cyclezealot

Last Saturday, I was talking at our lunch stop with two cycling friends..They are seriously thinking of putting together a tour across North America- California to South Carolina- in late April, 2004.
I got talking about Australia and got them to thinking about, why not at least consider doing this across Australia.. Why not? Positiives.. Possibly, less traffic, safer.? More exotic.Expand your horizons... Sent them some picures of MediaCreations crossing to their emails..They just might. Or at least look into it.
THose from Oz...Any suggestions about putting together a trip across Australia. It would be like 5-7 cyclists. Maybe myself?
Their usual pattern is to do it solo- sag support is cheating to them. I prefer organized rides. But this is like a life long goal, to me. If they were to do this, I just might have to, if I can get off work.
Questions to those from Australia. What is it like to cross Australia without support. Is it possible.? .Late APril would be fall. Is that a good time... Any tips to organizing such a trip? Are there organized bike trips across Australia. Frequency of camp sites? Road conditions. Weather. ? Traffic.What routes.? Information sites? Distances between towns and or support facilities...?
Anyone in Australia done this solo?
Appreciate your advice..

fks

Which way do you want to go ? Oz is quite a karge place. April is ok to tour in northern Oz but it is the start of some cold and wet miserable weather in the far south. Whichever way you go be prepared for long distances between towns and services once you leave the east coast.

If you like doing some desert riding on roughroads and don't mind getting off the beaten track try Cairns to Perth Via Alice Springs.

FKS

fks

That should read Oz is a large place!!!

cyclezealot

Several of my biking friends have a goal of crossing a continent..Me too.Think I measured Australia and it smaller than North America.. My attraction it is something different and maybe safer than North America? Less traffic..
I had the impression all of Australia was somewhat warm, even in Winter. So that is like September here. Some of the weather is chilly then.. My impression most cyclists would cross from Perth to Sydney area?
Think biggest obstucle to a solo tour there. No facilities for over 200 miles.. Bike group meets tomorrow for a ride to the coast. Probably talk about it..

AdrianB

You might like to consider going from the northernmost point (tip of Queensland in the NE) to the lowest point either on the mainland (in Victoria) or right at the bottom in Tasmania. It'd be a fair trek and go from all sorts of diverse climates and landscapes. Lots of services are available on the east coast ranging from small communities to large cities. You would see some of the most beautiful country including tropical and temperate rainforests, coasts, wine country, farmland... You name it. You'd even get to pass ChrisL in the passionfruit capital in the Universe! The weather in the tropics in April/May is radically different than down south in Victoria. Lonely Planet's guide to Cycling Australia might be useful if you can find it in a library or bookshop...

Stubacca

Good suggestion, AdrianB. I wouldn't recommend crossing the southern part of Australia across the Nullabor to Perth. It's an unfriendly enough drive, let along cycle.

Riding down the coast would be much more picturesque and exciting.

You'd still be crossing a continent, just North-South instead of East-West.

cyclezealot

Thanks for the replies to both of you.Question..Are the surface coastal roads good for cycling.? For the most part not much traffic, what are shoulders like for the most part. That is a point. Australia, one of few continents that you can cross north to south...Will look into the suggested book.... Africa too big, even though I have read some have completed that tour..North America no roads up there.
Will share this with my cyling group..
Chris' description of the roads about his neighborhood make it sound like problem area.

AdrianB

It's making a broad statement about the amount of traffic and condition/width of roads when crossing an entire continent. However, there would be very suitable routes with a little planning and local knowledge (many people here would be happy to help as well as relevant state cycling bodies in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tamsania).

I don't mean to put word into ChrisL's mouth but if you cycle down the main 'strip' or 'street' in a major metropolitan centre you are bound to have a certain degree of problems . The Sunshine Coast and The Gold Coast in Queensland are a major holiday destination for young and old. Lots of graduates from highschool (Year 12) go up to the coast in Queensland and generally wreak havoc leading towards Christmas. It is however all in good fun and is extremely safe for all sorts of people. Queensland is the home to many of Australia's 'Hollywood' style movies (The Matrix etc) and attracts the California meets Florida kind of crowd but with a greater inclination to party . Any time outside of November/December the area would be very sane and really any time should be OK...

If however you wanted to bypass these major tourist/leisure locations you could choose alternate routes slightly inland - but you would miss some of the best sites even if they are a little Miami .

Along the route many large 'alternative' communities exist (like Byron Bay in New South Wales) with a unique ethos that runs through virtually the entire town. These are the kind of places where long beards, pot-smoking and nudism are encouraged in a classy kind of non-judgemental way (which is all a bit weird... like Europe but with shorts and thongs) . If you don't touch drugs, are clean shaven and prefer to ride in suits and stay in five star hotels then you will be more than welcome too, just make sure you have a bit of spare time and hug a tree There are some places up North where the biggest international celebrity or entrepeneur could easily go shopping or eat out without being bothered.

