Escape on Wheels: The Best Cycling Tracks in Australia
With such a variety of natural wonders and a vast network of trails and tours, the open planes, flat roads, hills and mountains tracks of Australia are calling us – and our bikes!
Whether it be a weekend getaway or family holiday you’re planning, these bike-friendly ventures are sure to add surprise and delight for your next break.
- Munda Biddi Trail
The recently completed Munda Biddi Trail, meaning ‘path through the forest’ in the local Noongar Aboriginal language, is a special offering – a 1000km off-road trail built for bike riders to appreciate the extraordinary, biodiverse, natural wonderland of south-west Western Australia. Either do the long haul and stop with breaks across a hefty three-week span to experience the best of what the trail has to offer, or cut in wherever convenient for a shorter trip.
The track runs on the outskirts of Perth through to Albany, running across the popular Bibbulmun walking track.
Camping in purpose built shelters and bike storage is available, or you could break up the trip and stay in one of several quaint towns along the way.
2. Maria Island
If the simple pleasure of getting back to nature is what you’re longing for, then heading to one of many of Tasmania’s cosy islands such as Maria Island may be the choice for your next break.
Imagine venturing across a grassy planed national park, with wide tracks for multiple cyclists. And for those on foot, this is an adventure waiting to be unfolded.
With wandering fauna the only traffic jam possible, you are in the books for a replenishing immersion in one of Australia’s most scenic natural settings.
Spend days wandering or pedalling across the island, basking in the warm sunlight on your next holiday.
Only a short ferry ride from Triabunna, Maria Island is a lesser known treasure with its own rich Indigenous history – so much to experience and learn.
Be sure to pack enough food and supplies for your stay, as the island has no stores!
3. Rottnest Island
Just a short boat ride from Fremantle lies Rottnest Island – a destination for cyclists and nature lovers alike.
Littered with natural attractions, teeming with wildlife and well set up with scenic island tours and activities, ‘Rotto’ has much to offer.
Bike down the sandy dunes or strap in for a pedal across one of Rottnest’s more than fifty dream beaches. Rivalling Jervis Bay with its white sun-smooth sand, Rottnest Island has a lot to boast about.
With roads closed to vehicles, this small treasure has become a place to enjoy the simple pleasures of nature, for young and old alike.
A trip to Rottnest offers eye-opening learnings about its past Indigenous inhabitants – both the Whadjuk Noongar people of about 7000 years ago before rising seas cut the island off from the mainland – and the more recent, darker colonial days where the island was used as a prison.
Pedal alongside the water in one of Australia’s more scenic bike routes and immerse yourself in Indigenous history this holiday.
4. Mawson Trail
Travel to South Australia and spend your holiday in one of Australia’s longer trails for our more confident bike riders.
Tour Adelaide and travel the tip down to locate the Mawson Trail close to the famed Flinders Ranges. Riders will traverse through remote rural areas, national parks and historic towns, throughout the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa wine region.
The is one of our more risky and difficult trails, stretching 900km long, but also one of the more worthwhile ones.
The trail mostly drifting off-road means rocky paths and uphill climbs, so a mountain bike is necessary for this hefty climb.
Be sure to pack all necessary equipment and lots of water as this trail is ideal for a spring-time ride and summer should be avoided when necessary.
With bike trails and tours this summer, Australia is nothing short of scenic destinations and interesting routes.
Do something different this summer and climb on a bike for the adventure of your life.
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