Kody Block was the Content Creator for the 2024 Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour .

As the final cyclist arrived at our hotel in Queenstown, I grabbed my camera to capture the last day of our adventure. Looking around, the moment was filled with smiles, champagne toasts, and heartfelt embraces, and it was hard not to marvel at the challenges we’ve overcome throughout the last 2.5 months. This final stop marked the end of a 5,550-kilometer journey across Australia and New Zealand. From the iconic Great Ocean Road to Tasmania’s rugged beauty and the majestic Southern Alps of New Zealand, I had the opportunity to ask riders to share their personal experiences, capturing the highs, challenges, and unforgettable moments of this adventure. Reflecting on the trip, rider Grant Duncan shared that “Seeing koalas in the wild as well as the great coastal roads across Australia and New Zealand were highlights. The flora and fauna of both countries were a sight to behold.”

Credit: Grant Duncan

Grant’s reflection resonates deeply. The early days of our trip were marked by incredible wildlife encounters across Australia. Kangaroos hopped alongside riders, and thanks to our resident koala spotter Fiona, we estimate seeing over 30 koalas between Adelaide and North Geelong! The Great Ocean Road in Australia and the Great Coast Road in New Zealand showcased stunning yet distinct characteristics. The Great Ocean Road, popular among tourists, featured fierce waves crashing against towering cliffs. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Great Coast Road offered lush greenery, rugged cliffs, and an equally dramatic coastline—both unforgettable in their beauty.

Every journey comes with its challenges, and this one was no exception. New Zealand is a country of undeniable beauty, yet its narrow, winding roads highlight the need for safer cycling paths to support the growing interest in bike tourism. When asked about her experience cycling across New Zealand, Rider Kristen noted “One big challenge is the lack of cycling infrastructure here. If they want to develop bike tourism, they could really use some investment in safe cycleways.” Challenge, however, can often breed opportunity, and at the conclusion of the tour, this was also a time for reflection on the latter.

Rider Helen offered this advice to anyone considering a TDA cycling adventure – “Don’t be afraid to seize an exciting opportunity, meet like-minded individuals, and see some amazing places. Let the adventure write itself.” Her words perfectly capture the spirit of this group and TDA adventures—each trip is unique, blending determination and a deep appreciation for the challenges ahead.

A Personal Note:

For me, this journey has reminded me of my passion for storytelling through cycling. Each trip brings new experiences, but this was my first opportunity to capture volcanic landscapes, explore rainforests, and come face to face with a kangaroo! As I watched cyclists toast to their achievement and embrace one another, a quote from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty came to mind: “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.” This sentiment rings true not just for the landscapes we crossed, but for the quiet, powerful connections formed on Trans-Oceania 2024. Cheers to the experience we’ve had, the relationships we’ve built, and to cycling the road less traveled.

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Kody Block is the Content Creator for the 2024 Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour . 

“New Zealand is a country of such stunning beauty, where the landscape changes every 10 minutes, and it’s just one of those places where you don’t have to look too far to be inspired.” – Peter Jackson

Cycling across a foreign country on an expedition tour is no small feat. Unpredictable weather, challenging road conditions, and a new cultural environment can make the journey an adventure. This stretch across New Zealand’s North Island came with stories of steep, narrow roads, unpredictable conditions, and breathtaking views. Now, as we ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island, the striking landscapes and challenges of the ride have left riders reflecting on the highs and lows of their journey.

The landscapes in the north are dramatic and in the past 13 days we’ve experienced an abundance of diversity. From snowy mountain peaks to idyllic green hills scattered with sheep, each day is unique. One rider, Kristen, captured it perfectly: “The greens are so green, and there seems to be almost no flat place—so many slopes and cones and weird topographic features.”

The terrain feels alive, shaped by geothermal activity, steaming vents, and bubbling mud pools. From quaint farm homesteads to towering mountains on the horizon, each turn in the road reveals something more striking than the last, underscoring why New Zealand’s natural beauty is so revered. When asked about his experience, rider Grant said: “I’ve found the ‘living landscape’ fascinating: cycling down the geothermal spine has been fun, from the slurping mud pools to the volcanic hills and sweeping rivers.”

This stretch has not been without its challenges. Narrow roads, strong winds, and steep climbs tested the riders’ endurance. As rider John noted, “The first few days had some tough climbs, but the scenery and good weather made each day a joy.” The infamous rail trails, with gradients as steep as 6.5%, offered an extra challenge, prompting another rider, Keith, to joke, “It reminded me why it’s called a push bike.”

Many cyclists also remarked on the lack of rain, given New Zealand’s reputation for unpredictable weather. Clear skies and lush greenery combined with dramatic topography to create unforgettable views. Rider John also observed, “The vegetation unique to this part of the world has been a highlight. The quieter routes have often been the most stunning.” The vibrant birdlife, including some of the world’s most unique seabirds, added to the magic of the journey.

Our ride across the North Island has been nothing short of extraordinary, filled with stunning scenery, cultural connections, and shared moments of camaraderie. As we head towards the South Island’s towering peaks and pristine fjords, we carry with us the lessons and memories from these first two weeks, noting that New Zealand isn’t just a destination; it’s an experience that stays with you. As Grant aptly concluded, “The land of the long white cloud indeed.”

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Kody Block is the Content Creator for the 2024 Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour . 

“ We must let go of the life we ​​have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. ”
– Joseph Campbell

A few days ago, we cycled into Sydney, marking not just the completion of an epic chapter on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour but also the beginning of something new. Standing beneath the Sydney Opera House and gazing across at the Harbour Bridge, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of these iconic landmarks as metaphors for our group of accomplished cyclists. The Opera House, with its sweeping sails, felt like a symbol of closure — a crescendo marking the end of our 3,500km Australian adventure. The Harbour Bridge, stretching across the busy waters, called us toward a chapter yet to be written.

For me, Sydney is not just another milestone on the map, it’s a deeply personal one. My first visit here in 2018 was the prologue to my creative journey as a photographer. Back then I arrived as an intern, camera in hand, capturing the world around me for the first time as a hobbyist. Returning now as a filmmaker, Sydney had become a stage for reflection; a city where I could look back and see just how far I’ve come since those early, uncertain days.

Sydney, 2018

In many ways, the Opera House mirrors the closing of this chapter in the Trans-Oceania tour as well. Reaching this city after months of cycling across Australia feels like an artistic triumph – a blend of sweat, grit, and moments of quiet curiosity. It’s crazy to think that just 46 days ago we left Adelaide, cycling our way through wine country, curious about the journeys that lay ahead. We’ve experienced so much since then – a blend of unique wildlife entangled within rugged, diverse landscapes.

I’ll never forget the ferocity of the Southern Ocean, the coo of a Magpie, or the curiosity in a Kangaroo’s stare. These are the details I found myself reflecting upon standing beneath the Opera House’s architectural beauty, a reminder that every journey deserves a fitting finale. It was the perfect place to pause, look back at the road behind us, and honour the challenges and growth that brought us here.

For Josiah Skeats, our Assistant Tour Leader, this moment carries even greater significance. In 2018, Sydney marked the conclusion of his three-year global cycling journey. That solo ride, spanning three continents and 40,000 kilometres, was a life-changing act of courage and endurance. Returning to Sydney with this group has brought his journey full circle, blending past and present in a way only this city can.

Reaching Sydney has reminded me that life, much like these landmarks, is a balance of endings and beginnings. The Opera House and the Bridge aren’t just static symbols – they embody movement, transformation, and connection – all of which this tour has brought to life for so many of us. The Opera House’s stages are never truly silent; they wait for the next act, just as the Bridge carries endless footsteps forward.

Soon, we’ll cross another threshold, embarking on the next stage of our cycling odyssey. But no matter where the road takes us, Sydney will remain a poignant reminder: every ending is a beginning, and every bridge leads to new horizons.

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Kody Block is the Content Creator for the 2024 Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour. 

Back in 2019, Lonely Planet described Tasmania as “wild, weird, and wonderful” – a landmass of 68,401 square kilometers off the southeastern coast of mainland Australia. They called it “Australia’s best-kept secret, a natural haven for adventurers, artists, and lovers of the unexplored.”

As we dropped anchor in Devonport, Tasmania, it seemed that those words suddenly came to life. We were greeted by a distinct chill in the air and surrounded by dark, hilly forests – it felt like a world of its own. In the two weeks since then we’ve cycled 911 km from east to west, immersing ourselves in Tasmania’s history, and landscape. Reflecting on these weeks, I struggled to pinpoint exactly what makes Tasmania so unique – a major draw for many riders on our Trans-Oceania journey. To help, I asked some fellow cyclists for their thoughts.