However you'd prefer 100% prime grass-fed beef eating towns who don't have a flower shop because it's a bit queer then you'll also find somewhere to accomodate you. Australia is as diverse or narrow minded as you want to make it. There's so much bloomin' empty space....

Drivers are like anywhere sometimes ignorant, but by and large especially in the country you'll find yourself very welcome. Even here in South Australia out in the country side the odd farmer will laugh at you climbing that steep hill, wave or even offer you a lift. The number of times I've had to say that me looking like I'm about to vomit is a good thing... However having said that it's no guarantee you won't experience some problems.

The infrastructure in country Australia on the east cost varies significantly but generally offers a wide shoulder and is well maintained. The worst part is most roads are speedlimited at 60+mph (100km/hr+). It is however a matter of choosing routes. You should be able to find a reasonable area with facilities whether it's a camping ground, youth hostel, stealth camping area or bed and breakfast/hotel. Food is plentiful and even seasonal work may be possible if you're enthusiastic about picking/packing fruit.

Try and find a few books with suggested routes, itineraries or experiences. Even generic tourist guide books can offers some tips but especially check out Lonely Planet if you can. Both their cycling and walking guides are very interesting.

You may also like to check out:

https://users.chariot.net.au/~gloria/...e_touring.html

This homepage of an eccentric bicycle tourer based in Adelaide has links to all sorts of sites and journals of people undertaking trips in Australia and abroad. Might be worth a quick look. Many do go WEST -> EAST or similar which may be an alternative to NORTH -> SOUTH or vice versa.

https://www.bicycles.net.au/links/orgs.html

This site offers links to a number of Australian cycling organisations which may provide appropriate information and resources for their local area. Queensland is at the top (North), then New South Wales, then ACT (Canberra) - optionally, Victoria and then Tasmania (the island at the bottom). All organisations are very helpful and should provide some useful information.

I must confess I've not had the courage to do it myself but am dreaming of doing it one day when I can convince my partner to come along and find a month or three off work

Traffic is generally very light outside of urban areas. Weather in Queensland, New South Wales is mild almost anytime through the year (at least not cold and wet). Victoria may require some preparation for rain and 10-19oC days (which might well be Spring where you are ) if you go in April->July. Tasmania however can even snow in Summer in the higher regions... Mount Wellington (near Hobart) for example or Cradle Mountain in the North West of Tasmania. They can however be easily avoided if you have an aversion to climbing mountains

Hopefully this was of some help.

I must confess it hasn't been checked for typos, grammar or the like.

AdrianB

I officially apologise for excessive useage of smilies in the previous post.

saddlesores

solo tour is possible, but you must be prepared for anything. plenty of
spare parts and tools, you may be 1000 miles from the nearest bike shop.
4-5 gallons of water on the long, dry stretches, and up to 10 days worth
of food. away from the east coast, traffic is light, in some areas almost
non-existant. you'll see more 'roos than people. good eatin' by the way...
('roos, not people..) friendly folks, too. can't tell you the number of times
cars that had passed stopped at the next rest area to make tea and offer
me a cuppa as i rode by.

cyclezealot

I guess Sadlesores you did this totally solo.? Would not most cross Australia across its' Southern Coast; Perth, Adelaid,Sydney? No matter what route is chosen it all is equally desolate.?
Had my mind set on crossing North America..My group I was going to do it with, leaves March 31. San Diego to Jacksonville. Can't wait the one to two years before I hoped to do that trip..
Our nephew will retire to Australia within the next two years. Then crossing Australia is on my docket. Think I favor an organized tour. Camping is ok, as long as we have a sag choice. Congratulations...Quite a feat.

Wiswell

National Geographic in late 97 early 98 featured a three-part story on a guy circumnavigating Australia. You might want to check it out if you can. Here's the site for NG, I'm not sure how to get copies of the full articles:
www.nationalgeographic.com

ronyex

I must prove some of you wrong.no need for gallons of water nor stocks of food supplies.
this danish guy cycled around oz almost all the way around (he was trying to break a world record but gave up in the middle thus took a trainride from Adelaide to Sydney but cycled everything but that section).
he did not have any water problems and he always slept indoors -motels, roadhouses(didnt carry sleeping gear or cooking gear)

https://www.lonebiker.dk/EHjem/pageRAA.html

saddlesores

"....no need for gallons of water nor stocks of food supplies..."

well, he did have water dropped off or delivered to him on the
road at times, and covered a fair amount hitching on a truck
.....amazing that he was able to do as much as he did, but i still
wouldn't recommend riding across the desert without water...
i.e. halls creek to fitzroy crossing ~ 300km. no way anyone could
do this with camping gear, and without it you severly limit the
areas you can visit.

supcom

Try the book 'Cold Beer and crocodiles' for the complete story of the guys adventure. Very good easy read with lots of good information. Highly recommended even if you don't plan to cycle across Australia.

NZLcyclist

Damn now you got me hooked....once I've done NZ i'm gonna head for Oz, then America, then Europe. Thats my long term plan.....

