SYDNEY TO BATEMANS BAY

Once out of Sydney, Royal National Park is a real treat and it’s amazing how quickly it turns from busy traffic to bush and good riding roads. Tight twisty roads with tree ferns and temperate rainforest turn into to eucalypt forest and coastal scrub as you ride south. Suddenly you round a bend ride over a rise and before you is one of the best lookouts on the NSW coast. Stanwell Tops is a fantastic lookout along the coast.

You’re on the Grand Pacific Drive next and before long the undulating coastal road takes you literally over the ocean on the 665m Sea Cliff Bridge. It hangs out over the ocean and winds along the coast before leading to a series of small towns ideally placed for a break.

The road eventually leads you on to the M1 motorway as it winds its way south, following the coastline. You’ll turn off the Princes Highway into the nice coastal town of Kiama to check out the views from the Kiama Lighthouse before moving on. The main street has plenty of bakeries and cafes and you can take a wander through the park to the beach and see the blowholes doing their thing if the waves are right.

It’s back onto the Princes Highway (M1) heading south. It becomes less busy and the road narrows before long, with plenty of small towns, lookouts and places of interest on the way to Batemans Bay

BATEMANS BAY TO JINDABYNE

You’ll feel things becoming more rural as you head south, but you’ll be sticking to the coastline for the first part of the ride before turning inland and heading west on the Snowy Mountains Highway which will lead you on the gradual climb up into the Snowy Mountains. This section of the route is a fantastic, twisting alpine road and is certainly one to be savoured – keep an eye out for oncoming traffic though as drivers are often distracted by the views. The landscape plateaus out a bit as you approach Jindabyne itself and on approach you’ll ride around the lake with views over the town before reaching the town itself

JINDABYNE TO BEECHWORTH

You’ll be climbing higher today so it could well be sensible to pop a warm layer under your riding gear at the start of the day.

Leaving Jindabyne you’ll ride around a little more of the lake and then start heading up to Kosciuszko National Park. You’ll climb up to the main ski resort at Thredbo with ski lifts and a definite alpine feel.
The road then then winds left and right through the mountains past snow gums, red poles to indicate the sides of the road when snow covers the ground and the highest mountain in Australia, Mt Kosciuszko looming to the right.

The road is narrow so take your time and enjoy the views. You’ll cross into the state of Victoria via the Bringenbrong Bridge over the Murray River shortly after leaving the small settlement of Khancoban.
The road winds down and flattens out as you reach Tallangatta. The lake on the right covers the old town which was flooded when the lake was created. There’s a pull-in on the right with a sign providing more information.

From Tallangatta there are some lefts and rights to reach Beechworth which is a town of around 3,000 people famous for its rapid growth in the Victorian goldrush during the 1850s. It’s fame and wealth were relatively short lived but there were some early reports of prospectors retrieving one pan of gold with 7kg of the precious metal. Big finds like this were represented by one miner who rode a horse shod with golden horseshoes. As a result, the town’s logo is still a golden horseshoe. The town also has many links to Ned Kelly, the famous Australian outlaw and there’s a themed display about him and his supporters at the old courthouse.

BEECHWORTH TO BENDIGO

We’ll start the day with a short run along the main M31 from Whangaratta but we’ll soon turn off near the tiny settlement of Winton and join the smaller, more interesting roads westward. We trace the route of Broken River as it winds through rural Victoria with many small, old fashioned towns on the way.

There won’t be fancy restaurants on the way but each small town usually has a bakery for coffee and a pie. The larger town of Shepparton is an excellent refuelling spot and we’ll spend a bit of time exploring the Museum of Vehicle Evolution, before we push south-west towards the Wangara Basin and the ride into Bendigo.

Bendigo is a large town of around 100,000 people located in the Bendigo Valley almost at the very geographical centre of Victoria. When gold was found in 1851 it turned from a sheep station to a gold mining boom town with miners rushing in from all over the world but mostly Europe and China. The boom lasted 50 years or so and whilst gold is still mined Bendigo is now a regional manufacturing and service centre that’s also becoming popular with commuters heading into Melbourne each day

BENDIGO TO HALLS GAP

Today’s ride is relatively short to give us plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing ride, soak up the scenery on approach to the Grampians National Park and also arrive with plenty of time to get settled in, relax and get a ‘feel’ for the place before exploring in greater depth tomorrow.