Kristen on the road

One of our riders, Kristen Mueller, said, “It feels more remote than the previous section. The roads are less busy, the towns are fewer and smaller. There is nothing flashy or overtly modern about Tasmania – you could easily imagine turning the clock back 20+ years and I am not sure it would be much different.” Kristen’s reflections resonate deeply with me. Every day here feels like stepping back in time. The buildings stand on their original foundations, and the towns remain largely untouched. It reminds me of a quote from one of my favourite movies, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, where Sean Penn’s character says, “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.” That’s Tasmania: a place that remains beautifully original, with no rush to conform to modernity.

Tristan smiling

The people here embrace this timeless essence. Many relocate from mainland Australia to Tasmania’s remote wilderness, seeking refuge from the daily demands of life. Our tour mechanic, Tristin Walker, once lived in Derby (/ˈdɑːr.bi/), a town in Tasmania famous for its mountain biking trails. He said, “Tasmania has captured my heart, even as an Australian, every time I come here I am inspired, humbled, and blown away. It will take your breath away multiple times a day, with varying landscapes, animals, and people. From craggy mountains to pristine beaches, it has so much to offer nature lovers. With boundless outdoors to escape into, it keeps you wanting to come back for more.”

In such a short time, we’ve seen beaches, mountains, rolling green fields, wildflowers, craggy peaks, rain, sunshine – and lots of wind! The headwinds have been challenging lately and I’m confident our strong, determined group of cyclists would agree. One cyclist, Helen Smith, shared that, “Cycling has enabled me to stop and admire the beautiful scenery — the mountains, blue lakes, forests, and wildlife. Where else can I stop halfway up a hill to watch an echidna wander across the road in front of me? The hills and weather have been a challenge. It’s easy to forget that you’re actually in a rainforest until it gives you a rather wet reminder!”

Perhaps American poet Ernest Hemingway said it best, “Tasmania is an island of surprises — of dark forests and rushing rivers, of mountain ranges craggy and sheer, of sun-soaked valleys and secluded beaches. It is a place where the world slows down, and nature is ever-present.” Tasmania has certainly slowed life down for me and when we depart from Devonport to the mainland in 3 days time, remembering to slow down and appreciate the world around me is what I’m taking with me. If you’re feeling keen, maybe that’s a lesson you can take with you, too.

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Kody Block is the Content Creator for the 2024 Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour. As the tour nears the end of its first section along the Great Ocean Road in Australia, Kody was inspired to take a look back at how he ended up working on cycling tours that have taken him to such diverse locations as India, Albania, Morocco and now, Australia and New Zealand.

Kody (L) on the Trans-Oceania

“The two important things I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision.” – Robyn Davidson

When I first discovered the Content Creator position with TDA 2 1/2 years ago, I was an aspiring filmmaker and photographer who had purchased my first camera just a year earlier. At that time, I was working as a Career Specialist for an online education company, spending my days editing summaries and cover letters. For two years, that job served me well, and I was happy to make a positive difference in people’s lives. As time passed, however, the monotony of the work dulled my creative spirit. Each day I felt like I was carrying around a puzzle with one piece missing. No matter how beautiful the picture was, there was always that one small gap, leaving the image incomplete. I knew I loved photography and videography, and that I wanted to pursue them as a career, but I had no idea how to begin.

Enter TDA.

One day, while researching adventure photography jobs, I came across an open Content Creator position with TDA for their Hippie Trail Cycling Adventure in India and decided to apply. Eventually I heard back and interviewed for the position. Naturally I was nervous, as I was eager to leave a good impression for what I considered to be a dream job. As the interview progressed, my anxiety faded, and the conversation flowed naturally. I found it easy to be myself and talk about my career aspirations. A few weeks later, I received the job offer! To say I was excited would be an understatement. This was the opportunity I had been searching for, a chance to dive back into my creativity. One month, I was editing summaries, the next month, I was heading to India.

Gateway to India, Mumbai

Since then, I’ve experienced the highs and lows of working with TDA. The structure of what they provide is unconventional at best — a diverse group of strangers from all over the world bonding over their love of cycling and exploring countries and continents on two wheels. It’s unusual, but it works — and it works remarkably well. Since that first trip in January 2023, I’ve traveled to three more continents and 15 countries with TDA. Each tour is unique, shaped by different cultures, landscapes, riders, staff, weather, and food. No two experiences are alike. This diversity made me wonder: what makes this organization tick?

Over time, I’ve come to understand the company, its riders, its staff, and Henry, the co-founder. I’ve found one common thread that keeps everything running smoothly: authenticity. From my first interview to now, every interaction has been genuine, steering clear of the corporate persona often found in larger organizations. TDA embodies this quality — real people supporting real people. Riders and staff feel known and cared for and I believe this is what keeps them coming back.

Founder Henry Gold with field staff in Morocco

TDA has also successfully expanded into new parts of the world without drastically scaling up operations. Instead, they rely heavily on local support and people with a spirit of adventure to keep their tours running smoothly. This approach enriches the travel experience, brings staff and riders together by highlighting unique elements of each country. I’ve seen this firsthand with the tour leaders I’ve supported and the staff I’ve worked alongside. We’re not just coworkers; we’re travellers united by a shared love of exploration and discovery. It also offers opportunities for individuals like myself to experience new destinations while honing our skills. If you have an abiding interest in photography, videography, guiding, or even working as a chef, I encourage you to apply — there’s always room for enthusiastic adventurers.

Drone selfie in the Western Ghats in India

At the heart of TDA is the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to look within, discover their own passions and dive deep into what they love. While some embark on this journey alone, there are times when we all need support from the right people. TDA provided that support for me, and ever since I’ve felt compelled to return the favour through creativity. This is a company I believe in and the people behind it inspire me every day.

I’m grateful to be living my dream this way. There’s no place I’d rather be then alongside my fellow adventurers, sharing in the beauty of the world. It’s this connection and shared sense of purpose that keeps me coming back to TDA and I’m grateful to continue sharing the incredible stories that unfold on our current journey through Australia and New Zealand.

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“Do it! You’ll surprise yourself with what you are capable of in your golden years.”
– Gary LaRove New York Times June 23rd,2024

Are you one of our newsletter’s followers, who have reached the ‘Golden Age’ and think that you have missed out on the opportunity to do TDA tours? While taking a recent lunch break, I picked up the Sunday New York Times special section – What Does Retirement Really Mean? Being well past retirement age myself, it was no wonder it caught my attention. Throughout the section it had a variety of pull quotes such as, “Please trash-can the word retirement. There is no such thing. One segues to new chapters throughout life.” “Don’t ask me about what I did for a living. What do I do now is living life!” and of course the one quoted above.

Though none of these people were past participants on any TDA tours, these quotes could have easily been uttered by our riders, some of them like me, already well into the eighth decade of their lives. Since TDA’s 2003 groundbreaking cycling adventure from Cairo to Cape Town, our participants have ranged from as old as 17 (my niece), to as young as 84. Most folks who have not been on our tours think that cycling continents, or even only small parts of them, is for young people or maybe for the middle aged. ‘But folks in their fifties, sixties, or seventies. Come on, give me a break’.

To be honest, when I sit in a hotel lobby on a rest day having a quiet beer or just a cappuccino and I see one of our ‘golden age’ participants who just cycled 130 km, in the process climbing 1,500 meters, not to mention the headwind and a bit of rain, I see men and women who not only don’t look athletic, they walk like any other person of the same age who sits at home and watches too many Netflix series. And some of those folks even started cycling only when they retired. So why are there some people who think that they too can do this while others say it’s too late, or I am afraid, or I can’t do that much mileage a day or for a variety of other reasons?

We at TDA over the last 20 years have seen that just about any reasonably healthy individual of any age can, with some training, a sense of adventure and, most important, a desire to cycle, are able to cover the distances and enjoy themselves immensely. I can’t even count how many times I have heard the opening quote of this article on our tours and the tremendous satisfaction, pride and joy that comes with accomplishing something that you didn’t think you could do. As someone who was simply a commuter cyclist, I have experienced this many times myself on our company’s various tours.

