There’s a simple and raw pleasure that comes from mountain biking. It rekindles a connection with the invincible inner child in each of us who yearns to experience the world. Whether it’s the wind in your hair, the mud on your wheels, the jolting of the handlebars, or the sheer speed – the exhilaration of tracking through forest awakens the soul like nothing else.

Tasmania has some of the best mountain bike trails in the world. This is not an exaggeration. Derby, in Tasmania’s north east, hosted the April round of the 2017 Mountain Bikes Enduro World Series, placing Tasmania firmly on the global mountain biking map. To host such an event requires meeting a rigorous criteria that defines world-class tracks, atmosphere and difficulty. But best of all, these tracks are open to the public year-round. So, where are these world-class trails?

A short trip from Launceston to Derby will have you perfectly placed for the best of the best. Blue Derby is 60 km of fast descents and hard berms. Not far out of Derby is the Juggernaut (Hollybank Reserve): a 30 km trail packed with jumps, drops, rocks and a 10 km descent which will make you wish you had another day to do it all over again.

If you’re not a world-class competitor, but are still keen on something a little more rugged on the West Coast, Montezuma Falls should be at the top of your list. The first 11 km loop follows an old railway line gently meandering through old forest and waterfalls. For the more adventurous, the remaining 44 km of the trail will push you through mud, plunge you into water and crisscross the open expanses of the button grass plains.

If you’re around Hobart and keen to temporarily leave civilisation behind you, Adamsfield Circuit will take you out of reception and into the wild. This is an epic 120 km trail full of both fun and technical riding. For those who crave even more of a challenge, Adamsfield’s Saw Back Range will put you through your paces and leave you wondering whether it should have been called ‘Sore Back Range’.