Bushranger Bikes

Pack the bags, grab the sun screen, make sure you include the cycling gear and swimmers, and head to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast!  The Winter weather in Southeast Queensland is near perfect and this will be a great opportunity to thaw out if you come from a cooler climate.  Wind in the hair, sand between the toes, the Pacific Ocean off your shoulder and the magic of the sub-tropics – now this is a cycling holiday!

Expect amazing coastal and beach locations, magic scenery, great cycling, awesome whales, some adventure walking, a little dip into the Sunshine Coast ‘hinterland’ and a cruise around Brisbane – the River City!

This exclusive Bushranger Bikes 5 days/4 nights tour itinerary has been designed to take full advantage of arguably some of the best coastal cycling, scenery and beaches in Australia with iconic locations such as Mooloolabah, and Noosa Heads.  Predominantly the riding will be on our fantastic coastal bikeways with some short road sections, and in this region Winter and early Spring is the perfect cycling season - expect magic riding looking out over the coast with the added attraction of some whale spotting. 

The gradient is mainly flat so expect relaxed easy cycling, the ride distances each day aren’t massive but from experience I know that groups will want plenty of time to stop and take in the awesome coastal scenery, snap those special photos and enjoy the great cafes and food along the way. If timing permits a ride over the Brisbane River via the Gateway Bridge will be one of the many highlights.

There are also fantastic 'off the bike' adventures that can be incorporated into the itinerary like Noosa Heads National Park, the Glasshouse Mountains, Montville, Noosa shops & cafes, and Brisbane's CBD, Southbank and gardens so this will be one very memorable experience - make sure you are on board!

This itinerary was first introduced in 2013 and is fantastic!  There has been a few tweaks & additions over the years to make it even better & it is still Bushranger Bikes most popular tour.

It includes three of Victorias best Rail Trails - the High Country RT (Lake Hume), the Murray To Mountains RT (Bright, Beechworth and across to Milawa) and the Great Victorian Rail Trail between Mansfield and Tallarook.  This tour was many years in the planning and is absolutely fantastic, sampling everything that makes this region of Australia perfect for adventure cycle touring -  Ned Kelly history, award winning local wine and produce, and diverse breath-taking scenery - this is real back country cycling adventure - rated a leisurely Grade 2 - easy to intermediate, Category is bike path/road - with some gravel.

Join Bushranger Bikes for 8 nights/9 days of some 'Awesome Autumn' cycling on the High Country Rail Trail, Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and the new Great Victorian Rail Trail in the North Eastern Victoria.  These trails are marketed as Australia’s Premier Rail Trails, for many reasons, and live up to them all.

You can expect crisp clear skies, clean fresh air, unbelievable Autumn colours, views and scenery unmatched anywhere else in Australia, all to be enjoyed from your bike.  Remote, rural, thriving regional towns and fun communities - the region is steeped in the history of Australian Bushranger folk law and the beautiful towns alone are worth a visit to this region. Today this region of Victoria is also famous for its fresh local produce, including numerous vineyards and their award winning wines, and you will have the opportunity to sample these delights as you ‘cycle the trails’.

Beaches - Sun - Sand - Cycling - and those Awesome Whales 

We all dream and, if you are a cyclist, it might be about a brilliant cycling holiday - quiet, meandering backroads; easy, relaxed pace; perfect scenery...As we dream a little deeper, there are possibly vineyards, lazy old canals...Yes, this is European cycle touring and something we all dream about but, for those of us who live in the southern hemisphere, the sleep becomes a little disturbed as we battle long distance transfers, queuing at busy airports, lots of people and driving and language challenges.  Those of us lucky enough to live in countries "down under", fondly remember lazy family holidays by the water - big beaches, rolling surf, golden sand, fishing, surfing, beach cricket, perfect weather, long days exploring, meeting and making friends, and probably early romances - yes, ours is a beach and coast culture!

And why wouldn't it be?  In Australia we have arguably the best beaches in the world.  Swimming, surfing and fishing are not only some of our favourite recreational pursuits - they define us.  Australia's climate is magic - on the east coast it is mild at worst, and sub tropical in Southeast Queensland and easily summed up in one word - brilliant!  And winter is the pick of seasons in the 'southeast' - low rainfall, perfect days and nice cycling temperatures.  It really doesn't get much better.

For the last couple of years Bushranger Bikes has been running cycling trips up and down the beautiful Tweed, Gold & Sunshine Coasts - checking out various sections of the meandering coastline trails and getting feedback from our friends and fellow cyclists.  The aim was to develop a world class adventure cycling trail that very much connected with and show cased our culture, and right here in our backyard - Southeast Queensland.  
And now I have - it reads like a 'wheres where' of iconic beach locations - Pottsville, Hastings Point, Cabarita, Kingscliff, Fingal, Point Danger, Currumbin, Burleigh Heads, Miami Beach, Mermaid Beach, Surfers Paradise, Manly Harbour, Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Scarborough, Caloundra, Mooloolabah, Maroochydore, Coolum Beach, Peregian Beach, and ......of course - Noosa Heads. Plus along the way - many smaller but just as beautiful beaches and seaside communities.

And if that's not enough to get the dreaming re-aligned, we have the hinterland - small, intermit, maybe boutique - settlements that sit on the high ranges overlooking the coast where the communities are funky, arty, relaxed and cool - yes the temperatures up there are noticeably a little lower than at sea level, and the pace even more relaxed.  The vegetation is tropical, the cafes, food and shopping fantastic and the views.........

To the cycling - the bike paths and back roads are safe and level, the coastal scenery is breath-taking, and we have that laid back costal vibe.  Being adjacent to the coast there's great food and accommodation and all services are readily available. And then we have those awesome whales - the Humpback Whale to be specific!
So what's this trail called?  I call it the Humpback Whale Cycling Trail TM or the 'Whale Trail' TM for short.  

Refresh your dreams and start dreaming Southeast Queensland.  Come and join Bushranger Bikes cycling the Humpback in Winter & Spring each year - and if you are from New Zealand or Australia - reconnect with 'your culture' and perhaps relive a little of the fun from your childhood.

If you are from the Northern Hemisphere then I have something very special in store for you - come and connect with a little bit of 'down under' culture - I promise you it's very different and you will love it! 

And at the finish of your holiday you will have some amazing memories to put with those dreams...........