To inspire individuals who are still sitting on the fence we have created videos and blogs that can encourage them and get them on their way. Here are some pull quotes of our own from some of our participants who took the plunge.

“It doesn’t seem accessible when you look at it…it’s doable by every ordinary person. Don’t look at this as the people are super human.“

“You just become part of a team…. you turn up as individuals…you get a little bit of encouragement and these things that look really hard to do, everyone just does it.“

“You are gonna build up stamina…in your body and your mind. Can I – with my mind and my body – get over whatever the obstacle that is in front of me. It’s only through rising to these challenges that you really get to appreciate where you are in the world.“

“Some days the mileage seems really tough…you just get one pedal stroke in at a time, you just kinda roll with it. It’s all part of the experience. It makes you a better person I think.”

I will end this blog with another quote from the New York Times. “Do what brings you joy. If it stops bringing you joy, find something else to do. Repeat as often as necessary.” As a septuagenarian myself I will soon be joining our company’s Trans Oceania Cycling Tour. I will be cycling in Tasmania and New Zealand, places I have not been to and am eager to explore. If you are one of those people who just may be persuaded by what you read above, join us and I may even have a tip or two for you that will make it into a life changing experience.

Just ask any of the participants on our tours, like Australian Jim Flynn who said this about his 2024 Tour d’Afrique ride:

“We have developed an extraordinary bond, forged by both adversity and joy. We started out as individuals but finished as a group. We have shared the heat and the dust, the long climbs, the glorious tail winds, the blocked toilets, equipment failures, the early mornings, the meal rituals, the laughter and the tears. Not all have ridden every kilometre, but that hasn’t mattered at all. We have been together for the journey.“

It may be difficult to think about fall and winter as summer is just around the corner (well, here in the northern hemisphere that is), but now is an excellent time to plan a shorter, end-of-year adventure while spaces are still available. We have recently opened up a few spots in Patagonia on the South American Epic and spaces remain available in Southeast Asia on the Bamboo Road and in Tasmania & New Zealand on the Trans-Oceania. There are also a limited number of spots on the inaugural Cape to Kili African tour. These incredible adventures start in mid-October or later and range in length from 12 days to four weeks.

1. Bike Across the Andes in Argentina & Chile

*18 days starting October 11th in Salta, Argentina*

“The road climbs up to almost 4000 m in the shadow of Cerro Aconcagua, at 6922 m, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. This is wild high country and the riders can expect gusting winds, chilly temperatures and, if clear, incredible views. The border crossing into Chile, one of the highest in the world, is at 3200 m. Once over pass, the cyclists will enjoy a twisting ride down the other side of the mountain range on a series of switchbacks – eventually reaching the country’s capital Santiago with its 19th century neo-classical architecture and winding side streets.”

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Across the Andes’ section.

2. Cycle the Lake District south of Santiago, Chile

*15 days starting October 31st in Santiago, Chile*

As described in a blog from the 2017 tour, the Lake District is a welcome dose of pleasant. It is, of course, still challenging but it is below average in terms of the difficulty rating for the full tour. In fact, it is the only section on the South American Epic that is below a 4/5 rating. It has some fantastic campsites, beautiful lakes and mountain views and access to wonderful Chilean wines and cuisine.

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Lake District’ section.

3. Explore Patagonia & the Carretera Austral

*28 days starting November 16th in Puerto Montt, Chile*

“You look here and there’s a mountain range. You look here there’s another mountain range, you look back and there’s a huge waterfall. It’s astounding.” – from our Cycling Patagonia video. In the final weeks of the South American Epic, riders experience the unique and awesome scenery of Patagonia – its mountains, waterways and roads that take them to the southern tip of the South American continent.

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Carretera Austral’ section.

4. Enjoy Two Weeks Circling Tasmania

*14 days starting October 15th in Launceston, Australia*

“The Australian island of Tasmania is quickly gaining a reputation as a cyclist’s paradise – from cross country to downhill, to relaxing rides along quiet country roads with scenic coastal views. Lightly-trafficked roads in good condition provide a great network to explore the entire island…While you are happily pedalling along – on your own or as part of the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour – be aware that Tasmania has a lot more to offer riders than just ideal cycling conditions.” Read 6 Reasons to Cycle Tasmania.

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Tasmanian Devils & Tigers’ section.

5. New Zealand – North Island

*12 days starting November 21st in Auckland, New Zealand*

“[From Auckland] the riders begin their journey south and are treated to some of the world’s most scenic highlights like Lake Taupo and the hot springs/mud geysers around Rotorua. A rest day in National Park gives riders the option of experiencing the renowned Tongariro Crossing day hike. After a day of tasting the famous New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, the cyclists will continue through orchards, sheep-clad rolling hills and yet more vineyards before arriving in beautiful Wellington, the country’s cultural capital and the end of this incredible section.”

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Maori Magic’ section.

6. New Zealand – South Island

*12 days starting December 4th in Wellington, New Zealand*

“The west coast of New Zealand’s South Island is spectacular: the stunning Pancake Rocks, rushing rivers pouring into the ocean, snow-clad peaks, wild kiwis, the Fox & Franz Joseph glaciers, mysterious caves, abandoned mine shafts, empty beaches, hot springs and much more. Five days later the route heads inland past Lakes Wanaka & Hawea before heading up the Cardrona River and its abandoned goldfields. Cyclists will then traverse the Crown Range summit, before an exhilarating descent to historic Arrowtown. From there it is just a quick ride in to the end of this incredible journey in the country’s adventure capital, Queenstown.”

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Kiwi Country’ section.

7. Bike The Classic Southeast Asian Route through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

*31 days starting October 19th in Hanoi, Vietnam*

“Heading south from Hanoi, the riders will pass water buffalo, farmers, and rice paddies along secluded country lanes. Staying inland, they will travel through small villages along the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail before heading to the coast and the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An. The route then takes them into Cambodia past ancient Khmer temples before arriving in Phnom Penh…We stop in Siem Reap, home to one of the world’s most spectacular sights – Angkor Wat – 40 square km of temples and statues of gods and demons. The tour then continues on to Bangkok – known for its vibrant street life – and the end of this section.”

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Golden Triangle’ section.

8. Discover Thailand & Malaysia

*15 days starting November 20th in Bangkok, Thailand*

“Leaving Bangkok, the riders will hug the coast of the Gulf of Thailand with palm trees, sand and warm waters on one side and forested mountains on the other. The cyclists will stop in Thailand’s oldest beach resort, Hua Hin. Further south…a rest day in the small southern city of Ranong. Riders can enjoy the laid-back atmosphere or a soothing dip in the local hot springs. There will be some challenging climbing here, our first since leaving Vietnam, and the riders will subsequently enjoy their rest day in Ao Nang…The expedition then turns back inland and crosses into Malaysia before jumping on a ferry into historic Georgetown, Penang, the end of this sun-soaked section.”

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Thai One On’ section.

9. Explore Malaysia & Singapore via the Scenic Cameron Highlands

*13 days starting December 6th in Penang, Malaysia*

“The Cameron Highlands were first mapped out by the British in 1885 but it wasn’t until the 1930’s that they decided to turn it into a hill station, similar to those in British India, especially after it was shown that tea could be grown in the area. The Highlands are home to over 700 species of plants including many that are rare to the tropics. The Highlands are blessed not only with cool weather but also with verdant forests, picturesque lakes, sparkling waterfalls, rushing rivers and even hidden aboriginal villages.” Read more from High Tea on the Bamboo Road.

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Singapore Sling’ section.

10. Take An East African Cycling Adventure With Views Of Mt Kilimanjaro

*20 days starting October 16th in Lilongwe, Malawi*

“We cruise downhill towards Lake Malawi and then head north into Tanzania where the red earth meets the deep green forest roads that cut through the centre of the country. From there it isn’t too many more days before we reach the end of our journey, with Mount Kilimanjaro towering above us in Moshi, Tanzania.” Read more on A New Tour d’Afrique Experience.

FULL DETAILS HERE for the ‘Green Hills of Africa’ section.

 To see everything we offer in 2024 and beyond, visit our tour calendar page.

We previously listed some fun facts about Australia that we thought many riders on the upcoming Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour might not have known. In fact, our research uncovered so many interesting tidbits about the country that we decided to follow up that post with a sequel.

So without further ado, here are 10 more fun facts about the country of Australia. Enjoy!

