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Two weeks to launch: Sea Otter Australia brings world's premier cycling festival to Batemans Bay

Sea Otter Australia & Rocky Trail Entertainment

Batemans Bay, NSW – October 8, 2025 – The inaugural Sea Otter Australia (SOA) Festival is just two weeks away, set to bring the world’s largest cycling festival brand to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. The five-day event from October 22–26, 2025, organised by the locally based Rocky Trail Group, will transform Batemans Bay and the spectacular Mogo Trails into the ultimate hub for the international cycling community.

Bringing the renowned global festival brand—with its 30-year history from California—to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, SOA promises a five-day, participation-focused Festival that will attract over 2,000 athletes and an estimated 5,000 additional cycling enthusiasts from across Australia, North America, Europe, New Zealand, and South-East Asia.

"The arrival of Sea Otter on the NSW South Coast is a game-changer for Australian Cycling,” said Juliane Wisata, CEO of Sea Otter Australia.

“We're establishing a major international anchor event that puts the Mogo Trails and the NSW South Coast on the global map. This is where world-class racing meets industry innovation, all built around a celebration of bicycles for all ages and abilities," Juliane continued.

Festival Highlights and Economic Engine

SOA establishes a bike festival of unprecedented scale and participation in Australia with a comprehensive lineup that serves as a powerful economic catalyst and a showcase for the region's resilience:

• Diverse Competition: The event includes a full spectrum of riding and racing for Elite Athletes and Amateurs alike, from gravity enduro to marathon endurance racing and a gravel adventure ride in Mogo State Forest. Spectator highlights include the first beachside cyclo-cross race, a brand-new eBike action race and a freestyle jump competition. The Kids “Flipper Race” for kids under 12 will be a major highlight each day.
• Australia’s Largest Expo: The Hanging Rock Event Hub hosts Australia’s largest outdoor cycle expo right in town, with over 170 Australian and international brands committed to exhibition and product demos on the trails. Dedicated kids “Pedal & Play” and adaptive rider zones put focus on grass-roots growth of the sport and inclusivity.
• Industry & Policy Summit: The exclusive Sea Otter Australia Summit (SOAS) (Oct 21–23) will convene international and national leaders for a Global Outdoor Industry Summit is a crucial to discuss the future of the outdoor and trail-based tourism economy, bringing an Asia Pacific perspective into the Sea Otter series alongside the original Californian and the well-established European Sea Otter Festivals.
• Destination Activation: The Festival is the key activation event for the fully opened 125km Mogo Trails network—Australia’s largest. Sea Otter Australia sports events are proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The choice of the Eurobodalla region as the festival's home is highly significant, celebrating its resilience and ongoing revival following the 2020 bushfires. Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher praised the choice, stating, 

"This event will not only elevate Batemans Bay as a world-class cycling destination but also boost the local economy and tourism industry." Rocky Trail anticipates that the inaugural event will generate a multi-million dollar economic boost for the regional, Sydney and NSW visitor economy already in year one.

Mayor Hatcher said that from the start, the strategy behind Mogo Trails had been to support tourism and economic growth in Eurobodalla and the broader region.

“When the planning for Mogo Trails began, we knew we wanted to build an international standard MTB destination. That was always the aim, and we’ve been fortunate to have Rocky Trail Entertainment and Forestry NSW as brilliant partners in this project, always supporting our vision.”

“South-East NSW is fast becoming the premier MTB destination in the country,” he said.

“Mogo Trails is now fully open and we already see a steady rise in visitation because of the wide variety of riding and world-class racing that the network offers. Narooma Trails are pumping visitors, and further south there’s brilliant trails at Tathra and Eden, plus all the Snowy Mountains riding just a few hours inland.”

“We’re so excited to be working with Rocky Trail Entertainment to bring Sea Otter to the NSW South Coast. I can’t think of a better way to launch Mogo Trails on the world MTB stage.”

Rocky Trail anticipates that the inaugural event will generate n multi-million dollar economic boost for the regional, Sydney and NSW visitor economy already in year one.

“As a local business we are passionate about driving positive economic and tourism outcomes for our region by creating this landmark event that celebrates the entire cycling ecosystem," concluded Juliane.

The organisers have secured a 10-year licensing contract to host SOA, cementing a lasting economic and sporting legacy for the region.

