Meadowbank MTB

Overview

Meadowbank MTB is a boutique, booking-only mountain bike network set across a working sheep farm and premium cool-climate vineyard in Tasmania's Derwent Valley, about one hour north-west of Hobart. Unlike Tasmania's marquee public networks (Blue Derby, Maydena, Wild Mersey), Meadowbank operates on an "exclusive use" model: the trails are accessed either through advertised public Open Ride Days (last Sunday of each month, capped at ~30 riders) or via private group / corporate bookings, with all sessions ending at the Meadowbank Winery cellar door for wine tasting and a farm-style lunch.

Roughly 13 km of professionally built singletrack drops about 300 m vertical down ridges and pasture above the Derwent River. The mix is pitched as inclusive — fun trails, wide open lines, low-consequence downhills — plus a dedicated jump park and steeper ridge-line descents for confident riders. An uplift shuttle services the network so guests don't have to climb between runs. The combination of mountain biking, vineyard hospitality and optional seaplane transfer from Hobart's Franklin Wharf (via Above and Beyond Seaplane) positions Meadowbank as one of the most premium MTB experiences on the island.

The trails opened in late 2023 as the latest project of the Ellis family, who have been farming and growing vines at Meadowbank since 1976. They're owned and operated by the family directly, with The Derwent Experience (run by "Chief Explorer" Sam) acting as the front-of-house booking and tour-packaging partner.

Location & Access

Address: 652 Meadowbank Road, Meadowbank TAS 7140
Coords: -42.6319, 146.8495 (already in DB)
Region: Derwent Valley (already in DB)
Drive from Hobart: ~1 hour (≈75 km north-west via Lyell Hwy through New Norfolk, then Glenora Rd toward Bushy Park, then Meadowbank Rd)
Drive from Launceston: ~2.5 hours
Nearest town: Bushy Park (~10 min); New Norfolk (~30 min)
Public transport: None practical — private vehicle, shuttle bus from Hobart with private bookings, or seaplane transfer from Franklin Wharf, Hobart, via Above and Beyond Seaplane (lands on Lake Meadowbank)
Parking: On-site at vineyard entry; included with bookings

The vineyard sits at the end of a winding dirt road in the upper Derwent Valley, in the rain-shadow of Mt Field National Park.

Best Season & Conditions

Status (as of late 2024 / mid 2025): Operating; public Open Ride Days on the last Sunday of each month, plus private bookings year-round
Best season: Late spring through autumn (Oct–May). Cool-climate region — winter (Jun–Aug) is cold, often damp, with shorter daylight; bookings continue but on a more limited basis
Wet-weather: Trails on pasture/ridge terrain can be sensitive after heavy rain — operator may reschedule sessions; check before driving up
Fire danger: Standard Tasmanian rural fire-danger restrictions apply in summer (Dec–Mar); sessions can be cancelled on Total Fire Ban days
Trail closures recorded: "Uncorked" was listed as Closed on Trailforks during Nov 2025 (cause not specified; likely seasonal maintenance or wet-weather)

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Owner / operator: Meadowbank Wines / Meadowbank MTB — Ellis family (Gerald and Sue Ellis; daughter Mardi Ellis is current custodian of the wine business; Gerald Ellis and Simon Tyrrell are co-owners of the MTB operation as reported by New Norfolk News, Oct 2023)
Booking & experience packaging partner: The Derwent Experience — Sam (Chief Explorer) — phone +61 412 227 111, email sam@derwentexperience.com.au
Property: ~2,500-acre working farm; 60 ha vineyard (vines planted from 1976)
Trail builder credits: "Uncorked" built by Eric (BCPOV) per Trailforks; other builders not publicly documented
Volunteer / club: No public club — privately operated, no donation/membership program

History & Background

1976: Gerald Ellis purchases the Meadowbank property (then a ~5,000 ha sheep grazing station) and starts planting vines in the Derwent Valley against contemporary horticultural advice. Becomes one of Tasmania's oldest modern vineyards.
2010s–2020s: Three generations of the Ellis family on the farm. Mardi Ellis takes the lead on Meadowbank Wines; winemaker Peter Dredge involved in current vintages.
October 2023: Meadowbank MTB publicly announced by New Norfolk News — Gerald Ellis and Simon Tyrrell described as the co-owners of the MTB operation; ~13 km of professionally built trails already in the ground, with more planned. Operating model from the outset is booking-only with vineyard hospitality bundled in.
2024: Featured in Destination Southern Tasmania media releases and Business Events Tasmania supplier listings as Tasmania's newest MTB experience. The Derwent Experience launches a premium "Ride and Wine" package (from AUD $7,500 per 10 pax), including optional seaplane transfer.
Late 2024 – 2025: Public Open Ride Days running on the last Sunday of each month; Voltage e-bike events advertised on the operator site.

Sources

Meadowbank MTB official site — https://www.meadowbankmtb.com.au/ (SPA; 404 to bots, browseable) — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank Mountain Biking — The Derwent Experience — https://derwentexperience.com.au/meadowbank-mountain-biking — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank MTB — an epic Derwent Experience (news) — https://derwentexperience.com.au/news/meadowbank-mtb-an-epic-derwent-experience — accessed 2026-05-19
Tasmania's latest mountain biking experience, Meadowbank MTB — Destination Southern Tasmania media release — https://southerntasmania.com.au/media-release/tasmanias-latest-mountain-biking-experience-meadowbank-mtb/ — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank MTB supplier listing — Business Events Tasmania — https://betasmania.com.au/suppliers/meadowbank-mtb/ — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank joins the mountain bike craze — New Norfolk News, Oct 2023 — https://newnorfolknews.com/2023/10/meadowbank-joins-the-mountain-bike-craze/ — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank MTB region — Trailforks — https://www.trailforks.com/region/meadowbank-mtb/ (403 to bots) — accessed 2026-05-19
Uncorked trail at Meadowbank MTB — Trailforks — https://www.trailforks.com/trails/uncorked-487712/ (403 to bots; builder credit "Eric from BCPOV" surfaced via search snippet) — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank, Tasmania — Young Gun of Wine (vineyard background) — https://younggunofwine.com/vineyard/meadowbank-tasmania/ — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank Wines About — https://www.meadowbank.com.au/About-Us — accessed 2026-05-19
Meadowbank MTB Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/meadowbankmtb/ — accessed 2026-05-19