1 – Australia has over 60 separate wine regions

Australia, whose wine history began at the end of the 19th century when vines arrived from Europe, is now the 6th largest wine producer in the world. Probably best known for its rich, juicy Shiraz it also grows cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, sémillon, riesling, viognier, pinot noir, grenache, sangiovese, mourvèdre and pinot grigio.

2 – Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902 

The movement for female suffrage began when South Australian women achieved the right to vote in 1894. It continued across the country until the right was enshrined in the 1902 Commonwealth Franchise Act. This achievement was only surpassed by New Zealand (1893) and was far ahead of such countries as the USA (1920) and France (1944).

3 – Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital 

Australia’s Parliament, Canberra

Similar to the compromise (Ottawa) between Montreal and Toronto in Canada, the intense rivalry between Australia’s 2 largest cities led to the naming of Canberra as an alternative, a decision that satisfied no one. It is an entirely planned city, designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a major 20th-century American architect.

 4 – Australia is home to the longest fence in the world, the Dingo Fence

Australia is a big country and they like to do big things. This fence is one of them. It stretches 5614 km across Queensland and South Australia, the second longest man-made structure in the world. Largely constructed of 2 m high wire mesh, the fence was completed in the 1950’s and was built to protect sheep from the predatory dingos (wild dogs).

5 – Australia has around 800 varieties of eucalypt trees

More commonly known as gum trees, eucalyptus trees are an iconic sight across the country. There are over 800 varieties and have adapted to survive Australia’s harsh climate. The leaves are thick and leathery, perfect for hot, dry conditions and their incredible ability to re-sprout after fire or drought is essential.

6 – The only two mammals in the world that lay eggs are found in Australia – the echidna and platypus

Australian platypus

Australia’s platypus and echidna are unique. They are the only 2 mammals in the world to lay eggs – a couple strange characters, for sure. For instance, the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers an extremely painful venom while the echidna has no teeth, so it breaks down food by grinding it between the bottom of its mouth and its tongue.

7 – Kangaroos and emus were chosen for Australia’s coat of arms because they lack the ability to walk backwards

Australia wanted a coat of arms that represented its continual forward progress so they decided to put both the kangaroo and the emu into the design. Why? Well, it was believed that neither animal could walk backwards. Seriously, that was the concept. It turns out that they both can move backwards, albeit with great difficulty!

8 – Australia is home to more than 1,500 species of spiders 

Huntsman Spider

Suffer from Arachnophobia? Australia may not be the best spot for you. The country is home to more than 1500 species of spider, some of them poisonous, but like the country’s snakes, their reputation is somewhat overblown. A death in April 2016 was the country’s first recorded spider-caused death since 1981.

9 – Australia is the only continent covered by a single country

Canada and the USA may each be bigger than Australia but they are stuck sharing a continent. Australia stands alone.

10 – Waterproof, made of polymer and notoriously hard to counterfeit – The Australian dollar

Australia’s currency is not only safe from counterfeiters but is pretty much indestructible. No more taping together faded, dirty torn bills. Besides being very colourful so it it is easy to know the bill’s value (I’m looking at you, America!), it is entertaining. If you move the $5 bill a certain way, you’ll even see the image of an eastern spinebill (a native bird) moving its wings and changing colours. Cool.

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New Zealand is a long way from anywhere else and that distance has created a singular identity, one that is full of fascinating surprises and captivating anomalies. Previously known as God Zone, Māoriland, The Shaky Isles and Pig Island, this country will certainly delight and amuse the riders on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour.

Here are 13 fun facts about New Zealand.

1. Just A Baby

Original flag, Waitangi Treaty Grounds

New Zealand was the last country settled by humans. The Māori were the first to arrive around 1300 AD, followed by Europeans in the 17th century. The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, established British law in the country while at the same time recognizing Māori ownership of their lands and properties.

2. Deep South

Wellington is the southernmost capital on the planet. New Zealand also has the most southerly railway station, pub and vineyard in the world.

3. Ahead Of Its Time

The Beehive, NZ Parliament Building

In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote and the country has three official languages: English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language. Over 150,000 New Zealanders can hold everyday conversations in Māori and the language has become increasingly popular in recent years. The country legalized same-sex marriage in 2013 and New Zealand was the first country with women in the top three positions simultaneously – from 2001 to 2006, Helen Clark was Prime Minister, Dame Silvia Cartwright was Governor-General and Sian Elias was Chief Justice. New Zealand is also home to the first transgender Member of Parliament.

4. New Zealand Is Green.

The country is known for its efforts in conservation and environmental protection, including being nuclear-free and having numerous initiatives to protect native species and ecosystems. About one-third of New Zealand is protected national parkland and marine reserves and about 80% of the flora is endemic, including the iconic silver fern.

>>Related Post: 10 Fun Facts: Australia & The Trans-Oceania Cycling Expedition

 5. Wild Wildlife

Kea

New Zealand is home to: the world’s smallest dolphin species, the Hector’s dolphin; the largest flightless parrot, the kakapo; a giant carnivorous snail, Powelliphanta; more species of penguins than any other country; the heaviest insect in the world, the Giant Weta (heavier than a sparrow and looks like a giant cockroach); the Waitomo Glow worm Caves, the world’s only glow worm cave and the Kea which has a well-deserved reputation for dragging windscreen wipers off of cars. There are, unlike their Aussie neighbours, no snakes and bats are the only native land mammals in the country, the rest having been introduced by Maoris and Europeans. And although now extinct, giant Moa birds were native to New Zealand – they were 3.6 meters tall and weighed a whopping 230kg.

6. Abra Cadabra

The country was the first in the world to appoint an official national wizard. Ian Brackenbury Channell was named the Wizard of New Zealand in 1990. Just magical!

7. Inventions

Although actually invented in Vanuatu, bungee jumping really came into its own in the late 1980s in New Zealand. Other Kiwi inventions include the self-sealing lid, the postage stamp vending machine, the bobby pin, the electric fence and the jet boat.

8. Hobbits

Hobbiton, New Zealand

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies were filmed entirely in New Zealand largely due to its stunning landscapes and as a result it is the only country in the world that has permission to put hobbits on its legal tender!

9. Rugby

The national sport. The New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, is one of the most feared and successful international rugby teams in history.

10. Kiwis

Kiwi has three different meanings in the country. A dry Kiwi is a person who was born in New Zealand, a Kiwi bird is a bird that is also used as a national symbol and there is the delicious Kiwi fruit. Originally, Kiwi was just the name for the flightless bird but then also became the name for the fruit when some marketing experts realized its original name – Chinese gooseberry – wasn’t a good selling point. Ironically, the logo of the Royal New Zealand Air Force is indeed the Kiwi, a flightless bird!

11. Baa, Baa. Moo, Moo

A substantial portion of New Zealand’s economy is centred around agriculture, particularly dairy farming which produces a large part of the world’s dairy products. Every year, the country produces around 100 kgs of butter and 65 kgs of cheese per person. Oh, and sheep. For every person living in New Zealand there are at least 10 sheep. No surprise then that it is the world’s 2nd largest producer of wool.

12. The longest town name in the world

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Wow, quite a mouthful. This is the name of a town in New Zealand. Translated from Māori, it goes something like this – “The place where Tamatea, the man on the big knees who slipped, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land eater, he played the flute to his loved one.”

13. Aotearoa

The Māori name for New Zealand commonly translates to ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud.’ The sky in New Zealand is often covered in long, white clouds and, interestingly, the country is also the shape of a long cloud when seen from space. Coincidence or what?

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Australia is a unique place – a one of a kind destination, a once in a lifetime opportunity…well, you get the idea! This large country (6th in the world) contains some famous landmarks, like the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, that the riders on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour will have the opportunity to visit but there is a lot more to the ‘Lucky Country’ than that.

Here are 10 fun facts that may surprise you about Australia.

1 – Tasmania has the cleanest air on earth

Yup – straight from the cold, cleansing shores of Antarctica, the air in Tasmania, delivered by strong westerly winds unimpeded by any other land mass is, indeed, the cleanest in the world.

2 – The Great Ocean Road is the world’s largest war memorial

Built between 1919 and 1932 between Torquay to Allansford to honour fallen Australian and New Zealand soldiers from World War 1, the road stretches a total of 243 km and offers some spectacular coastal views as well as sobering military history.

3 – The first Police Force in Australia was made up of the most well-behaved convicts

It is a well-known fact that many of the first European settlers in Australia were convicts, most exiled for non-violent crimes. To police them, Governor Arthur Phillip established the Night Watch in 1789, a group made up of convict volunteers with a record of good behaviour.

