Did a bit of a forum search but couldn’t see anything relevant. I’m planning on riding back from the TDU this Jan. Looking at google maps you can ride close to the coast most of the way.
Anyone ever done it? I’ve ridden Warrnambool to Melbourne (via Mornington peninsula) but not familiar with Adelaide to Portland. Looks like a bit over 1000 km. hoping to do it in 7 days or less.
Gonna go solo but if anyone wants to tag along, why not?
Keen for thoughts, words of encouragement etc. would be free camping or caravan parking along the way.
Are you going to go Geelong to Melbourne? That’s a pretty shit leg, but not much you can do about it. You can go inland a bit more and zig zag up the back roads with a bit of gravel action, much better than the highway…or just get the train from Geelong.
I’ve done Port Fairy to Geelong at a cruisy pace, would love to fill in the gap to Adelaide one day.
also be aware that they design those routes to be done on a road bike and with no camping gear. (as in you can be a bit more adventurous and less tied to towns at night)
Might be best to combine those with some other back roads you find on ride with GPS or mapmyride etc to avoid even more main roads.
They’re also designed by be done by audaxergreybeards who aren’t always fast… 1080/8 days = 135k/day and JK is aiming for 7 days. I haven’t travelled those roads, but given the distance from the highway they probably aren’t that highly trafficed (GOR excepted!)
I’ve done Adelaide to Mt Gambier. Have also driven that stretch a fair few times. The road along the coast is pretty lonely/boring at times… very long straight stretches. It’s a bit sparse for shops/stops as well, so I would recommend taking extra water, particularly in January.
There’s great beach camping on 40-mile beach north of Robe, but it’s a trek to get to without a 4wd. You can actually ride/drive the full stretch of beach… But it would eat into your 7-day time budget.
I did Melbourne to Adelaide inland this time last year and had head wind the whole way. Hopefully you score a tailwind along the coast the whole way. That’s all the input I have.
Hey dude, I did Melb to Rad for the 2014 TDU via the coast on my fixed running 48x16 carrying a backpack.
I went: Melb - Apollo Bay, AB - Warnambool, Warnambool - Mt Gambier, Gambier - Kingston, Kingston - Wellington, Wellington - Stirling stage and then down into town. My route is on Strava if you want to see it (and the elevation), searvh for Nathan Lyon.
Was mad fun. The first day was tough, 230km with the weather hitting 47 deg… And the stretch along the Coorong is miserable into a headwind but that time of year the wind should be at your back.
Enjoy yourself! If you need any specific details give me a yell.
I drive along the Coorong, from Adelaide, to and from Robe very regularly.
I would really try to avoid this road and head further inland from Mt Gambier. Personally I think its one of the most dangerous sections of road in SA.
Did the ride. 1100km over 6 days. Probably would have been 5 if not for four days of headwinds from Adelaide to Warnambool. Covered between 150 and 250 km per day and camped off the road and in some caravan parks so I could have a shower. Was a tough ride with the wind but rewarding to knock it off.
Found most of the roads fine with the Section from Kingston to Robe and Nelson to Mt Richmond a bit sketchy.
