Receive Our Free Email News
Stay up to date with the latest news about Rail Trails with our free email news.
Register for news updatesShiraz to Shore – The Hunter’s Cycle Tourism Opportunity
The Hunter Joint Organisation of Councils in NSW is made up of the ten local councils that cover the entire Hunter region, from Newcastle and Lake Macquarie cities in the south and east to Upper Hunter Shire in the west and Dungog and Mid-Coast councils to the north.
Cycle tourism and active transport has been identified as a key priority for the region through the Hunter JO’s Strategic Plan, presenting a fantastic opportunity to deliver regional benefit for the communities through collaborative efforts.
A unique opportunity exists to link existing and planned cycleway infrastructure, local businesses, and points of interest across five council areas; to create a 100km integrated region wide cycle network and iconic tourism product called Shiraz to Shore.
In 2023, Hunter JO received funding from NSW Government to develop a Business Case and Concept Design for the Shiraz to Shore initiative, as well as a Hunter Cycle Tourism Strategy to position the region as a premier cycle tourism destination.
Recently, the results of these studies were announced to enthusiastic support from elected representatives of all three levels of government, the business chamber and Committee for the Hunter, and from the community at large.
The Shiraz to Shore concept envisions using the proposed Richmond Vale Rail Trail (initially planned at 32km) to connect trails from Belford in Singleton shire through the vineyards of Pokolbin, the mining heritage region of the South Maitland Coalfield and the Sugarloaf Range to the shores of both Lake Macquarie and the Pacific Ocean at Newcastle. Whilst the focus of the concept is the 100km “core” trail, the enabling connections to current and future pathways such as the Fernleigh Track, Fassifern – Toronto Greenway, Glendale to Wallsend Tramway track and Stockton to Williamtown shared path promise to easily double that length.
More information, maps and a promotional video can be found on these links:
More News
If you live in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, regional Victoria and NSW, Adelaide and Tasmania and are available to count bik...
Long-standing rail trail supporter Ms Rosamund Lesley Heit has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in...
Rail Trails Australia had 289,000 visits to its website in 2025, many by people looking for information on specific rail...
Byron Shire in northern NSW is working on getting approvals and funding for the transition of the 132km rail corridor th...
A 49km rail trail west from New Norfolk to mountain bike park centre Maydena is an exciting proposition from Derwent Val...
Pioneer Valley Rail Trail volunteers Mike and Margie Browne have won an Excellence in Community Project Achievement awar...
Update: as of 25 January 2026, Cycle Dindi 26 has been postponed due to damage to the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT)....
Construction has begun on the next 1.5km stretch of the Yarra Valley Trail in Victoria, which will extend to the Birraru...
We know that rail trails are not exclusively enjoyed by cyclists: horse-riders, runners, walkers and mobility aid users ...
Queensland’s Somerset Regional Council and City of Moreton Bay have confirmed they have undertaken a Multi Criteri...
Hilltops Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Boorowa Galong Rail Trail Concept. The concept explo...
The 2026 Victorian bushfires caused widespread damage to many communities and also severely damaged 2 rail trails in nor...
Northern Tasmania’s Latrobe Council and Kentish Council have released the Latrobe-Kentish Trails Strategy to guide the...
Friends of The Bendigo – Kilmore Rail Trail (FBKRT) continue to improve the O’Keefe Rail Trail, with 2 recent wo...
In December, Logan City Council (bordering Brisbane) decided to proceed with a staged development of the 11.5km section ...
As Rail Trails Australia (RTA) ramps up its efforts to assist New South Wales increase the number of rail trails in the ...
Calendar of Events
See upcoming eventsNews Archives
Receive Our Free Email News
Stay up to date with the latest news about Rail Trails with our free email news.
Register for news updatesFeatured Articles
Celebrating RTA’s Volunteers
26/05/25
More News
If you live in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, regional Victoria and NSW, Adelaide and Tasmania and are available to count bik...
Long-standing rail trail supporter Ms Rosamund Lesley Heit has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in...
Rail Trails Australia had 289,000 visits to its website in 2025, many by people looking for information on specific rail...
Byron Shire in northern NSW is working on getting approvals and funding for the transition of the 132km rail corridor th...
A 49km rail trail west from New Norfolk to mountain bike park centre Maydena is an exciting proposition from Derwent Val...
Pioneer Valley Rail Trail volunteers Mike and Margie Browne have won an Excellence in Community Project Achievement awar...
Update: as of 25 January 2026, Cycle Dindi 26 has been postponed due to damage to the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT)....
Construction has begun on the next 1.5km stretch of the Yarra Valley Trail in Victoria, which will extend to the Birraru...
We know that rail trails are not exclusively enjoyed by cyclists: horse-riders, runners, walkers and mobility aid users ...
Queensland’s Somerset Regional Council and City of Moreton Bay have confirmed they have undertaken a Multi Criteri...
Hilltops Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Boorowa Galong Rail Trail Concept. The concept explo...
The 2026 Victorian bushfires caused widespread damage to many communities and also severely damaged 2 rail trails in nor...
Northern Tasmania’s Latrobe Council and Kentish Council have released the Latrobe-Kentish Trails Strategy to guide the...
Friends of The Bendigo – Kilmore Rail Trail (FBKRT) continue to improve the O’Keefe Rail Trail, with 2 recent wo...
In December, Logan City Council (bordering Brisbane) decided to proceed with a staged development of the 11.5km section ...
As Rail Trails Australia (RTA) ramps up its efforts to assist New South Wales increase the number of rail trails in the ...