4 – Over 80% of Australian animals are endemic to the country

The only developed country categorized as ‘mega-diverse’, 87 per cent of mammal species, 93 per cent of reptiles, 94 per cent of frogs and 45 per cent of bird species are found only in Australia. Koalas, emus, wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils – it is quite a list!

5 – A beach a day…for 29 years

If you started with Bondi in Sydney and visited one of Australia’s 10,685 beautiful beaches starting on January 1st, 2025, you would reach the last one on Saturday, April 4, 2054. Probably with an amazing tan…

>>Related Post: Big, Bigger, Biggest. Is Australia Obsessed With Size?

6 – Over 1 million feral camels roam Australia’s deserts

When you think of camels, do you think of Arabia? Think again. Australia’s wild camels are descendants of animals imported in the 19th century and then allowed to roam free when they were not longer needed.

7 – Aboriginal culture is the oldest on Earth

Estimated to be over 65,000 years old, Australia’s aboriginal culture is known around the world for its distinctive art, oral histories and the haunting sound of the didgeridoo.

8 – Australia is home to 21 of the world’s 25 most venomous snakes

Red Bellied Black Snake

While Australia does indeed have many dangerous snakes, the chances of encountering one are very, very low. Most of them, like the one pictured above, are not aggressive and generally retreat from human encounters.

9 – Australia boasts 20 World Heritage Listed sites

The Royal Exhibition Palace in Melbourne (pictured here) is one of the lesser known sites, the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. It contains elements of Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles.

10 – There are 4 species of kangaroos in Australia

Red kangaroos

Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus), Eastern Grey Kangaroo (M. giganteus), Western Grey Kangaroo (M. fuliginosus) & Antilopine Kangaroo (M. antilopinus). A Red can weigh up to 90kg, hop along at 60 km/hr and jump 8 m in a single bound.

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“I was totin’ my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road When along came a semi with a high an’ canvas-covered load.”

Are you familiar with the song  – I Have Been Everywhere – whose lyrics I quote above? The version that most people associate with this song is performed by Johnny Cash but the original version comes from Australia. It goes like this – “Well, I was humpin’ my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road, When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load…He asked me if I’d seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said, ‘Listen, mate, I’ve travelled every road in this here land.”

When I turned thirteen my family left Czechoslovakia and ever since I have been on the move a lot. Many people even say I have been ‘everywhere’. Of course, that is nonsense. I have travelled a lot on a bicycle since our little company came into being but also before that, whether it was my work that took me to faraway places or simply because I suffer from serious case of Adventuritis. It is also possible I may have a Restless Gene (or as I label it, the Adventure Gene) as described by David Dobbs in National Geographic article as “the compulsion to see what lies beyond that far ridge or that ocean is a defining part of human identity and success.”

I bring up the Australian version of the song because later this year I will be joining our Trans Oceania Cycling Tour through Australia and New Zealand. Frankly, I am as keen to go to these places as I ever was, particularly when I will travel to places I have never been to such as Tasmania and New Zealand. How does one explain, at my age, having such unquenchable wanderlust?

Adventuratis is a disease that I invented and I may or may not have a Restless Gene but I do know that when I travel, I often experience a strong emotion of ‘awe’. In a book that came out over a year ago Professor Dacher Keltner – Awe: The New Science Of Everyday Wonder And How It Can Transform Your Life – the author defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” I am not sure I would go that far but I do think we all know when awe strikes us.

The author goes on to write about the secrets to a good life. “Twenty years into teaching happiness, I have an answer: FIND AWE.” Keltner, a psychology professor at University of California, Berkeley writes that “awe is an ennobling experience, one that can foster wonder, creativity and collaboration.” Yes, it can. I mean without wonder, creativity and certainly collaboration, the idea of crossing continents on bikes would have never happened. It was simply ‘awe-some’ when we first started doing that and it is ‘awe-some’ today for every participant on these tours.

Obviously ‘awe’ can be found in every sphere of life and anything and everything can be a stimuli. Though I look for awe everywhere, it is when I travel, or rather when I am on the move, that it seems to come easily and instantly changes my mood and transforms all my emotions. I remember walking the streets on a rest day in Tokyo during the inaugural Journey to the East Cycling Tour less than a year ago and suddenly, as I was looking at nothing in particular, a sense of awe hit me – how does such huge city seem to work so effortlessly. Trains arriving on time to the minute, multiple public transport options, clean streets, light traffic, lovely green spaces where you would never expect them, beautiful gardens. I stood there, spinning around, struck with awe.

But getting hooked on finding awe is not the only reason I am excited about cycling in Australia and New Zealand. In a newly released book  -Live To Ride – Peter Flax writes, “Bikes truly shine when they carry us from home into the natural world.” The little I do know about Tasmania and New Zealand is that the natural world is their main attraction. I have not read Flax’s book but I think the summary on Amazon sums it up – “The bicycle is one of the greatest inventions in human history. It can literally transport you to places you want to go—to your school or office, to the summit of a local hilltop, to some objective in your pursuit of fitness—but it can do more than that. A bicycle can also transport you to an entirely different mindset, a place where you can embrace the unexpected and live in the moment.”

The subtitle of Live To Ride is Finding Joy And Meaning On A Bicycle. To those of us who already cycle, this is not news, but for many who may still be hesitating – to borrow a famous meme – Just do it, sign up! Australia and New Zealand are beckoning. I would like to end this little blog about awe, travel and the joy of cycling with a saying I found in an obituary in the Economist on an evolutionary architect and forest dweller, SunRay Kelly. Kelly liked a Native Americans saying – “Each human being had a song, and once you found your song, you needed no other blessing. For everything would come to you.”

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Australia (‘The Lucky Country’) and New Zealand (‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’) have long had a sibling rivalry between them. For example, in sports, like cricket (point to the Aussies) and rugby (point to the Kiwis). Although the 2 countries love to tell jokes about their Trans-Tasman neighbours, they also consider each other as best friends on the world stage.

Our Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour covers both these unique countries and with the 2024 edition starting in about 7 months, we thought we would take a good-natured look at the debate and see who comes out on top.

Wildlife

Eastern Brown snake

Australia has kangaroos, wombats, emus & koala bears…but also some of the world’s most dangerous animals – salt and fresh water crocs, 93 types of poisonous snakes, spiders the size of a small dog and deadly box jellyfish!

Kiwi at night

New Zealand, on the other hand, has cute kiwis and a bunch of harmless birds and penguins

Winner: Australia, for both the variety and excitement of its animal population. Just keep yours eyes open!

Language

Australia – Aussies love to draw out their vowels and shorten words. Dean Frankel, an expert in communication at the University of Melbourne, claims that early British settlers “frequently got drunk together and through their repeated interactions, unknowingly added an alcoholic touch to (the) national way of speaking.” They call flip flops, thongs. Our favourite expressions include: Ripper (Awesome) and Arvo (Afternoon).

New Zealand – Kiwis also play with vowels. Everything feels a little more nasal, so a “I” has a “U” sound. They call flip flops, jandals and claim to have invented the footwear. Kiwis have pointed out that “Australia is literally the only country on earth that wears thongs on their feet rather than their bums.” Our favourite Kiwi expressions include: Munted (Broken or drunk) and Chur (Awesome, sweet, good, yeah).

Winner: This is a tough one. Both countries get points for originality and style but the sheer number of Australianisms gives the edge to the Aussies. If you are having a hard time deciphering the differences in accents, watch this instructive video to learn the difference.

Cultural Norms

Australia – Kiwis take pleasure in portraying Aussies as gregarious, loud, rude, ex-convicts who foolishly claim that Crowded House is an Australian band.

New Zealand – Aussies return the favour by suggesting that Kiwis are shy, disdainful, sheep shaggers who mistakenly think that somehow Crowded House was a New Zealand band.

Winner: Let’s call this one a tie!

Capitals

Wellington, New Zealand

Australia – Canberra. A true government town. One writer claimed “The most exciting thing to come out of Australia’s capital Canberra is the highway heading up to Sydney.”

New Zealand – Wellington. Despite the sometimes crazy wind (the locals call. it ‘Windy Welly), the city’s attractive waterfront and picturesque location are hard to beat.

Winner: Sorry this one is a no-brainer. Point to the Kiwis.