It’s predominantly reasonably flat farmland and few corners to contend with from Creswick through to the town of Ararat so relax, sit back and enjoy the ride. Once at Ararat we’ll part ways with the A8 and join the smaller, more interesting Ararat-Halls Gap road which will lead us to the northern entrance of the National Park.

The looming foothills and mountain of the Grampians on the horizon provide a great welcome and a fantastic backdrop to the final stretch of the ride. Be careful of kangaroos in the Grampians National Park especially if you arrive late in the afternoon. If you’ve time on arrival, explore the fantastic Visitor Centre just south of Halls Gap and then head off to see the sights. There’s not quite such a rush as we have a full day in the region tomorrow and please be mindful that riding in the evening and at night can be extremely hazardous in the National Park due to all the wildlife.

HALLS GAP TO APOLLO BAY

Heading south out of the Grampians National Park be sure to keep an eye out for kangaroos and other wildlife, they’re not blessed with the finest of road senses after all.

It’s back-roads an minor routes again for the first part of the day, around 190km down to the highlight of the ride, the Great Ocean Road. The ‘Bay of Islands’ marks our first taste of the coast with the town of Port Campbell a mere 20km along being a good place for a stop and some refreshments. Then it’s not far down the road that the many cliff top car parks start with access to the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge and many other coastal features. Mait’s Rest adds variety with a small car park and walk through the Temperate Rainforest.

You’ll be constantly on and off the bike today seeing things of interest. Each requires a short walk and so you’ll take more time than you imagine. The views are spectacular and the riding great and so take your time and enjoy your first day on the world famous Great Ocean Road!

APOLLO BAY TO MELBOURNE FERRY TERMINAL

The latter part of the Great Ocean Road has more spectacular coastal views and riding, so you’ll once again find yourself on an off the bike quite a lot during the earlier section of the ride. We’ll be sticking as close to the coastline as possible for as long as we can, before inevitably having to ride north at Point Lonsdale making a beeline for the sights of Melbourne.

There’s an unavoidable stretch of highway as we approach the western edge of Melbourne and things get a bit more ‘urban’ in feel as we approach the city. Ther ferry terminal for the Spirit of Tasmania is located in North Geelong on the right as we ride in.

DEVONPORT TO ST HELENS

The Spirit of Tasmania ferry will deliver us safely into Devonport on the northern shores of Tasmania quite early in the morning, so breakfast could well be the first order of the day!

We’ll start our exploration of Tasmania by joining the B71 as it heads east out of the town towards the Franklin Rivulet Forest Reserve. The area around Glengarry, about 58km into the ride boasts some impressive native Tasmanian vegetation, so it’s well worth keeping your eyes peeled as we ride.
It’s only around 10km further on to the small town of Exeter where we’ll turn right onto the A7 towards Launceston. Exeter has a great little bakery so if you’re anxious for a coffee break and can’t wait until lunch, then Exeter is a nice spot for a short spot of relaxation.

Launceston, 25km further on, is the largest town we’ll be encountering for the day and is positively a bustling metropolis when compared to the smaller settlements along our route!

We’ll follow the A3 (Tasman Highway) for the remainder of the day as it winds up towards the mountains through rolling hills and tree blanketed valleys. The route can be quite narrow in places so ensure you take care along the way.

St Helens, nestled on the shores of George’s Bay on the east coast marks the furthest extent of the ride in that direction. It is famous for its game fishing and oysters – be sure to try some! The town used to be a whaling base in the early 19th century and then the port from which tin was shipped. It is now an important fishing and tourism centre. It’s also next to an important bird area well known as a breeding site for seabirds and waders.

ST HELENS TO EAGLEHAWK NECK

We’ll be heading south today along the coast, flanked on one side by the Douglas Apsley National Park and the mighty Tasman Sea on the other.

Our route leaves the coast and turns slightly inland on approach to the small settlement of Triabunna, then heads directly inland just after the town at Orford. It skirts around the perimeter of the ‘Three Thumbs’ State Reserve and the Mount Morrison Forest Reserve, meaning the route remains well surfaced and you get some great views of quintessential Tasmanian countryside.

