The Pineys

Sensitivity: Castlemaine Rocky Riders have publicly noted that MTBA advised the trails should not be widely publicised. This file sticks to facts already on the public web (the club's own site, Trailforks, AllTrails, Bancoora, HVP Plantations) and does not add detail (precise trailhead coords on a map, drive-step instructions, named secret descents) beyond what those sources already publish.

Overview

The Pineys is an unsanctioned network of approximately 30 km of technical singletrack inside a private pine plantation north-east of Castlemaine, on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in the Goldfields region of central Victoria. The plantation is HVP-owned (the Moonlight Plantation, planted late-1980s/early-1990s) and is used as a working forestry asset — recreation access is informal, on private land, and at riders' own risk.

The riding is what locals call the most technically demanding in the Castlemaine/Goldfields area: pine-needle covered singletrack on a rocky base, switchbacks, steep punchy climbs and descents, rock steps and ledges, drops, exposed roots. Trails are unmarked, mapping is patchy because forestry harvesting reshapes the landscape, and getting lost is described as "remarkably easy". Local knowledge or a recent GPX is strongly recommended; Castlemaine Rocky Riders runs regular social rides into the network led by members.

Castlemaine Rocky Riders' volunteer "trail fairies" cut, repair and reroute trails as harvesting cycles allow. The club explicitly notes that MTBA has advised against wide publicisation, so the network sits as a locals' / club-led network rather than a destination park.

Location & Access

• Address: Pine plantation north-east of Castlemaine, VIC 3450 (no street address — private forestry land)
• Region: Goldfields (central Victoria)
• Nearest town: Castlemaine (~5 km SW of the plantation)
• Drive times: ~1.5 hr from Melbourne CBD (Calder Hwy via Bendigo turnoff); ~45 min from Bendigo; ~1 hr from Ballarat
• Public transport: V/Line Bendigo line to Castlemaine station; from there the network is reached on bike via Kalimna Park
• Common access points (from public sources):
  • From Castlemaine town centre via Kalimna Park bushland (the route used by Rocky Riders' social rides)
  • From the south via the Leanganook Track section of the Goldfields Track
  • From the north off Specimen Gully Road
  • Colles Road parking — Emergency Meeting Point opposite the shotgun range, with trails ~50 m in beside the dam (per Bancoora)
• Coords (corrected): -37.0368, 144.1929 — sourced from OSM way 43538627 (Ashby's Track), a verifiable trail node inside the network. The previous DB value (-37.038423, 144.19768) was a placeholder shared with Goldfields Track and has been corrected.

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: year-round; locals describe the plantation as "shady in summer, sheltered and well-drained in winter"
• Wet-weather impact: rocky / pine-needle base sheds water well — generally rideable in winter, though pine-needle cover after wind hides line on lesser-used trails
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: as private plantation in central Victoria, expect closure on Code Red / TFB days; HVP closes plantations and access roads during high-fire-danger periods and during active harvesting
• Snow / alpine season: N/A (low-elevation Goldfields)
• Active forestry: northern sections of the plantation were harvested in 2024 (HVP Moonlight Plantation harvest, Jul–Nov 2024) with associated road closures; some northern trails were lost and have been rebuilt or rerouted by Rocky Riders trail fairies. Check rockyriders.com for current notices before riding

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: HVP Plantations (private forestry — Moonlight Plantation)
• Trail advocacy / maintenance: Castlemaine Rocky Riders MTB Club Inc (volunteer trail-fairy crews; trails are unsanctioned but community-maintained)
• Volunteer / dig days: advertised through Rocky Riders' news / events pages
• Donations / membership: AusCycling membership via Rocky Riders gives club affiliation and ride insurance; club operates from rockyriders.com
• Sanctioning status: unsanctioned. MTBA advised against wide publicisation, per Rocky Riders' own Pineys page

History & Background

• Plantation history: HVP's Moonlight Plantation was planted in the late 1980s / early 1990s as a softwood crop. The plantation surrounds older mining country — Castlemaine sits on the historic Mount Alexander Goldfields, and the broader Diggings landscape includes Leanganook (Mount Alexander) and Lalgambook (Mount Franklin), both of significant ceremonial importance to the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
• MTB use: trails developed informally over many years by local riders. Castlemaine Rocky Riders (incorporated MTB club) emerged as the de-facto custodian, organising social rides, maintenance and advocacy. The club's "trail fairies" rebuild and reroute trails between forestry harvesting cycles.
• Cultural context: the trail network and adjoining Kalimna Park bushland sit on Dja Dja Wurrung Country; the club's social-ride communications acknowledge this.
• No notable racing / events: unlike Harcourt's La Larr Ba Gauwa or Forrest, the Pineys does not host events — its unsanctioned status precludes them.

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2025-10-31 — Rocky Riders announced a women's social ride into the Pineys via Kalimna Park; ride described the network as "the beloved Pine forest – aka The Pineys" on Dja Dja Wurrung Country (source)
• 2026-02-09 — Rocky Riders advertised a February social ride into "Pineys South East", suited to intermediate–advanced riders, scheduled for 15 Feb 2026 (source)
• 2024 (Jul–Nov) — HVP harvested the Moonlight Plantation, closing Plantation Rd, Specimen Gully Rd, Blakeley Rd, Colles Rd and Myring St plus the Leanganook Tk section of the Goldfields Walking Track; some northern Pineys trails were lost and have since been rerouted by club trail crews (source)
• October 2024 — club October social ride explored "rejigged Pineys trails" after the harvest impact (source)

Sources

1. Castlemaine Rocky Riders — Pineys — https://rockyriders.com/trails/pineys/ — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 2, club site; the de-facto authoritative source)
2. Castlemaine Rocky Riders — News — https://rockyriders.com/news/ — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 2; recent ride / harvest updates)
3. Castlemaine Rocky Riders — November Women's Social Ride — https://rockyriders.com/2025/10/31/november-womens-social-ride-pineys-and-kalimna/ — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 2; Kalimna Park access route + Dja Dja Wurrung acknowledgement)
4. Trailforks — The Pineys region — https://www.trailforks.com/region/the-pineys-17700/ — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 4; URL resolves, full page blocked WebFetch on this run)
5. Bancoora — Castlemaine Pines Trail Information — http://www.bancoora.com/Castlemaine%20Rides/Castlemaine%20Pines%20Trail%20Information.html — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 6; long-standing ride-report site, has Colles Road parking detail)
6. AllTrails — Pineys Loop — https://www.alltrails.com/trail/australia/victoria/pineys-loop — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 4; single loop reference)
7. HVP Plantations — Castlemaine 2024 Harvesting in Moonlight Plantation — https://www.hvp.com.au/operations/castlemaine-2024-harvesting-in-moonlight-plantation/ — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 1 for the land manager; confirms HVP ownership + plantation name + roads affected)
8. OpenStreetMap — Ashby's Track (way 43538627) — https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/43538627 — accessed 2026-05-08 (tier 7; coordinate verification source)