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Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 25th 07, 10:31 AM posted to aus.bicycle
BikeManiac
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Posts: 13
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

I have some further questions regardring my trip following the
perimeter of Australia on a trike:

1. Some people suggest the very scenic route from Buchan to Jindabyne.
But I will be in this area in late august. Isn't there snow and mud on
the roads at that time (if it is gravel)? Maybe because of snow I
should stay along the coast almost all the way up to Sydney (Princess
HWY)? What do you think about that ... because I'm definitely not
going to bike on snowy/icy/muddy roads.

2. In one of my route suggestions I suggested the following section:
Oberon - Lithgow - Kurrajong - Singleton. But a forum member suggested
the following istead: Oberon - Bathurst - Sofala - Ilford - Rylstone -
Mudgee - Gulgong etc. Is that route as scenic at the one I suggested?

3. Is it legal to bicycle on interstates/freeways in Austalia?

4. If one arrives at a small community/town in the evening, and there
isn't an official campground - where can a bicyclist usually stay?
When I biked in USA I could often stay on fairgrounds, on the lawn at
fire depts., in some community recreational areas. But how is it in
Australia?

Regards Lucas Jensen

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  #2  
Old March 25th 07, 11:13 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Zebee Johnstone
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Posts: 1,960
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

In aus.bicycle on 25 Mar 2007 02:31:10 -0700
BikeManiac wrote:

4. If one arrives at a small community/town in the evening, and there
isn't an official campground - where can a bicyclist usually stay?
When I biked in USA I could often stay on fairgrounds, on the lawn at
fire depts., in some community recreational areas. But how is it in
Australia?


The pub. Most towns will have a hotel whose main business is serving
drink but will have a couple of bedrooms with a bath down the hallway.

Prices vary but $30-$40 with breakfast is the usual fee I've paid.

THere may be a campground but you can't bank on it. Find the pub and
ask there.

When I've needed to sleep overnight on a trip I've looked for the area off
by the side of the road set up for trucks to stop. Parked my motorcycle
in the bushes, unrolled the swag and slept by the bike. On the main
highways you'll find stops with toilets and tables, you can kip there
overnight, but not stay for longer than you need to.

Zebee
  #3  
Old March 25th 07, 01:38 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Terryc
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Posts: 583
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

BikeManiac wrote:

2. In one of my route suggestions I suggested the following section:
Oberon - Lithgow - Kurrajong - Singleton. But a forum member suggested
the following istead: Oberon - Bathurst - Sofala - Ilford - Rylstone -
Mudgee - Gulgong etc. Is that route as scenic at the one I suggested?


Scenic as in mountains = No.
Actually, it is less scenic then route through Katoomba, but that has a
hellof a lot of traffic.

It also looks like you are talkig about the Putty road. Go east after
Krruajong to wisemans Ferry, then noprth to
wollombi, Broke,
singelton (or wollombi, maitland (then dungog)

The northern route is better and safer

3. Is it legal to bicycle on interstates/freeways in Austalia?


Generally yes unless there are specific excaptions.


4. If one arrives at a small community/town in the evening, and there
isn't an official campground - where can a bicyclist usually stay?


When I biked in USA I could often stay on fairgrounds,

Called showground here.

on the lawn at fire depts.,


Highly unlikely

in some community recreational areas. But how is it in
Australia?


Try showground first. Usually any out of the way places will not get you
hassled.
  #4  
Old March 25th 07, 04:44 PM posted to aus.bicycle
BikeManiac
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Posts: 13
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

It also looks like you are talkig about the Putty road. Go east
after
Krruajong to wisemans Ferry, then noprth to
wollombi, Broke,
singelton (or wollombi, maitland (then dungog)


What is wrong with the Putty Road? This is the second time people tell
me I should avoid it. To me it looks like a scenic 150 km road (but
well, I only have some maps to look at).

Regards, Lucas

  #5  
Old March 25th 07, 10:01 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Zebee Johnstone
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Posts: 1,960
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

In aus.bicycle on 25 Mar 2007 08:44:22 -0700
BikeManiac wrote:
It also looks like you are talkig about the Putty road. Go east

after
Krruajong to wisemans Ferry, then noprth to
wollombi, Broke,
singelton (or wollombi, maitland (then dungog)


What is wrong with the Putty Road? This is the second time people tell
me I should avoid it. To me it looks like a scenic 150 km road (but
well, I only have some maps to look at).