When you enter Sorell, stay on the A3 through the town as it becomes the A9 (Arthur Highway) heading east. ‘Eaglehawk Neck’ is an isthmus between the Tasmanian mainland and the Tasman Peninsula and it’s well worth stopping to admire the views as you pass, or returning the 8km from your final destination to have a more detailed look around and soak up the atmosphere. It will give you a greater appreciation for the location of the Port Arthur prisoner colony (tomorrow) to the south and some useful background knowledge for when you are exploring the convict heritage of the peninsula. 

EAGLEHAWK NECK TO HOBART

This is a relatively short day in the saddle which will provide plenty of time for exploring the Tasman Peninsula, investigating Port Arthur and depending on the time, extra room for the cosmopolitan delights of Hobart later – ideal really as there is so much to explore and many things to see and do in the city.

Once we’re done exploring the Tasman Peninsula it’s a case of re-tracing our tyre treads for the remainder of the ride, following the A9 back towards Sorell and away from the peninsula. On arrival into Sorell, we’ll join the A3 heading towards Hobart. We’ll cruise along the impressive roads bordering the Mount Direction Conservation Area before riding down to sea level and crossing the River Derwent near Risdon.

It’s then only a short push south into the outskirts of Hobart itself and our accommodation for the night.

LOCAL AREA

A local area / rest day spent exploring Hobart.

HOBART TO STRAHAN

Being one of the longer days in the saddle at just over 300km combined with the winding nature of the roads along the route and the incredible scenery means that you may find we’re on the road a lot longer than you might imagine! It’s an incredible day in the saddle though and one you’ll likely rate as a highlight. We’ll follow Highway One / the A10 towards New Norfolk just to the north-west and continue on along the Lyell Highway as it winds up into the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

This is a day mainly about enjoying the ride through the amazing natural environment of Tasmania’s wilder south-western reaches, towns of any size are few and far between with just enough options for refuelling and enjoying the occasional coffee break.

Shortly after crossing Lake Burbury via the causeway we’ll enter Queenstown – a rugged and somewhat ‘rough around the edges’ mining town, but a place full of character. It’s the largest settlement we’ll have seen for a while so it’s a great spot to explore on foot, even if just for a short while.

Strahan is much smaller than Queenstown and only 40km further on but it’s a lovely town on the Gordon River with all the facilities we’ll need and a great position right on Macquarie Harbour.

STRAHAN TO DEVONPORT FERRY TERMINAL

The B27 Zeehan-Strahan Road will lead us north out of Strahan through the Mount Dundas Regional Reserve and on along an incredible ribbon of asphalt. You’ll twist, turn and sweep your way through some amazing scenery en-route towards the ‘Granite Tor’ Conservation Area and the undoubted highlight of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Just outside the town of Zeehan the route turns left and joins the A10 heading north, follow the signs for Rosebery and Burnie. We’ll then continue along the A10 until around 38km past Rosebery where a right turn puts us onto the C132 following the signs for Sheffield, Devonport and of course Cradle Mountain.
The small towns and settlements dotted along the route don’t really offer any compelling reason to linger which is just as well really, as when you reach the town of Middlesex about 130km into the ride we’ll want to turn off onto the ‘Cradle Mountain Road’ heading south.

This minor road leads deep into the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park as far as it is possible to go via road, with the car park being almost right on the shores of Dove Lake at the base of Cradle Mountain itself. This is definitely a spot that is worth spending a bit of time over with plenty of bush walks, looping strolls around the lakes and informative displays on hand.

It’s only 80km or so to Devonport once we re-join the C132 so there should be time to enjoy the area around Cradle Mountain. Turn right when you reach Forth onto the B19 which will take you into Devonport. Don’t get too carried away though; remember, there’s a ferry to catch!

MELBOURNE FERRY TERMINAL TO MELBOURNE

A relatively short ride for the final day through some of the great scenery and along some amazing riding roads to the north-west of Melboure central. The perfect way to round out a great ride and just the ticket for regaining your bike-legs after the ferry crossing.