Indigenous Symbols

Australia – The Didgeridoo was developed by the Aboriginal people of Australia over 1,000 years ago and its unique sound is used to accompany ceremonial dances. The word didgeridoo is not of Aboriginal origin and various peoples use terms like yiḏaki, mandapul or mako to describe it. The instrument itself can be anywhere from 1 – 3 metres in length.

New Zealand – The Haka is a Maori ceremonial dance that is probably best known to the wider world as performed before New Zealand’s All-Blacks rugby games. It involves the intense stamping of feet, rhythmic shouting and vigorous gestures – really quite the spectacle.

Winner:  Another tie. Both these symbols have an incredible impact on those experiencing them and reflect the beautiful traditions of the Aboriginal peoples of both countries.

Size

Australia  is the world’s 6th largest country with a population of over 26 million people (and 42 million kangaroos). Kiwis would suggest that is all well and good but over 70% of that is semi-arid, arid or desert where virtually nobody lives (except those roos) and that Aussies are obsessed with size.

New Zealand, by contrast, is the 75th largest country with a tiny population of 5 million people (and 25 million sheep). Aussies would scoff at these two tiny islands and think that the difference in size gives the Kiwis a large (!) chip on their collective shoulders.

Winner: Australia. Size does matter.

Sports

Australia’s National rugby team is the Wallabies who play New Zealand’s All Blacks every year in the Bledisloe Cup. Unfortunately they haven’t been victorious since 2001. The country does get credit for inventing the rather insane Aussie Rules Football and more points for inventing something called polocrosse, which is exactly what the name suggests – a straight cross between polo and lacrosse.

New Zealand – The All-Blacks are widely considered to be the very best rugby team in the world. The country has also won the America’s Cup Yacht Race twice in the years since the Australians managed the feat back in 1983.

Winner: New Zealand gets the nod, not only for the incredible All-Blacks but also for Australia ‘cheating’ at cricket. In 1981 New Zealand was playing Australia in a cricket match and the Kiwis needed a six (the equivalent of a home run in cricket) to tie the match. The Aussie captain Greg Chappell made his brother Trevor bowl the ball underarm along the ground preventing any chance of the Kiwi batsman Brian McKechnie hitting a six. Whilst this wasn’t against the rules, it hadn’t been done before and was very much against the spirit of the game. Personally, I was in NZ at the time and still remember the outrage!

Weather

Australia – The dry. Forecast is hot and sunny…really hot and sunny.

New Zealand – The wet. Forecast is variable. Sunny periods with chance of rain and wind, perhaps lots of rain and wind.

Winner: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of Australia! However, the sun, gotta love the sun. A tie.

Food & Drink

Australia – Aussies prefer their malty, salty yeast spread in the form of Vegemite and consume on average 12 meat pies per person each year. The country is known for its rich Shiraz wines and take their XXXX beers to the beach in an Esky (cooler). They claim credit for inventing the Pavlova, a delicious desert named, oddly, after a Russian ballerina.

New Zealand – Kiwis prefer their savoury, earthy yeast spread in the form of Marmite and consume on average 15 meat pies a year. Their claim to fame in wines comes via the otherworldly flavours of Sauvignon Blanc while they cart their Steinlager brews to the beach in a chilly bin. They also take credit for the invention of the Pavlova, a disagreement with the Aussies that has lasted for almost 100 years.

Winner: Well, yeast spread is certainly an acquired taste (to put it mildly). Red wine fans will likely opt for Australia while white wine aficionados will lean towards New Zealand so this one is a tie.

Scenery

Australia: The country has so many beaches (11,761) you could spend your live exploring them and never see them all. It also has the stunning sandstone monolith of Uluru and the incomparable Great Barrier Reef.

New Zealand: This country has it all – Beaches, mountains, rivers, forests, lakes, volcanoes and hot springs for a start. It is no wonder that it was chosen as the location for the filming of the Lord of the Rings.

Winner: New Zealand, for its incredible variety of landscapes, takes this one easily.

Summary

The final score? Australia and New Zealand each take 3 categories while 4 others ended in a tie. How does that affect your decision on whether to cycle one country or the other on the Trans-Oceania?

Well, if you rate wildlife, language and size highly then you could cycle all 3 Australian sections – Great Ocean Road (Adelaide – Melbourne),  Tasmanian Devils & Tigers (Launceston – Devonport) & Wizards of Oz (Melbourne – Sydney).

On the other hand, if scenery, sports and capitals are more important you could ride the 2 New Zealand sections – Maori Magic (Auckland – Wellington) & Kiwi Country (Wellington – Queenstown).

Or judge for your self and pedal through both countries and send us your own scorecard.

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It is no secret that Australia and New Zealand have a unique cultural footprint – be it Australia’s obsession with large objects or both country’s linguistic peculiarities – and cyclists on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour will certainly be entertained by some curious road signs along the route. Here are a few of our favourites.

New Zealand is full of Kiwis…and Oompa Loompas

Keep your eyes open (credit – left – Joachim Loeffel)

Local News

Welcome home! (Credit – top – Joachim Loffel)

Please follow the instructions

Good to know.

Be aware…

Nice views

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Australia and New Zealand are well known for having some of the world’s most unique wildlife.

Here are some of the most interesting ones we saw on the Trans-Oceania cycle tour in 2022:

Peacock

Echidna

Platypus

Crab

Koala

Emu

Kangaroo

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Doug Percival has worked for TDA Global Cycling for over a decade as a Bike Mechanic & Tour Leader. In this post, our very own Hunter S Thompson takes us on a chaotic literary ride as he looks back at his experiences on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour.

A glorious decade.
That’s what’s it’s been since TDA first dabbed its toes and bike tyres onto the Australian continent.

In the last half of 2014, Having started their Journey in Sumatra, Indonesia..
TDA crossed several islands on ferries, passed by volcanos, rode questionable “official roads”, dodged scooters and roaming street animals…then jumped on a short flight and arrived in Darwin, Australia.

DARWIN is Possibly one of the quietest Cities on the planet.
Darwin is a small. (Population (+- 140 000)
It’s flat, the roads are wide, trucks are a prominent feature, beer is
the favourite meal of the day for some….
the population is small, It’s a world away from an Indonesian City!
Oh, and it’s outrageously hot. Swimming in the ocean is a NO NO,
because of basically every known deadly aqua marine creature lurks
there waiting for your plunge….including the crocodiles which
frequent the local beaches.
It’s a tough old spot, mildly intimidating.

As if that doesn’t set the scene for a tough start to a continent, how
about jumping on your bike and heading due south across the
Australian Outback for 2700km ?

I was there, its was Wild.

Credit: Joachim Loeffel

Flys, road trains, kangaroos, miles and miles and miles of desert
shrub.
Camping sometimes on the side of the road, or at a Road house with
basic services and a wonderfully over taxed refreshment.
That doesn’t stop a thirsty TDA client worldwide!!!… (and i’ve
witnessed that Globally with TDA!)
I recall riding My hottest afternoon sweep duty ever there, into a
small mining town called Coober Pedy. It was 49 degrees celsius on
3 of our devices.
It was a furnace.
Camping under the night sky in The Australian desert, is one of the
places on Earth where you still are just blown away at the clarity of
the night skies.
“The Hotel room with 5 Billion stars” as the new age ‘influencers’ of
the travelling scene may say…

We saw it. It was Wild.

After the desert, we rolled up the famous Southern coast of
Australia. Adelaide via the 12 Apostles, Melbourne had a dash of wet
weather, chilly evenings, and a Lavish dinner at the founder of
Lonely Planet’s house!
We continued on cruising through the million rolling hills of
Eucalyptus forests to reach Sydney.

The inaugural TDA Trans Oceania was complete.
It was a toughy.
It was Wild.

The 2nd visit for TDA repeated this Route, and faced all of the same
issues, similar epic stories of hardship still echo through the TDA
vehicles some afternoons on the road.

The 3rd Tour got changed up, and the Riders started their Tour in
Perth, on the West Coast of Australia.
They began their tour with a gentle 2700km across the Nullarbor desert.
Another one of Australia’s harshest environments. However instead
of wrapping up the fun in Sydney, TDA jumped across the water and
continued the tour from Auckland on the North Island of New
Zealand to Queenstown in the South Island.
A huge variation in scenery, climates, lifestyles and riding…

It was Wild.

