Australian adventure travel company, World Expeditions, has launched a brand specialising in local, self-guided cycling adventures designed to offer active travellers maximum flexibility, affordability and convenience.
Australian Cycle Tours itineraries are diverse enough to be suitable for introductory cyclists – including families with young children – through to experienced cyclists looking for a challenge.
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, luggage transfers, route notes & maps, expert advice and GPS information. Many offer optional e-bikes.
According to World Expeditions CEO, Sue Badyari, the new range has been developed in response to the demand for active adventures which are accessible intra-state by self driving to the destination or by short flights to intra-state destinations.
Ms Badyari says self-guided trips will become more popular during the pandemic as they allow travellers to practise social distancing and because there is a healthy respect for following tight COVID procedures in regional Australia.
“In regions such as Europe, self-guided travel is a well-established and highly desirable style of travel and we’ve worked hard to create some amazing and affordable local packages, despite the landscape being completely different, in a good way,” she said.
“Travellers are looking for uncrowded, outdoor experiences that give them the chance to reconnect with nature and the natural world, at least partly in response to isolation and having been contained for so long,” she said.
“The new itineraries are underpinned with all the support working in the background, so cyclists can relax into a really inspiring short adventure, let their hair down and have some fun time which we all need right now” she said.
“We’ve seen a surge in enquiry for custom itineraries, with families, couples and groups of friends choosing to travel together,” she said. “and the Australian Cycle Tours range has been developed to allow people to travel in groups of 2 or more, with a level of flexibility not possible on a group trip.”
“Groups 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 nights lodgings, accommodation, route planning and backup support, all taken care of,” Ms Badyari said.
“We have high expectations for the range to establish itself very quickly as a favourite amongst active travellers,” she said. “Itineraries are in place now in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania, with others States to follow.”
Victoria
The 6 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 over Lake Eildon into Bonnie Doon, through the state’s longest trail tunnel near Yea and along the Goulburn River.
Priced at $1490 per person, the Great Victorian Rail Trail Self-Guided Cycle includes 5 nights’ accommodation in hotels and guesthouses on a twin share basis. Electric bikes are an additional $140 and tag-along bikes (for children) are available.
The 5 day Murray to the Mountains Downhill Edition is a unique itinerary put together to have you cycle 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.
Including nights in Myrtleford and Bright, this gravity edition of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail cycle costs $795 per person and includes 4 nights accommodation in hotels/motels on a twin share basis, hybrid bike hire including helmet, lock, repair kit, front handlebar bag, drink bottle holder, rear carrier and a waterproof pannier, transfer from Milawa to Beechworth, luggage transfers, route notes and maps and GPS information.
NSW
The emphasis is on flexibility on the 5 day Mudgee Explorer Self-Guided Cycle, with a number of routes on offer, each of which offers a different experience of the region. The self-guided itinerary provides complete freedom to set your own pace, with time to enjoy a long lunch, sample local cheeses or stop for a wine tasting, as you cycle quiet country roads passing picturesque vineyards and farms, renowned restaurants and cafes, each evening returning to your boutique hotel in Mudgee.
Priced at $870 per person, the Mudgee Explorer Self-Guided Cycle includes accommodation, mountain bike hire including helmet and front basket, route notes and maps, GPX tracks and expert advice.
The 2 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.
There is also a challenging and rewarding 8 day Sea to Kosciuszko Self-Guided Cycle, on which participants will enjoy the thrill of cycling from Tathra on the beautiful Sapphire Coast to Kosciusko at the top of Australia and a spectacular 6 day South Coast Self Guided Cycle from Wollongong along the coast to the white sandy beaches of Huskisson, on Jervis Bay.
At $675 per person, the exclusive Rope & Ride Blue Mountains Adventure operates with a minimum of only 2 people and would have to be the best way to see parts of the Blue Mountains that are off limits to most visitors. The experience includes a hearty gourmet lunch both days, accommodation pickup (from Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls, Blackheath and Medlow Bath), professional, qualified and knowledgeable guides, all activity related equipment for both days (wetsuits, harnesses, helmets, bikes and gloves).
TASMANIA
Tasmania’s East Coast is dotted with charming fishing villages, stretches of beautiful coastline, including the spectacular Freycinet National Park and the 8 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 you the flexibility to undertake additional cycling or to stop at vineyards, cheese-makers and berry farms.
Priced at $1300 per person (twinshare), the East Coast Self-Guided Cycle includes 5 nights hotel/cabin/guesthouse accommodation, 2 nights camping on Maria Island (all gear included), bike hire, road and ferry transfers, National Park Passes, maps and expert advice.
For those short on time, there’s also the 6 day highlight version, the Self Guided Cycle East Coast Highlights that costs $1195, including 4 nights guesthouse style accommodation and 1 night camping.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The 6 day Munda Biddi Cycling Adventure is a world class cycling trail in southern Western Australia and this experience is guided, with support vehicle so you can cycle as much of this 207 km trail as you like.
Comfortable cabin accommodation, luggage transfer and all meals provided, this guided adventure costs $2100 per person (twin share).
World Expeditions is Australia’s longest established tour operator and is highly respected in the industry for its excellent safety record and well known for its long history of pioneering new adventure itineraries, modes of travel and destinations.
Visit https://www.australiancycletours.com.au, call 1300 767 381 or email info@australiancycletours.com.au for more information.
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