Australia

The land of Kangaroos, Kookaburras, Funnel-web spiders and the Red-bellied black snake.. Australia has a landmass of 7692 million km², with approximately 70% of the mainland classified as semi-arid, arid or desert. This does make it one of the least inhabited continents on Earth.
Now for the remaining 30%, there are some great places to ride!

Australia is also the home of the season opener of UCI World Tour calendar, the Tour Down Under where the major pro teams flock in mid-late January for some Adelaide heat and fierce racing, Many then head to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the Sun Tour to prepare for the race season ahead.

Find Tours in Australia

"I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror,
The wide brown land for me!."
_____________________
Dorothea Mackellar 1885 -1968
(Australian poet and fiction writer)

Cycling Regions

SNOWY MOUNTAINS

This region is what it says, the snowy mountain region of the state of NSW. It is also home to the country's highest paved pass, Charlotte Pass 1840 m which sites on Mount Kosciuszko being Australia's highest mountain peaking at 2228 m.
The 'Snowies' are exhilarating alpine wilderness virtually untouched by mankind, an array of stunning valleys, creeks, river system, mountains and glacial lakes. The winter presents great skiing and snowboarding, bushwalking, horseriding, fly-fishing, water skiing, mountain biking, cycling and sailing. Another one of God's playgrounds.
The Snowies is the home of L'Étape Australia by le Tour de France

VICTORIAN ALPS
Located in the state of Victoria, the Alps highest point in Mount Bogong 1986 m. It is the home of the 7 Peaks Challenge, an open challenge to everyone to compleste the following passes:
Mt Buller (1601 m), Mt Buffalo (1381 m), Mt Baw Baw (1482 m), Hotham (1850 m), Lake Mountain (1364 m), Falls Creek (1724 m) and Dinner Plain (1570 m).

The Victorian Alps has many sportives running in the area such as the Alpine Classic, 3 Peaks Challenge and the Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, which are all competitive and challenging events held in and around these great alps.

SYDNEY
The largest city in Australia, sitting on the world's most beautiful harbour with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge as its prime jewels, this busy city sports some of the most beautiful beaches in the county. The city is filled wtih coves, national parks, secret coastal trails and beautiful waterways.

Unless you are good friends with a local, one would never be aware of the great road cycling and mountain bike trails this magical harbour city has to offer. And not too far is the Central Coast, the Hawkesbury region and the Royal National Park which are a cycling dream come true

TASMANIA
Originally named 'Van Diemen's Land' and also called 'The Apple Isle', you could almost say this island was lay down to ride your bike on. Its highest point in Mount Ossa, peaking at 1617 m located in the heart of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. This is where the Peaks Challenge Cradle Mountain sportive was held up until 2017.
The big talk currently is the Blue Derby Mountain Bike, located in North-East Tasmania, encompass an 80km trail network which has already played host to the Australian Cross Country Marathon Mountain Bike Championships and and Enduro World Series.

RIDING

The riding in Australia is very different to Europe, the conditions are much more harsh and you can travel for some time before seeing another town.
Recall that Australia is at its hottest in Dec/Jan/Feb, so be aware you will need to be well hydrated and wear plenty of sunscreen. Australia has one of the harshest sun conditions and hence very high rate of skin cancer! So cover up!
If riding the mountain areas, best months are: Sept-Dec and Mar-May (remember it does snow up there!)

HISTORY

Aboriginal Australians occupied the land for some 40,000 yearsas semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. With a strong spiritual connection to the land, water, and animals, each group developed different skills for survival as their environs were so different. Before the British settled in Australia, it is believed that the indigneous population may have been as high as 1.25 million.
Lieutenant James Cook dsicovered and claimed the east coast of Australia in the naming it it New South Wales back in 1770. The first penal colony was established some 18 years later when the First Fleet arrived in Sydney.

Bikes in Australia

The first known bikes imported to Australia were in 1875, sparking the establishment of the Melbourne Bicycle Club in 1878 and a club in South Australia in 1881. Englishmen Bennett and Wood opened a bike store in Clarence St, Sydney and were instrumental in founding the Cyclists Union of NSW (which later became the NSW League of Wheelmen). 1898 Austral Wheel Race winner, Finnigan used his prize money to open a bike store in Malvern, Victoria and began building his own bikes in 1903 (called Malvern Star), later to be ridden by Hubert Opperman

Hubert Opperman

Australian Champion in 1924, and again in ’26, ’27 and ’29. In 1928 Opperman won the prestigious Bol d’Or in Paris and that same year participated in the Tour de France placing 18th and bettered that in 1932 with a 12th
In between he won the 1931 Paris-Brest-Paris (1166 km) in a record time of 49hrs 23 miins despite rain and wind. That same year he was voted 'Sportsman of the Year' by a Paris newspaper. In 1991 he received the Gold Medal of the City of Parishe at the centenary celebrations of Paris-Brest-Paris in 1991.

Hidden Mountainous Routes

Australian Wildlife

Australia's High Country

"The 7 Peaks Challenge was an important item on my bucketlist.
Its a tough, yet beautiful journey over some of Australia's most beautiful mountains.
I would never have done it without you support"
_____________________
Andrew
(Australia)