Mount Borah

Overview

Mount Borah is a gravity-focused mountain bike park on private property near Manilla in the New England North West of NSW, about 45 km west of Tamworth. The mountain is best known internationally as the home of Manilla Paragliding — Australia's premier flying site, run by owner-pilot Godfrey Wenness since 1994 — and the MTB trails have grown alongside the paragliding operation. The peak sits at ~880 m ASL; the longest trail (Snake Bite) descends to ~450 m, giving arguably the largest gravity drop of any trails in Northern NSW.

The trail network was started about a decade ago by a small group of gravity-focused riders who partnered with Godfrey to build a single long DH ("Snake Bite"). Since then it has grown into roughly 15 trails covering downhill, enduro and flow, with everything from green-rated flow lines (e.g. Lightning, Flyover) up to a double-black DH (Snake Bite). The access road conveniently runs parallel to most trails, with multiple shuttle drop-off points — shuttling is strongly recommended given the elevation drop.

The park hosts AusCycling Gravity Series rounds (e.g. NSW/ACT Gravity Series Round 1, May 2025) and the club runs a ride weekend on the first Sunday of every month plus mid-week "after-work" shuttle days through summer. On-site accommodation (cabins, glamping, camping with kitchen, BBQ, pool and bar) is available at Borah Homestead.

Location & Access

Address: Wimbourne Road, Manilla NSW 2346 (off the road up the mountain from Manilla town).
Region: New England North West (NSW); North West Slopes / Liverpool Plains.
Lat/Long: −30.677661, 150.651825.
Drive times: ~45 km / ~40 min from Tamworth (closest major town with airport and bike shops); ~5–6 hr from Sydney; ~5 hr from Brisbane.
Public transport: None directly to the trailhead; closest options are buses/trains to Tamworth, then private transport to Manilla and up the mountain.
Access process (mandatory):

All riders must sign a waiver — print, or sign in person at Manilla Paragliding HQ, or email completed waiver to Godfrey (godfrey@flymanilla.com).
Mount Borah is on private property with a locked main gate. The gate key is club-controlled and collected from The Broken Spoke bike shop in Tamworth (02) 6766 9557.
Pay a key deposit and a trail-fee donation when collecting the key.
AusCycling membership or a day licence is required (the club is AusCycling-affiliated).

Parking: On-site at the mountain (private land); also drop-off points along the access road.

Best Season & Conditions

Year-round riding in theory, but weather-dependent. Trails close in adverse weather (wet conditions damage the surface and create safety issues).
Summer (Nov–Mar): hot — mid-week "after-work" shuttle days organised by the club to dodge peak heat. Fire-danger considerations apply (private land, NSW Rural Fire Service total fire bans).
Cooler months (Apr–Sep): generally drier and more comfortable for back-to-back gravity laps. First-Sunday-of-month club ride days run year-round.
Check Manilla weather before driving — Mt Borah weather page maintained by Manilla Paragliding: https://www.flymanilla.com/Home/MtBorahWeather/
Events: Gravity Series rounds (AusCycling), Vertical Horizon Gravity Enduro — these book out shuttle capacity, plan ahead.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Landowner: Godfrey Wenness (private land, purchased 1994, expanded 2005) — operates Manilla Paragliding at the same site.
Trail builder / operator: North West MTB Club ("North West Mountain Bikers") — AusCycling-affiliated club. Founded ~12+ years ago by a group of gravity riders in partnership with Godfrey.
Club website: https://www.northwestregion-mtb.com/
Club contact: Andrew Dehm — 0402 046 350.
Landowner / waiver contact: Godfrey Wenness — godfrey@flymanilla.com, 02 6785 6545.
Funding model: Self-funded via trail-fee donations at key collection + Trailforks "Trail Karma" donations. No formal access fee.

History & Background

1990s: Mt Borah established as a hang-gliding launch site by Newcastle/North Coast pilots.
1994: Godfrey Wenness purchases the mountain; founds Manilla Paragliding.
1995–present: Over 2,000 pilots have learnt to fly at Mt Borah; site hosts internationally famous Manilla XC Camp (January) and Easter PG State of Origin (200+ pilots each — the largest paragliding events in Australia).
2005: Additional land purchased, consolidating the private holdings.
~2013–2014: First MTB trail "Snake Bite" cut by a small group of gravity riders in partnership with Godfrey; North West MTB Club founded around this work.
2018–2024: Network grown to ~15 trails covering DH, enduro and flow. "Lightning" flow trail completed (~2023). Uptrack construction project underway (2023–24).
Hosts Gravity Series events: NSW/ACT Gravity Series rounds, Vertical Horizon Gravity Enduro.