Ride 2021 - South Coast and Victorian Alps
- South Coast and Victorian Alps: Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory to Orbost to Omeo to Porepunkah to Wangaratta: February 21, 2021 to March 9, 2021. 1,345 kms, 8,964 m climbing and 4 exploring/rest days. $2,475
- Download itinerary covers both South Coast and Great Ocean Road legs
- Download registration and medical forms here
The full tour begins in Melbourne and heads south along the South Coast before heading North and crossing into the Victorian Alps. Then it is onto the rail trail to end in Wangaratta. The Great Ocean Road tour ends in Melbourne. The map shows the rough route. The actual route is a little longer.
This trip brings together a huge slice of what Victoria has to offer the tourist. Wilderness, mountains, beaches, craggy cliffs, settler history, waves, unique fauna and flora, towering forests, pastoral lands, inland lakes, tumbling and lazy rivers, big blue sky, amazing stars.
The tour follows minor roads wherever possible - better scenery, quieter and safer. Sections of the Princes Highway cannot be avoided but mostly it has a modest shoulder and many double lane sections
Download Forms: Please complete a registration form. You will also need to complete and sign the medical information form, which includes a disclaimer form. Cycle Across Oz also operate a code of conduct and a Covid-19 policy which you will need to read and sign.
Download and print registration and medical information forms and mail to us with your deposit of AUD300 as soon as possible to secure your place. Places are filling fast.
The 2021 tour starts in the city of Melbourne, Victoria's capital. Take your time to enjoy the city before the tour begins, especially its shopping and its restaurants and its bicycle paths.
The South Coast ride starts at Luna Park in Melbourne - the park will be closed when we start - so do the rollercoaster rides the day before. We start with a ride down cycling mecca, Beach Road. We keep Port Phillip Bay close to our right as we work our way through Frankston and Mornington Peninsula to the ferry terminal to cross over to Phillip Island. Next day is the biggest day of this leg (110 kms) crossing Phillip Island and onto the Gippsland coast. Do not even think of training into the ride. We then head down to the fabulous National Park at Wilsons Promontory, the most southerly point of mainland Australia. We take a rest day here to hike and explore.
The next leg takes us along the Gippsland coast through the towns of Yarram and Stratford and onto the Princes Highway for a while skirting the lakes at Lakes Entrance. This is pastoral country with the beaches not far away. We take our next rest day at Johnsonville, which has easy access to the town of Lakes Entrance.
The third leg starts to see changing landscapes as we loop up inland toward Orbost and then back to the sea at Marlo. Then it is doubing back inland toward Orbost and Bruthen before crossing into the Victorian Alps with a bush camp on High Bogong Plain and the descent into a well earned two day rest at Porepunkah. This is a great base to explore places like Bright and the winelands around Millawa and perhaps go for a ride up Mt Buffalo.
Last day is rail rail ride to Wangaratta on a gentle uphill grade as befits a rail trail
The South Coast ride starts at Luna Park in Melbourne - the park will be closed when we start - so do the rollercoaster rides the day before. We start with a ride down cycling mecca, Beach Road. We keep Port Phillip Bay close to our right as we work our way through Frankston and Mornington Peninsula to the ferry terminal to cross over to Phillip Island. Next day is the biggest day of this leg (110 kms) crossing Phillip Island and onto the Gippsland coast. Do not even think of training into the ride. We then head down to the fabulous National Park at Wilsons Promontory, the most southerly point of mainland Australia. We take a rest day here to hike and explore.
The next leg takes us along the Gippsland coast through the towns of Yarram and Stratford and onto the Princes Highway for a while skirting the lakes at Lakes Entrance. This is pastoral country with the beaches not far away. We take our next rest day at Johnsonville, which has easy access to the town of Lakes Entrance.
The third leg starts to see changing landscapes as we loop up inland toward Orbost and then back to the sea at Marlo. Then it is doubing back inland toward Orbost and Bruthen before crossing into the Victorian Alps with a bush camp on High Bogong Plain and the descent into a well earned two day rest at Porepunkah. This is a great base to explore places like Bright and the winelands around Millawa and perhaps go for a ride up Mt Buffalo.
Last day is rail rail ride to Wangaratta on a gentle uphill grade as befits a rail trail
Weather - South Coast
The pictures below cover wind (the most important one on top), temperature and rain. The Bureau of Meteorology has stopped publishing free wind maps. This chart shows the percentage of time wind blows from each of the 4 cardinal directions by month. It is for the town of Lakes Entrance which is close to the eastern edge of this leg. This suggests that the dominant wind direction is West and South West up to 60% of the time. That leaves a 40% chance of north easterly flows especially further east.
Type in your location in the search box on this WeatherSpark site and find the charts needed along the way
Wind Lakes Entrance
On this leg, we hug the coast pretty well before turning inland. See the route pencilled in on the rain map below.
For temperatures we will expect maximum temperatures to be in the 24 to 27 C band (75 to 80F). Minimums will be between 12 and 18C close to the coast and 9 to 15C inland (50 to 60F). Monthly rainfall is between 25 and 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) in February and March which could stretch out over 3 spells of a day or two every 5 days. Where the rain will be is not that predictable - end a dry summer and it could stretch for weeks of no rain as it did in 2019.
For temperatures we will expect maximum temperatures to be in the 24 to 27 C band (75 to 80F). Minimums will be between 12 and 18C close to the coast and 9 to 15C inland (50 to 60F). Monthly rainfall is between 25 and 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) in February and March which could stretch out over 3 spells of a day or two every 5 days. Where the rain will be is not that predictable - end a dry summer and it could stretch for weeks of no rain as it did in 2019.
