Australian Cycle Tours has launched, offering a diverse range of two-wheel self-guided itineraries across the country’s spectacular landscapes.
A brand under the World Expeditions banner, Australian Cycle Tours has an itinerary for every rider, including families with young children and experienced riders looking for a challenge.
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While there are a couple of guided experiences on offer, the vast majority of the new range is self-guided, offering flexible itineraries that include accommodation, bike hire (including e-bikes on many routes), luggage transfers, route notes and maps, expert advice, and GPS information.
The new itineraries allow travellers to reconnect with nature and the natural world in uncrowded destinations. Groups of two or more can travel at their own pace, choosing their own departure times and duration of stops, with all the logistics such as baggage transfers between each night’s lodgings, with accommodation, route planning, and backup support all taken care of.
The new range has been developed in response to the demand for active adventures that are accessible intra-state, by self-driving to the destination or by short flights to intra-state destinations. Self-guided itineraries are already well established in Europe and the US, and it’s expected that self-guided trips will become more popular in Australia, especially during the pandemic, as they allow travellers to practise social distancing.
The six-day Great Victorian Rail Trail Self-Guided Cycle follows Australia’s longest rail-trail through charming towns and countryside from Mansfield, in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, to Tallarook. The trail passes Lake Eildon into Bonnie Doon, through the state’s longest trail tunnel near Yea and along the Goulburn River.
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Alternatively, the five-day Murray to the Mountains Downhill Edition is a unique itinerary that allows cyclists to enjoy the Mountains Rail Trail without the hills. From the well-preserved, historical town of Beechworth, the route follows flat roads and downhill trails while soaking in the views of verdant farmland, bushland, forests, valleys, and mountains.
In New South Wales, the five-day Mudgee Explorer Self-Guided Cycle offers a number of routes, each of which offers a different experience of the region. Cyclists can set their own pace, with time to enjoy a long lunch, sample local cheeses or stop for a wine tasting, as they cycle quiet country roads passing picturesque vineyards and farms, and renowned restaurants and cafes, with each evening ending at a boutique hotel in Mudgee.
For the adventurous, the two-day Rope & Ride Blue Mountains Adventure is a chance to explore the heights, depths, and lengths of the Blue Mountains. This guided adventure combines a day-long seasonal roped activity, such as abseiling or canyoning, with a day’s mountain biking adventure. The more challenging eight-day Sea to Kosciuszko Self-Guided Cycle route has the intrepid enjoy the thrill of cycling from Tathra on the beautiful Sapphire Coast to Kosciusko in the Snowy Mountains.
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There are also itineraries for the island state of Tasmania. The island’s East Coast is dotted with charming fishing villages and stretches of beautiful coastline, including the spectacular Freycinet National Park, and the eight-day East Coast Self-Guided Cycle is a chance to explore this stunning region independently. With all the logistics taken care of, this challenging cycle adventure includes a circuit of Maria Island and gives travellers the flexibility to undertake additional cycling or to stop at vineyards, cheese-makers, and berry farms.
Finally, in Western Australia, the six-day Munda Biddi Cycling Adventure is a world-class guided cycling trail in the state’s south. With a support vehicle in attendance, travellers can cycle as much of this 207 km trail as they like.
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