Elite rider Morgan Fitzgerald proves you can get horizontal tearing down the trails at Mogo during last year’s Sea Otter Australia. Photos: Sea Otter Australia.
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest bike show arrives on the South Coast later this week — no last-minute travel or accommodation plans for Sydney or Melbourne required.
For four days, the Eurobodalla will become the centre of the cycling universe.
Sea Otter Australia returns to Batemans Bay and the Mogo Trails from 22-25 October after 9000 trailblazers welcomed the inaugural event in 2025.
Organisers predict year-two numbers will swell to five figures as the program makes its mark on the Australian sporting and events landscape.
The festival will feature 2500 athletes over 10 racing disciplines, more than 120 exhibiting businesses and 250-plus brands from around the world.
Within riding distance of the multimillion-dollar Mogo Trails network, the festival site at Hanging Rock Oval will be packed with hundreds of exhibitor tents — filled with more bikes, gear, brand activations and global product launches than anywhere else in Australasia.
Backed by Sea Otter’s 35-year history and global legacy rooted in Monterey, California, Australia’s event grew, in part, from Mogo’s majestic mountain bike trails.
Hanging Rock Oval will again be bursting at the seams with exhibitor tents, bikes, gear and activities during Sea Otter 2026.
Rocky Trail Pty Ltd, which secured the principal contract to manage the detailed design and build of Mogo Trails in 2021, holds the 10-year licence for Sea Otter Australia.
The company’s subsequent full-time move to the shire proved instrumental in creating the flowing blue runs and high-adrenaline black diamond gravity trails.
It also helped Rocky Trail founders Juliane and Martin Wisata better understand Eurobodalla cycling and what makes it the perfect candidate for a festival of outdoor adventure.
“We knew this coastline had potential,” says Juliane, now Sea Otter Australia’s CEO.
“But seeing it come to life — watching our home turf stand tall on the national and global stage as an absolute playground for outdoor adventure — has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“What drives us every single day isn’t just putting on world-class races; it’s the community that wraps its arms around them.”
Brent Rees heads out the 90 km men’s race during the 2025 Sea Otter Australia.
Juliane says the South Coast isn’t just a host location; “it’s the beating heart of this entire movement”.
“Walking through town during Sea Otter last year, feeling that electric buzz in the air, seeing our local cafes bustling, and watching local businesses thrive … that’s our ultimate ‘why’.
“We are so thankful to fellow local businesses and residents opening their hearts and doors to this event. They are the secret sauce that makes the South Coast world-class.
“It’s always had the natural beauty, but it’s our local community’s warmth, grit and passion that make this region unbeatable. We couldn’t be prouder to call this home.”
The event’s also investing in the future.
“You know you’re building something that lasts when you spot schoolkids riding together after class and high schools across the region launching dedicated mountain bike programs,” Juliane says.
“Mountain biking isn’t just a sport here anymore — it’s becoming part of our DNA.
“We aren’t just creating events; we want to be growing the next generation of healthy, passionate, outdoor-loving South Coast locals.”
Martin and Juliane Wisata with son, Cosmo, and members of the leadership team at Sea Otter Australia and Rocky Trail Entertainment, Jo Parker and Bob Morris, take a tick to celebrate the success of the 2025 event.
Sea Otter Australia’s racing and riding schedule offers competitive action and social rides for elite pros, weekend warriors, adaptive athletes and junior racers.
Shuttled experiences will take riders to nearby Narooma MTB Park for gravity action or the infamous Burnaaga (Goanna) adventure trail at Mogo, which heads 30 km through changing terrain from the summit of Mt Wandera to Mogo Town.
Beyond top-flight cycling, Sea Otter Australia employs 50-plus festival staff, contracts up to 30 local businesses and engages more than 130 volunteers, while returning grant funding to community groups and school P&Cs.
The 2026 event also features:
- The Sea Otter Australia Summit on Thursday, 22 October, at the Eurobodalla Botanic Garden Conference Room.
- The 2026 Land Manager Awards on Thursday evening, 22 October, to celebrate excellence in trail infrastructure, land management, and sustainable outdoor recreation.
For more details about Sea Otter Australia’s dozens of activities, visit seaotter.au.
Original Article published by Paul Roberts on About Regional.
