Bicycle NSW recently participated in the opening celebrations for the new M12 Cycleway
The event was organised by Greater Sydney Parklands at its Wylde MTB and BMX facility. We hosted a pop-up stall with Western Sydney Cycling Network and CAMWEST, and had a great day meeting riders from near and far - including Bike Leichhardt and colleagues from Transport for NSW - and chatting about Membership benefits and recent advocacy work.
Maureen, Karen and John from Western Sydney Cycling Network and Rob Kemp from CAMWEST, with Bicycle NSW CEO Peter McLean and Bike Planner Sarah Bickford at the M12 Cycleway opening event on 9 May 2026 (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Even better, we had the chance to explore the amazing new cycleway!
What is the Emu Trail?
The Emu Trail is a 16km shared path that connects the M7 Cycleway to the Northern Road at Luddenham via the new Western Sydney International airport.
Delivered by the M12 Motorway project, the Emu Trail is a best-practice example of the Providing for Walking and Cycling in Transport Projects Policy in action. This policy, first published in early 2021, requires every Transport for NSW-funded project to include active transport upgrades.
The shared path is fully protected from traffic and safe for the youngest bike riders. A generous landscaped buffer separates path users form the vehicle lanes long most of the alignment (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The Emu Trail mostly follows the M12 but bypasses the complex and noisy intersection with the M7 at the eastern end, instead taking a scenic route through a section of the Western Sydney Parklands past the excellent Wylde MTB and BMX park.
The Emu Trail passes a lovely corner of the Western Sydney Parklands near the M7-M12 intersection (Image: Bicycle NSW)
A Transport for NSW map shows the alignment of the shared path between the M7 and the Northern Road, as well as the location of rest areas and points of interest (Image: Transport for NSW)
For an interactive map that also shows other key cycleways, check out the excellent CycleSydney map. The Emu Trail can be included in longer loop rides via the Northern Road, Bringelly Road and M7 shared paths. You can go a long way in this part of Greater Sydney without unclipping from your pedals!
An extract from the CycleSydney map. The Emu Trail is highlighted in green (Image: CycleSydney)
CycleSydney also has a useful video explaining how to reach the Emu Trail from the nearest stations – Rooty Hill, Edmondson Park and Glenfield.
Art, history and places to soak it up
People walking and cycling along the path are invited to explore local heritage, culture and landscapes.
The Emu Trail passes through beautiful Dharug Country where thousands of years of story are woven into the natural environment.
Six rest areas explore the six Dharug seasons. These are marked by the movements of animals and the behaviour of plants. It is an ecological calendar that is very different from the European four-season model.
The rest stops feature eucalypt canopy installations, benches and interpretative panels. The planting was designed by local Dharug knowledge holders (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Emu footprints mark the entrances to each rest area and encourage path users to rest and learn about Country (Image: Rob Kemp)
The Great Emu in the Sky is the most prominent artwork, a 30-metre-high sculptural landmark depicting the Great Emu constellation. The sculpture tells the Dharug story of how Mariong, the emu mother, became the Milky Way.
The stainless-steel branches represent an emu’s nest. Inside, dynamic lighting reveals two emu forms, each only visible from certain viewpoints. Integral speakers play a variety of bird calls. The six seasons of Western Sydney are represented by projected colour washes that reflect the current season.
The Great Emu in the Sky looks over the new M12 Motorway at the turn off to Western Sydney international. It will greet those arriving on Dharug Country by road, rail, air or bicycle (Image: Bicycle NSW)
For more on the Aboriginal Public Art Collection, co-designed and curated by Balarinji Studio with locally connected Aboriginal knowledge holders, head to the Balarinji website.
More recent stories on the ride west
The first Badgerys Creek runway was built in 1944 at the RAAF’s Fleurs Aerodrome and saw significant activity during World War 2. The site then became a leading centre for radio astronomy where CSIRO scientists helped corroborate The Big Bang theory during the 1950s and 60s.
