Though the vast distances of the open Australian highway may not appeal to a lot of people due to safety reasons, there are numerous bike-friendly options that beckon right across the country. Here's our pick of the best and the most beautiful cycling trips.
1.Great Ocean Road
If it's great in the car, it's great on the bike. Australia's most famous scenic road is a winding ribbon of cycling delight (ok, climbing the Otway Range hurts a bit), with all its signature scenes cliffs, beaches, ocean stacks and rainforest rolling at a more personal and intimate pace. Start in Torquay and head west so the only thing between you and the coast is the railing. It's about a 250-kilometer ride from Torquay to Warrnambool, so set aside four or five days to really enjoy the journey and avoid riding during peak holiday periods when the road can be packed with vehicles.
2.Mt. Buller
When the snow melts from the slopes of Mt Buller, the mountain transforms into one of Australia's best mountain bike locations. And it will be even better. Buller's latest trail, the Australian Alpine Epic, which officially opens in December, has already been named by the International Mountain Bike Association as one of the world's "epic" mountain bike rides the only one on the list outside of North America. The Alpine Epic is a 40km cross-country ride quite long by mountain bike standards and runs through Mt Buller and Mt Stirling.
3.Maria Island
If you want to avoid too much traffic, head to Tasmania's Maria Island, where the traffic is largely made up of wandering wombats, Cape Barren geese and kangaroos. The entire island is a national park and its wide trails are open to pedestrians and cyclists. You can sail past convicts and industrial relics at Darlington, take a short drive to the patterned sandstone at Painted Cliffs, or spend the day pedaling the isthmus that holds the island together. The island ferry from Triabunna carries bikes, but take all your food with you as there are no shops on the island. A mountain bike is best the cycling is easy, but all tracks are unpaved.
4.Tasmanian East Coast
Probably the best multi-day bike tour in the country, this journey starts in Launceston and pedals over the hills, turning east, to the coast at St Helens. Heading south from here, the drive alternates between beautiful beaches and even more beautiful beaches before turning inland to Hobart via the encouragingly named Bust-Me-Gall Hill and Break-Me-Neck Hill. Along the way, detour to the Freycinet Peninsula or Elephant Pass if you need more climbing and a pancake reward. If you really like hills, you can always continue around Tasmania's wild west coast to complete the full island circuit. Allow about a week to bike the East Coast and another 10 days if you head to the West Coast.
5.Munda Biddi Trail
Take the 1000 kilometer drive from Perth to Albany without touching the road. The newly completed Munda Biddi Trail parallels the route of the Bibbulmun Bush Trail and is less of a technical challenge than an enticing off-road bike tour. Campsites with bike storage and sleeping shelters are no more than 50 kilometers apart, and the trail takes in the giant forests around Pemberton and Walpole, as well as the wild coast from Denmark to Albany. Ride the entire section in about three weeks, or simply bike a section - the trail regularly passes through towns.
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