finish through the flowy trails around Ewen Maddock and finish overlooking the banks of the Dam.

All three stages across the weekend will combine to be around 80km in total, making it a good test but achievable for the average rider.  Full course details will be released for all stages around 4-6 weeks prior to each event. To cap it off, the Sunshine Coast has some of the best cafes, restaurants and breweries in Queensland to choose from and you definitely cant forget to pack your bathers!