–ENDS–

EVENT DETAILS

Launch: Sea Otter Australia Festival 

What: The Southern Hemisphere Debut of the World’s Largest Cycling Festival Brand 

When: October 22–26, 2025 (Summit runs October 21–23, 2025) 

Where: Batemans Bay (Hanging Rock Event Hub) and Mogo Trails, NSW South Coast

Reference Links:

• Sea Otter Australia Festival https://seaotter.au/
• Riding and Racing: https://seaotter.au/whats-on/race-ride-explore/ 
• Festival Schedule: https://seaotter.au/whats-on/schedule/ 
• Sea Otter Australia Summit https://seaotter.au/summit/ 
• Regional showcase: https://seaotter.au/sea-otter-destination-zone/ 
• Volunteer Program and Community Grant: https://seaotter.au/about/volunteer/ 
• Full and more detailed media release: https://seaotter.au/sea-otter-australia-two-weeks-to-launch-2025/ 

 

IMAGES:

Photos: Rocky Trail
Copyrights provided - images may be used across any platform for coverage about Rocky Trail Entertainment, Rocky Trail Destination or Sea Otter Australia.

• Festival - Sea Otter is for everyone, creating the most immersive mountain bike and cycling celebration Australia has ever seen, igniting a passion for bike adventures in everyone. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kJq-Xon6xRyH9Dl28jTOFbbsYh49sqvf/view?usp=drive_link
• Mogo Trails - The most innovative MTB network in Australia yet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u8nhRVYHZUCGDay2o-mLyAmKwPZYuK3b/view?usp=drive_link
• Riding and racing for all https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rVWiiGFbN4QrncUuc9x7QBL4wBkWHkei/view?usp=drive_link
• Mogo Trails - built for riding and racing in mind - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLcmSOeOtM59WZ8v2eIKeLSj7Lo_DyN3/view?usp=drive_link
• Mogo Trails - set to make waves on the global cycling festival stage as the Home of Sea Otter Australia - https://drive.google.com/file/d/14bjnZqyzZK6-sk5lDR98VacyfiDgfYfs/view?usp=drive_link 
• A new dawn for the NSW South Coast - Mogo Trails, Home of Sea Otter Australia https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fbiCmIjCwt4zekxdJuk2ro51bBPofUsE/view?usp=drive_link
• Growing ambitions - fostering the next generation of riders at Sea Otter Australia https://drive.google.com/file/d/12xeKqQ6-uw-TzVRtb6ljiOu0TNT0jypL/view?usp=drive_link 

 

VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/uzOi7g6vmIc?si=OnI9HJsCnMPXFK4X 

 

About Sea Otter Australia: 

Sea Otter Australia is the first international expansion of the world-renowned Sea Otter Classic, a major cycling festival founded in Monterey, California. Organised by the locally based Rocky Trail Group, SOA brings together racing, riding, a massive consumer and industry expo, and a trade summit in one of Australia’s premier new cycling destinations. The event is a celebration of all things cycling, for all ages and skill levels, with a focus on participation, industry connection, and regional economic growth.

About the Organiser: Rocky Trail Entertainment

Rocky Trail Entertainment is a leading specialist as one of the country's major private mountain bike promoters, running a comprehensive calendar along the East Coast and hosting around 10,000 athletes yearly. Its sister company, Rocky Trail Destination, leverages the company's expertise in Nature Based Tourism and developed the 125km Mogo Trails network as the principal contractor. The Group’s proven track record, highlighted by securing the 10-year Sea Otter Australia license, cements its position as the engine driving the country's new international cycling event.

About Mogo Trails:

Spanning over 120km, Mogo Trails caters to all skill levels with diverse terrain encompassing flowy descents, technical challenges, and scenic vistas. Built with years of strategic planning, the Mogo Trails network is engineered for inclusion and safety across all skill levels, creating a world-class venue capable of hosting events ranging from grassroots to international scale. The $8 million project was built using a $5 million grant from the NSW and Australian governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund and a $3 million grant from the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies fund. Eurobodalla Shire Council estimates that the trails will inject $12 million into the local economy in the first year alone.

Media Contact: 

Rocky Trail Entertainment Pty Ltd

Juliane Wisata
Founder, Marketing Director
CEO, Sea Otter Australia
M: 0416 737 972
E: [email protected] 

 

Contact details:

Rocky Trail Entertainment Pty Ltd

Juliane Wisata
Founder, Marketing Director
CEO, Sea Otter Australia
M: 0416 737 972
E: [email protected]