After 3 tours across Some of the Worlds most desolate locations, in
2019, TDA sent me to scout a new route, connecting Darwin in the
North, to Cairns on the East Coast, and then Southerly to Sydney.
The idea was to Traverse along a road called the Savannah Highway.
With 500-600kms between drinkable water sources, roads that
required serious 4×4 vehicles, bull dust pits, corrugations shin deep,
deadly snakes and ‘comfortable’ camping sites non existing…..
Sadly the route had to be shelved due to rather obvious logistic impossibilities.

A global pandemic passed, we weathered that Storm. Borders
reopened, and enthusiasm to return to the Southerly Continent was
there!

So we returned. This time starting in Adelaide, rolling through Winelands to
Melbourne , back past some of the Eucalyptus Forests… although this
time we ventured south, to circle around Tasmania.

But mother nature had something to say again this time round…as
we were delayed in riding around Tasmania due to large scale
flooding…
Even the main harbour was ‘flooded’ and the Ferry from the mainland could not dock…(a concept I’m still trying to grasp 18
months later).

Tasmania was Incredible.
Big Mountains, fantastic cycling, but Wow, we got wet.
And the rain never stopped there, New Zealand Rained for a month!
All month.
Our saviour…Times have changed and this Tour was all in hotel
rooms.
A sanctuary to dry the clothes and to not be deafened by the driving rain.
It was tough.

And there was something to be thought about… and the topic on all
our lips, some Global Weather change, happening right In front of my
TDA eyes.
Same place, different years…

But despite the weather craziness, the kangaroos, and the eye
watering jet lag to get to that Southern Region, it somehow always
provides the Challenge, the comforts, the peculiar ways, and
strangeness and uniqueness that all the other continents provide.

Like the Kilimanjaro of Africa, or the Andes of South America,
Australia and New Zealand can equally provide a rural or “wow”
experience that makes you feel very alone on this planet…
And i put that to our Routing we create, which all starts at the Crazy
Scientist Headquarters Office in Toronto, is then handed to one of Us
Leaders to go scout, and if all aligns, becomes a Tour for clients to
join and cross a continent safely.

The 2024 version of Trans Oceania is on the Horizon.
It is almost guaranteed to have some sort of challenge, they wouldn’t
have it Any other way… The Aussies and kiwis make it tough, and it’s beautiful.

Nowadays we cross the Continent with hotel accommodation, the
days of camping have ended for now…. Both came with times of
challenge, and times of pure joy.

In some ways, i miss the brutal era of camping in those harsh
environments, most days i swore in discomfort..and ten weeks of
crossing a brutal environment is a great memory to share with those
clients who were doing tours in that era.

In other ways, hotel tours have brought some normality to the
situation, and made these wild environments Enjoyable to cross by bike.

Both equally satisfying.

So with the 10th year of TDA crossing this Wild Continent
approaching, i say to you the Reader…
Don’t underestimate this trip, don’t presume it’s ‘easy’ or just desert
and flys … Its a highly unique World down there!
You won’t forget your first encounter with an Australian Road Train
Truck driver in a hurry

And to the Reader who thinks the idea of the desert, the camping,
the real back country and the ‘going back in time and doing the Hard
Miles’ across a desert type tour…..
Speak up!
Let us know, One thing I’ve learnt from my 12 years of being apart of this Outfit, is the “Out of
the Question” discussion, is probably well and truly deep in discussion at the Toronto office.

Happy riding.

Doug

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“Oh, it’s a lonesome away from your kindred and all,
By the campfire at night we’ll hear the wild dingoes call,
But there’ s nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear,
Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer.”
– The Pub With No Beer (Slim Dusty)

Given Australians’ good natured rowdiness and fondness for cold beverages, it is unlikely that the riders on the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour will ever lack for a beer or a friend at the bar. As Lonely Planet puts it, “You’re in the right country if you’re in need of a drink.”

Australian Beer terminology

You can order a beer at the pub as a schooner, a middy, a pot, a pony, a seven, a frostie, a coldie, a bevvie, or a pig’s ear. Staying in? You can go out and grab a beer to go at the bottle-o (bottle shop), maybe a Fourex or a VB?

You can crack a few tinnies, scull a beer (drink the entire beer all at once) or pull a shoey. The latter refers to the Australian tradition of drinking beer out of a shoe to celebrate a triumph or camaraderie. Might not the greatest idea to be in the pub when the local footie team pulls off a win if you don’t like leather with your lager!

To make new mates, consider ‘shouting’ a round for your friends. Be careful not to sit on your beer (drink too slowly) and be sure to shout another round when the tide’s gone out (glasses are empty). Drinking with the flies (by yourself)? No worries – shout a round for the bar.

Now that you know the language, you are ready to venture forth with confidence into the world of Australian pubs and breweries. Here are our recommendations for the Trans-Oceania. Cheers mate!

South Australia

In the 1830’s, when many of the state’s hotel pubs started to open, part of their liquor license forced them to accept any corpse brought to their door. Hopefully that will not be an issue for our riders!

Breweries

Hargreaves Hills Brewing Company (Lilydale – 2004) – Located just outside of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley, this pioneering microbrewery is worth the effort to get there. It was founded by Simon Walkenhorst, a classical pianist, and Beth Williams, an opera singer. The original building was destroyed in 2009 during the Black Saturday fires but with the support of other local brewers, they were able to reopen shortly afterwards. Try one of their core beers or see what seasonal specialty they have on offer.

 Boat Rocker Brewers & Distillers (Melbourne – 2009) – Matt, one of the owners, travelled the world in the 1990’s and appalled at the bland beer offerings in Australia decided to do something. He and his wife Andrea started selling his flavourful brews out of the trunk of their car. After saving their pennies and winning awards they were able to open their dream brewery where they specialize in barrel aged beers like Jaffajet, a Chocolate Orange Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.

Historic Pubs

Mitre Tavern (Melbourne – 1868) – This tiny gingerbread is quite the find. As one reviewer marvelled, it “looks as though some magical tornado has picked up a pub from the English countryside and deposited it incongruously amongst the steel and glass of Melbourne’s financial district.” It is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who hanged herself in the building when her lover chose his wife over her.

Seven Stars Hotel (Adelaide – 1857) – Founded by a British immigrant and named after his favourite local back in England (the 7 stars refers to the Big Dipper), this pub now has a modern interior but at one point it boasted a Wild West theme complete with cowboy saddle barstools. It was also among the first, for better or worse, to introduce Karaoke!

Bonus Round

Prohibition Liquor Company  (Adelaide – 2015) – Many initial immigrants arrived in Australia from England during the Gin Craze of the first half of the 18th century and brought their appetite for the ‘mother’s rum’ with them. These days 21 varieties of gin are made in South Australia and some of the best can be found here in this distillery. Try the Prohibition Bathtub Cut Gin – 69% ABV. Cinnamon, star anise garnish.

New South Wales

Breweries

Wildflower Brewing (Sydney – 2016) – This small brewery specializes in small batch and experimental beers like Ambrosia Amaro – an ale brewed with gentian and wormwood macerated with sour cherries and pinot noir skins. They ferment their brews with yeasts and bacteria collected from flowers native to New South Wales.

Hawke’s Brewing Company (Sydney – 2017) – Bob Hawke was one of Australia’s most popular politicians and was known to love a pint, breaking the world record for sculling a yard glass while at university (2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds in 1954). As the company notes, “This is the story of two mates who wanted to have a beer with Australia’s most famous Prime Minister but went one better and started a beer company with him.” A portion of all sales goes to an environmental charity so you can sip some Hawke’s Lager with a good conscience.

Historic Pubs

Hero of Waterloo (Sydney – 1843) – Named after the Duke of Wellington, it is famous for its cellars. As the pub’s website relates, “An unknowing young man might find himself drunk at the bar, dropped through a trapdoor into the cellar and dragged through the tunnel, only to awake to the morning shanghaied aboard a clipper.” In addition, there is a legend that it is haunted by the ghost of the wife of a publican who murdered her by pushing her down the basement stairs.

Fortune of War- (Sydney – 1828) – It was built by Samuel Terry, a convict who arrived in Sydney in 1800 after being banished from England for stealing 400 stockings! This establishment is known as  a hangout for members of Australia’s armed forces. In fact, since 1948  veterans of the 2nd Mountain Battery met every Anzac Day in the pub. Drop in for a beer and maybe get a lesson in the nation’s military history.