Brendon

saddlesores

[QUOTE=cyclezealot]...Would not most cross Australia across its' Southern Coast; Perth, Adelaid,Sydney? No matter what route is chosen it all is equally desolate.?...

there aren't too many choices for routes, especially if you want to
stay on paved surfaces. east-west across the top or bottome, or
north-south darwin-port augusta. all are feasible and well worth the
trip. choice depends on season and interests.

i had a year for this tour, starting and ending in cairns. rode west
across the north and into the interior to alice during the winter, east
across the bottom during the summer.

plenty of 'desolate' areas in a country equal in size to the us but with
a fraction of the population, the majority of which live in the large
coastal cities. you'll hit desolation regardless of route, probably the
longest, emptiest stretches are in nwt and wa.

i'd like to return someday, mtb instead of roadbike. feel like i missed
too much.

cyclezealot

[QUOTE=saddlesores] Saddle. Any recollection of the route from Perth to Adelaide.
Are you ever more than a days ride from civilization going this route.? If no cities are there like parks every 60 miles where one can find shelter. Think across the south coast would be my likely choice.? Wonder when would be the best season.Appreciate feedback from someone who has done this....Thanks.

saddlesores

this route runs far to the south; i did this in the summer, mid-sept to
mid-oct. temps comfortable, with some stiff westerly tailwinds.

following hwy 1 from perth along the coast to esperance, you'll
find enough small towns for lodging and food, however i preferred
to camp. at esperance you can leave the main hwy to cape le
grand national park for camping on the beach and whale
sightings. then north to norseman for all facilities.

from norseman to ceduna is about 1200km of 'desolation' across
the nullarbor plain. when i went through there were only six
roadhouses; stops for lodging, some foodstuffs, and greasy meals.
these are spaced much more than 60 miles apart, but if you have
camping gear you need not worry.

here, as in much of oz outside of towns, crown land extends to
50 or 100 metres to either side of the roads. you can pretty much
set up your camp whereever you feel comfortable. if you'd rather
have other people nearby, you can camp at the rest areas, which
are used by rv'ers to overnight. the highway dept often provides
water in tanks at the rest areas, sometimes propane grills to
prevent burning deadwood and starting rangefires.

Chris L

Heading for Oz, you might think about being selective about which places you visit. Personally I have no desire to cycle across the Nullarbor -- day after day of basically nothing to see. My advice: the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is a must-see -- and worth extending to Adelaide if you've got the time, a circuit of Tasmania offers Australia's best tour (and probably a second trip as there's more to see down there than one expects), pretty much anywhere along the East Coast up to the Sunshine Coast is good for a tour (particularly if you head for the coastal range behind it).

Outbike

Hey Guys!
I just wonder if you have now already crossed Australia? Otherwise have a look at www.outbike.com.au !
There you get the chance to cross a continent!
Sabine

racpat_rtw

I think the only reason to cycle all the way acros Australia is just so you can say you did it. I cycled from Adelaide to Melbourne to Sydney, then someone convinced me that riding all the way up to Cairns would not show me the 'real' Australia. So I bussed back to Adelaide and up to Yulara and cycled from there to Three Ways. Then I bussed to Townsville and rode to Brisbane. Cycling the outback is awesome, but why would you want to do it for more then a couple of weeks?

axolotl

I spent about 6 weeks cycling in Oz in the early '90s. Basically, 3 regions: Southern Highlands of NSW, Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and Tasmania. I also flew out to Perth to visit a friend, but only rode my bike in Perth and around Rottnest Island (fabulous day trip). My friends & I were disappointed with the Southern Highlands of NSW. We liked the scenery of the Great Ocean Rd, however there was frequently more traffic than we would have liked (in February--high season). Also, the road was narrower than, say, Pacific Coast Highway in California. I agree with Chris_L, Tasmania was easily the best place for touring. Great scenery, and minimal traffic. Plus, I saw a lot more animals there than anywhere else. One of my happiest memories is seeing a "Wombat Crossing" sign in the middle of nowhere on a high plateau in western Tasmania (the only such sign I saw the entire trip), and wouldn't you know it, 20 seconds later a wombat crossed the road! Also the only one I saw the entire trip.

Even flying over the Nullarbor was tedious. The impression I had was that there aren't too many places in the vast Australian desert (the majority of the country) that have the sort of spectacular scenery that can be found in parts of the southwestern US.

Machka 

Read my website - see signature. I've got my Australia travellog posted there. 3 months cycling in Australia in 2004. I just got back a month ago


Also, this site has some photos of Tasmania and Queensland: https://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mac...=/5893&.src=ph


BTW - my cycling partner (mentioned in my travellog) is cycling in New Zealand right now but will be returning to Australia shortly. He is planning to spend February cycling from Adelaide to Darwin, through the middle. Then March will be spent cycling from Darwin to Perth, around the coast. Then April will be spent cycling from Perth to Melbourne. He is keeping a log, a fairly extensive one, but I'm not sure if he is planning to post it or not.