From memory it is single lane most of the way, not much of a shoulder,
highish speeds including a fair few speeding motorcycles but the cars
aren't hanging about either, lots of corners meaning poor vision.

Which does seem to make it a bit dicey for a bicycle.

(That said, it is scenic if a bit up and down. Pick a weekday to
avoid the motorcycling heroes and the city-based holiday makers and
ride on what shoulder there is if you can.)

Realise that in Oz there's a hell of a lot of roads maintained by the
taxes of not very many people. So outside the big freeways the roads
tend to be narrrow and shoulderless. Weekend drivers tend to be much
less skilled than they think they are, and any twisty road within 75km
of a major city will have boy racer motorcyclists all over it on the
weekend.

Zebee
  #6  
Old March 25th 07, 10:05 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Donga
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Posts: 1,402
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

On Mar 25, 7:31 pm, "BikeManiac" wrote:
I have some further questions regardring my trip following the
perimeter of Australia on a trike:

1. Some people suggest the very scenic route from Buchan to Jindabyne.
But I will be in this area in late august. Isn't there snow and mud on
the roads at that time (if it is gravel)? Maybe because of snow I
should stay along the coast almost all the way up to Sydney (Princess
HWY)? What do you think about that ... because I'm definitely not
going to bike on snowy/icy/muddy roads.


As a would be skier, I say unfortunately it is extremely unlikely to
be snowy at or below Jindabyne, without some freak climate change
event - the snow line is well above Jindabyne. The snowy area is quite
large, but tiny in comparison to the country. If you stay at the
coast, you would have a margin of hundreds of kilometres from the
snow. Even above the snow line, the main roads would not have snow and
ice on them. It's not a populated area, so the only public roads are
the main ones.

What you are likely to find, in August, is cold and rainy. For that
reason, August may be better spent north of, say, Sydney, where the
rain tends to fall more in summer the further north you go. The
further north the warmer and clearer the weather will be. If you came
back south in Spring, and the likelihood of rain and cold would get
ever less.

The quality of roads is good for the most part. Even in rainy weather
you would have to be on a minor track to be really bothered by mud.

Donga

  #7  
Old March 26th 07, 05:07 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Terryc
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Posts: 583
Default Biking perimeter of Australia (Update2)

BikeManiac wrote:
It also looks like you are talkig about the Putty road. Go east

after

Krruajong to wisemans Ferry, then noprth to
wollombi, Broke,
singelton (or wollombi, maitland (then dungog)



What is wrong with the Putty Road? This is the second time people tell
me I should avoid it. To me it looks like a scenic 150 km road (but
well, I only have some maps to look at).


Umm, actually parts of it are fantastic. Nice, wide, sealed shoulders.
So the friggin cars zoom along way over the limit.
oh, it has lots of bends so they don't see you until the last second.

A really bad spot is the climb from the Colo river up.
It is very steep and you'll be walking or grinding in very, very low
gears. The road is narrow two lanes and there are NO edges.
What edges there were are taken up by heavy steel guard rails designed
to stop motor vehicles going over the edge. You have absolutely no where
to go.

On top, where it levels out, one side is cliff and the other is guard
rail and it is very windy.

To do this section, perhaps after midnight would be the best time. It
was the main truck route to northern inland NSW and beyond, but the new
freeway seems to have taken most of them.

The second bd section is the bends in the northern part.
gain narrow roads, flat and windy and traffic screams along way over
safe speeds. You could time bends to avoid the traffic if you are patient.


OTOH, I am not driving it much these days, so it might be a fair bit
quieter.

There are no facilities along it (two toilets, Colo Rr and picnic
ground). The rest would be bush camping (if you can avoid the private
property sections)

It is your choice. You could make a final choice at Colo Rr.
You will descend a massive hill to cross the river.
That is how much and how steeply you have to climb, but the road is far
worse. You could always follow the river downstream to
wiseman's
Ferry.

 




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