Toddlers & Mountain Bikes At Hollybank Forest Reserve
Just out of Launceston on the way to Lillydale is Hollybank Forest Reserve. As kids, my cousins and I spent a lot of time at Hollybank with our parents; having BBQs, riding our bikes and exploring the area.
William, at Hollybank Mountain Bike Park. Image courtesy of Mikaela
The reserve is now a top tourist destination and caters to all ages and abilities. Activities include ziplines, mountain biking, Segways, walks, a game of cricket or a picnic under the trees. Hollybank Treetop Adventures operate the Segway and Zipline tours through the reserve. Check out their website here for details.
Another great family activity is the Mountain Bike Park. If you don’t have a bike for the kids Treetop Adventures has them for hire. We recently spoke with Mikaela from Launceston who took her three-year-old son, William, to Hollybank.
Tassie4Kids: Introduce yourself and your family:
Mikaela: Hi, I’m Mikaela – Wife to Chris, Mother to an adventurous three-year-old, William. We took the 30-minute drive from our home just out of Launceston to Hollybank forest reserve.
Why did you and your family choose to do this experience? We went to visit the mountain bike park but knew if William was to become bored we had a lot of other things to see or do while we were out there. He didn’t so we only made it as far as the mountain bike park this day!
What were the highlights? It isn’t too far from home for us, so it was a great day just to get out to visit after a few days of rain. William thought the mud was great! The jumps were built well enough for William to ride down and for dad to push him back up to the top.
What did [William] think of the trip? William had a blast! He really didn’t want the day to end!
William, aged three, at Hollybank Mountain Bike Park. Image courtesy of Mikaela
What did you take with you that you didn’t need? I like to be prepared when we take William anywhere so we used everything we packed.
What did you wish you took with you, but didn’t? We visited in July, it was very muddy and we wished we had taken plastic bags for our shoes and Williams clothing. A picnic blanket would have also been good to take.
Did you find it was a safe environment for kids? Anything families should be cautious of? We found it to be a safe environment for us and our child! It is a forest reserve so you do need to be aware of your surroundings. The Reserve was clean with plenty of bins for your rubbish before you leave.
What services were available for families? (toilets, eateries, parking, play areas ect). Hollybank has a café where you pay for some of the activities such as the zip line tour, they have bathrooms located inside and also around the reserve. They also provide BBQs and have ample parking.
What’s your top travel tip for a family holiday in Tasmania? If you’re coming from the mainland hiring a car or bringing your own would be the best way to see Tasmania. Always be prepared for any weather, you never know what Mother Nature is going to do down here!
Anything else you would like to add? We 100% recommend visiting Hollybank on your adventures around Tasmania, It is truly an amazing experience.
To get to Hollybank Forest Reserve from Launceston:
- Turn into Hollybank Road from road B81, 7km from Lilydale and 19km from Launceston via the suburb of Rocherlea.
The reserve takes around an hour to walk through. Be mindful of Segway's as they use the walking trails and it can be hard to see whats coming around the corner in areas. There are also dead zones for phone reception, so be sure to let people know your there.
The reserve has toilets, picnic shelters, wood BBQ, a gas BBQ and bush cricket pitch (BYO cricket gear). Dogs are welcome if kept on a leash and bikes are not permitted off the formed tracks.
Experienced Hollybank with the family? We would love to hear about it! Comment below or hit us up via email amy@tassie4kids.com!