Cairns:
- Dan the Mountain Bike guy does nice day or 1/2 day MTB rides inc. bike hire
Melbourne: Get a copy of the Bike Paths book (or have a look in a library and photocopy the maps; make sure it is recent, there have been a lot of road changes recently).
1. ~100 km day ride, loop on bike tracks then road:
Starting in the city, take the Main Yarra Trail and Gardiners Creek path to Jells Park; Dandenong Creek trail to Seaford / Pattersons Lakes; sunset ride along Beach Road. It is a full day ride, and there is usually a strong head wind from Dandenong to Pattersons Lakes but otherwise a pretty good ride.
2. Visit CERES environmental park, starting from the city, I think along Merri Creek.
3. Take a train to the Dandenongs (eg. Ferntree Gully or Belgrave station); or to Lilydale for a Yarra Valley ride; or to Frankston (or ride there) for Mornington Peninsula.
4. Take a train to Geelong, then explore the Bellarine peninsula either by road or Dunsford rail trail. You can sleep in Queenscliff, take the ferry to Sorrento, then cycle the 100km back to Melbourne the next day.
5. Train to Kyneton. Cycle to Daylseford (steep; roads are OK but slow tarmac), via Trentham (for morning tea or lunch; there is a great bakery-cafe there). Spend a night or two. Cycle via Creswick then the Creswick forest and via Dean (the town, not me) to Ballarat. If interested check out the Sovereign Hill historic village. Train back to Melbourne.
6. Train to Wangaratta. Cycle to Milawa, Beechworth, Yackandandah, Albury, Rutherglen, back to Wang then train to Melbourne. 3-5 days.
7. Train to Ararat. Cycle to/through the Grampians. Not sure how long; prob. 3-7 days depending how you do it.
8. Ride around Lysterfield Park (MTB or rugged hybrid / tourer / cyclocross bike). See the lake and the kangaroos. 1/2 day is fine.
9. Hire a tandem from Beach Road Cycles (the Pegasus Crew) - better bikes and location but harder to get to; or from the trailer on the south bank of the Yarra (in the city; south bank of the river, east of Swanston St). Ride along Beach road, or along the river, depending where you start.
10. St Kilda foreshore.