BETTER By Bicycle Port Macquarie is a Bicycle User Group that promotes social riding and advocates for more cycle-friendly facilities in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area.
An incorporated association since March 2025, the group has 70 members, with an average age range of 40 to 70 years, who ride together every Tuesday and once a month on a Sunday.
The inclusive group is open to beginners and experienced riders alike.
Its current advocacy campaign is focused on an extension of the Googik Heritage Track.
First considered in 2012, the proposal is now back on the drawing board, with NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service seeking public feedback on extending the track as part of a draft plan for the Lake Innes area.
Group spokesperson and treasurer Felicity Forth told News Of The Area, “we currently have a limited number of areas locally where we can ride safely, so this would be a game changer for the community.”
“A round trip on the track would be approximately 36km through some beautiful scenery which would make it a drawcard for cycling enthusiasts to visit our region, as well as increased opportunities for residents to explore the surroundings.
“We believe it would be great value for money.”
The Googik Heritage Track starts at Lake Innes Nature Reserve, and the proposed extension would see it finish in Lake Cathie, with connections from the trail to Bells Firetrail at Christmas Bell Plains and the Perch Hole picnic area.
More information can be found at www.environment.nsw.gov.au under Lake Innes Nature Reserve, Innes Ruins Historic Site and Lake Innes State Conservation Area draft plan of management.
Submissions are open until 18 February.
By Rachael THORPE
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