The region will feature in the April edition’s Places That Rock section. As editor Chris Southwood explains, the section aims to give an overall picture of what the particular ‘place that rocks’ has to offer.

“We look at accommodation and restaurants and other things to do in the area. We will be telling people to bring their fishing rods and surfboards to Forster. We also put in a bit of local trivia – in a light hearted kind of way.”

The magazine was lured here as part of Great Lakes Tourism’s strategy to promote the ‘experiences and secrets’ of the area. To do this they have employed local firm Strut PR.

The Australian Mountain Bike magazine comes out every six weeks and is put together by a three-man editorial team with the support of various freelance photographers.

They admit it’s a pretty good job.

“It’s a Thursday,” laughed deputy editor Mick Ross as he took in the stunning view across Wallis Lake comparing it to the four walls of some stuffy office somewhere.

Read mostly within Australia it is distributed to South East Asia , New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Local rider Rob Marlow showed them around the Wallingat State Forest trails that eventually lead to the stunning outlook from Whoota lookout. They were impressed by his fitness level and by the afternoon photographer Chris Benny was suffering the consequences of trying to keep up.

The next day they were off to test out the trails at Kiwarrak State Forest, a short drive up the highway just south of Taree.

“We had no idea there were so many trails around here,” said Chris.

But after the April edition of Australian Mountain Bike magazine comes out, with the Great Lakes featured as a ‘place that rocks’, the secret will be out.