Fleurs Synthesis Telescope, built in the 70s, was the most powerful radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. Technology from Fleurs informs modern radio astronomy. Many great minds worked at the site, including three Australian scientists who went on to develop modern Wi-Fi!
Looking over the Fleurs Aerodrome site (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Closer to the new airport is the site of University of Sydney’s first veterinary farm, operating from 1937 to 1955. It was named after bacteriologist John McGarvie Smith, who developed a vaccine for sheep and cattle in the 1890s, a breakthrough that played a critical role in Australia’s live export industry.
Cows graze on Dharug Country, unperturbed by the massive changes happening around them as the new airport gears up to receive planes from July (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The positive feedback rolls in
The bicycle community is really enjoying the Emu Trail!
Avid Western Sydney rider and Bicycle NSW Member Celia Collins is a repeat visitor with groups from Northern Sydney Cycling Club.
“The new M12 Motorway will put Greater Western Sydney well and truly on the map with its new and exciting cycling infrastructure,” Celia reports. “We are rapt with this new path.
“The route is relatively flat which will serve multiple uses for recreational riders, families, commuters and enthusiastic road riders. We took the M7 Cycleway from the Seven Hills end. As you enter the M12 shared path through the Western Sydney Parklands, you are instantly away from the main highway and taken through some beautiful patches of native bush.
“You then cross through the Wylde MTB park, where you can have a toilet and water stop. We saw several families and recreational riders riding their mountain bikes to get to Wylde from the M12. It felt like a fun touristy experience passing through some of the best Western Sydney has to offer.”
A busy afternoon on the pump track at Wylde MTB and BMX park. A trip to this family-friendly complex is highly recommended! (Image: Bicycle NSW)
“We enjoyed learning about First Nations heritage on the Emu Trail,” says Celia. “We continued onto Old Northern Road and stopped at the little town of Luddenham where we had a coffee and cake at the Luddenham Village Cafe. Rather than double back, we then decided to ride to Penrith station to take a pleasant train journey back to Westmead.
“It was a thoroughly enjoyable day out!”
Celia Collins at the Great Emu in the Sky sculpture – Dharug Country’s obligatory new photo stop (Image: Celia Collins)
“Thanks go to Bicycle NSW and other advocacy parties for campaigning for such a fantastic pathway. We can't wait to see more and more people using the path for commuting, leisure and training.”
Some tips for your ride
Rob Kemp from CAMWEST and Celia Collins have highlighted a few things to be aware of when planning a day on the Emu Trail:
- Bubblers are far and few between. There is only water at Wylde at the moment. The two new rest areas within the Western Sydney Parklands section of the cycleway have unfinished bubblers which will hopefully be working soon. However, once the shared path joins the M12, there are no bubblers. Bring large bottles to fill up when you can.
- There is no food available along the cycleway. However, there is a bowling club, IGA and service station at Kemps Creek, and several cafes in Luddenham. Soon the airport terminal will be a great option for a pit stop!
- The only public toilets are at Wylde, although more toilets can be found by detouring into Kemps Creek or Luddenham.
- There is very limited shade along the path and in the rest areas. The eucalypt canopies are not all positioned to shade the benches in the rest areas at the hottest times of the day. Some young trees will provide better shade in the future – but bring a hat and sunscreen for the next few years.
- Some sections of the shared path in the Western Sydney Parklands are not guttered yet, and gritty debris spills across the surface when it rains. Carry a spare tyre and a puncture repair kit.
Join Bicycle NSW before you pedal away….
Become a Member today and be instantly covered by the best insurance available to recreational riders in NSW.
Bicycle NSW's Personal Accident and Public Liability cover is a cost-effective way to:
- Give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind while you are out riding
- Provide protection from financial risk when something goes wrong
You will also support our advocacy for more fantastic infrastructure like the Emu Trail.
With the End of Financial Year (EOFY) 2026 approaching, there is an opportunity to make your support go even further.
Please consider a tax-deductible donation before 30 June 2026! You will ensure that Bicycle NSW can keep up its advocacy work - while reducing your taxable income.
