Touring Australia June-November 08

RAFTerry

I'm over here in New Zealand at the moment (doing the North Island) and would like to find something to do before I tackle the South Island next November. Can anyone help with tour ideas I fancy doing Perth to Sydney via Tazmainia any ideas would be greatfully recieved
Love from a very hot New Zealand
Remember its not the trip that matters its how you do it that counts 8) [/quote]

jibi

Take a look at the thread " The Nullarbor" there are two of us touring around OZ at the moment and there are links to our websites/blogs in the thread.

I just had a month on Tas and could have stayed there longer, much longer. I met a german girl who had been cycling around there for 3 months and was stil finding new places and enjoying the trip.

have a great trip wherever .

Tailwinds

george

Tourist Tony

I have just come back from riding over there. I would recommend Paul Elwood's "Around Australia by Bike" and "Bike Australia, cycling Australia from Perth to Sydney" by Paul Salter. That one suggests a route over the Darlings and the Wheatbelt to get to Norseman and the Nullarbor, but I think George (and Daviddddddddd) would agree that missing out the South West corner would be a real shame. My own log is at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3 ... =3244&v=5K

RAFTerry

Thanks for the tips guys everybit helps.

wallabyhunter

I live in Perth & I agree withh TT If you're leaving from Perth (seems to be the popular choice of direction) then heading south is the way to go. The trip east from Albany to Esperance would be a b1tch but the rest of it is brilliant. Going due east the whole ride to Collgardie has long boring stretches & A LOT more road trains.

I travel a lot with my job & I have driven both roads many times looking at it with a cyclist eye & would go the south route. I've ridden Per Alb a couple of times & enjoyed it emensely.

gb

Tourist Tony

Yup, Perth to Albany is delightful, and Alb to Espy is indeed a female hound, with LOTS of watercourses to cross--sharp descent, drag back up. Camping often awkward.
The scenery is well worth the trip around there, while from York onwards to Coolgardie you are just going through repetitive wheatbelt.

jibi

Albany to Esperance has a place in my heart for ever, I really enjoyed that bit.
4 days of fun. I found plenty of places to sleep, I had to camp 1 night

Enjoy
george

Tourist Tony

George, if you enjoyed Albany to Esperance you either had NO headwind, or you are an even bigger nutter than we thought!
I had nasty adverse Easterlies, especially after Jeeramungup, in fact all the way from Denmark, and the repetitve descents to creek beds drained me.. I camped all the way, and the generally low and scrubby nature of a lot of the bush made it a bit awkward. I used the flood channels to get away from the road.
Did you use the water tanks to stock up? I found a lot of them salty.

Having said that, I wouldn't have missed it.That bit of "plateau" before Ravensthorpe, where you feel so high up , can see for miles, and feel really away from it all, or the low bush near the big mines, which stretches right out over the hosizon as if it is totally untouched...

wallabyhunter

George, if you enjoyed Albany to Esperance you either had NO headwind, or you are an even bigger nutter than we thought!

You're not wrong there TT! I shouldn't say that, I know, I have never cycled it, but the upsNdowns are incredible. & it is just sooo long between towns, it's boring as bat sh1t in a car, never mind on a bike!

I found plenty of places to sleep, I had to camp 1 night

Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Where did you sleep JIBI? I would've thought wild camping was the way to go. Hope you're still enjoying the full circle bit, I watch you & Davidd's posts regularly. France seems a walk in the park when I see what you guys have done!

good luck
gb