Bonus Round

Brix Distillers – (Sydney – 2017) – Rum has a long history in Australia, arriving with the first navy ships way back in 1788 and was even used as a form of currency in the early years. This distillery features ‘Molly’, an Australian made, 1800L copper pot, that, along with locally sourced Australian wine barrels for aging, creates the amazing rums on offer including an exclusive Mango version infused with hundreds of kilograms of fresh Kensington Pride Mangoes.

Tasmania

Breweries

With over 20 breweries to choose from on the island, here are a couple we strongly suggest you visit.

Cascade Brewery (Hobart – 1824) – Australia’s oldest brewery with a beautiful beer garden in the shadow of Mount Wellington. Visitors should be sure to try their Cascade series which is only available in Tasmania (Lager, Draught, Bitter & Export Stout).

Boag’s Brewery (Launceston – 1881) – James Boag arrived in Tasmania from Scotland and promptly decided to open a brewery on what was then a very isolated island. The brewery continues to use James Boag’s traditional recipe to create their beers. Be sure to try the renown XXX Ale – Beautifully coloured and full of flavour and only available in Tasmania!

Historic pubs

The Whaler (Hobart – 1829) – Unpretentious watering hole in a beautiful historic building named in the early 1800’s by its founder the Reverend Robert Knopwood in honour of the city’s whaling fleet whose sailors gathered there to get paid and then drink away their wages.

Royal Oak Hotel (Launceston – 1850) – You have to love the pub’s motto – Leap in, limp out.’ Brews on offer include T-Bone, Boags, Moo Brew from Hobart, Willie Smith’s Organic Apple Cider, Gillespie’s Ginger Beer and Launceston’s Kick Snare. The attached hotel is known for its ghost sightings.

IPA or Lager?

The Pub in the Paddock (Pyengana – 1880) – On the challenging stage into St Helen’s, riders will have the opportunity to stop in the small town of Pyengana and visit this pub which features Priscilla, the beer drinking pig. One of Tasmania’s oldest watering holes, you can now you take home a Pig in the Paddock fridge magnet, hoodie or stubbie holder!

Bonus Round

If you prefer scotch and love single malts from Scotland…try the whiskey in Tasmania whose distillers are now gaining fame around the world. The weather can be very similar to Scotland and all the ingredients can be sourced on the island, creating the perfect conditions for scotch whiskey.

Waub’s Harbour Distillery (Bicheno – 2017) – On the stage along Tasmania’s eastern coast between St Mary’s and Swansea, riders can stop for a break in the small town of Bicheno and sample some amazing whiskey. The distillery was once an oyster hatchery and features a sustainable cooling system that uses the ocean as its engine.

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The Trans-Oceania was the last of our truly epic, cross-continental tours to be created back in 2014. That year, the ride began in Indonesia and ended in Sydney. In 2016, it started in Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory and New Zealand replaced Indonesia as part of the route. Perth, perched on the shores on the Indian Ocean was the point of departure in 2018  and, of course, the pandemic meant the 2020 tour was cancelled. For 2022, we decided to start the ride in Adelaide in Southern Australia and added the island state of Tasmania to the mix. This route proved so popular with our cyclists so we have decided to give it another go in 2024.

Here are a few of our favourite Trans-Oceania tour blogs that we feel may convince you to join us in 2024 on this unique cycling journey down under.

Announcing The New, Improved Trans-Oceania

We are returning to the part of Australia that has been most popular with previous Trans-Oceania cyclists – that is the section from Adelaide to Melbourne which includes the famous Great Ocean Road. From Melbourne we will take a ferry to Tasmania and do a loop of Tasmania before taking the ferry back to Melbourne. From there we will cycle to Sydney via the capital city Canberra, before flying to the very popular cycling destination of New Zealand for the last part of the tour. (Read more)

Rotorua: A Magical Place in New Zealand

There is so much to see and do here, it’s no surprise that the tourism industry is booming. Key features include geothermal springs, hot mud pools, mountain biking on mountainous ranges, spas, historic buildings, great food options as well as easy access to wonderful tours that we’ll tell you about in a moment. The name is derived from Māori, meaning ‘crater lake’. (Read more)

6 Reasons To Cycle Tasmania

The Australian island of Tasmania is quickly gaining a reputation as a cyclist’s paradise – from cross country to downhill, to relaxing rides along quiet country roads with scenic coastal views. Lightly-trafficked roads in good condition provide a great network to explore the entire island. (Read more)

It’s Better In The Southern Hemisphere

In a 2015 article in the New York Times called the ‘Dazzle of the Southern Sky‘ the author Vanessa Barbara quotes a Dutch American astronomer Bart Bok that the Southern Hemisphere has “the largest and brightest naked-eye external galaxies, the largest diffuse nebula, the largest dark nebula and a Milky Way bright enough under our dark transparent skies to cast shadows during certain times of the year”. In fact, according to Bok, “The Southern Hemisphere holds all the good stuff.” (Read more)

Wellington: The Windiest City In The World

In 1962, the strongest gust of wind was measured at 247 km/h on Hawkins Hill, just a few kilometres from the city’s centre! On a more typical day though, winds can consistently be blowing at 30-75 km/h. This is something that the locals are just used to. As if the constant earthquakes weren’t enough, the wind adds icing on the cake! (Read more)

Koala Bears & Rail Trails

At the the Koala Conservation Centre, you are able to stroll the eucalypt woodland and come face-to-face with koalas in their natural habitat. The boardwalks provide very unique viewing experiences as well as feature beautiful views of the natural wetland area. This ecotourism attraction has played a crucial role in saving Phillip Island’s koala population and natural bush environment. (Read more)

Trans-Oceania Riders Declare: It Was A Ripsnorter!

“The scenery will seduce you while the TDA crew go out of their way to make sure you do have a great adventure. Plenty of sheep, goats, cows, kiwi fruit, hills, mountains and postcard worthy scenery.” – Chris Wille (Canada) (Read more)

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Many of our upcoming 2022 tours are now sold out – the Orient Express, the Trans-Caucasus, the Viva Italia and the South American Epic – but, for the moment, there are still spaces available on the 2022 Trans-Oceania. This exciting 5200 km ride begins in sunny Adelaide, Australia and finishes 10 weeks later in gorgeous Queenstown, New Zealand.

If you have been thinking about cycling ‘Down Under’, here are some wonderful blogs to help remind you why you should consider signing up for the 2022 Trans-Oceania.

5 Reasons To Cycle Australia

Barbies & Bogans, the Great Vegemite Debate, Crocs & Jellyfish, the Southern Cross & Heavenly Shiraz.

The Great Ocean Road

One of the world’s most scenic rides!

6 Reasons To Cycle Tasmania

Tigers, Wombats & Wallabies, Colonial History, Wine, Whiskey & Beer, Hobart, Arts & Culture and Historic Railways.

The Remutaka Rail Trail

A change of pace – heading off-road on a very unique and challenging rail trail.

5 Reasons To Cycle New Zealand

Hobbits, Wine & Worms, Maori Hakas and Hot Mud Baths.

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“Cycling in Australia and New Zealand is always spectacular. The TDA crew far exceeded my expectations. I have been on two prior TDA tours and this crew was the best.” – 2016 Trans-Oceania cyclist

After closing their borders to all tourists at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the governments of both Australia and New Zealand are finally opening up to international visitors. What this means for us is that we are excitedly moving ahead with plans for our cycling journey ‘Down Under’ – the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour. The ride covers 5,200 km over 2 months, taking riders from sunny Adelaide, Australia to scenic Queenstown, New Zealand and in 2022 includes an exciting new section in Tasmania!

>>Review all the dates, details and prices here

“The Australian island of Tasmania is quickly gaining a reputation as a cyclist’s paradise – from cross country to downhill, to relaxing rides along quiet country roads with scenic coastal views. Lightly-trafficked roads in good condition provide a great network to explore the entire island. While you are happily pedalling along – on your own or as part of the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour – be aware that Tasmania has a lot more to offer riders than just ideal cycling conditions.” Read our 6 Reasons to Cycle Tasmania.

Tasmania’s eastern coast

The current route across Australia and New Zealand has been in the making for quite some time. It started in 2014 when we ran our first iteration of the Trans-Oceania from Sumatra, Indonesia to Sydney, Australia. Over the years we have tried various other options. In 2016 we started in Darwin and rode across the Outback on the famous Stuart Highway to Adelaide before continuing to Sydney and then on to New Zealand. Two years later the route started in Perth, Western Australia and traversed the iconic Nullarbor Plain to Adelaide before rejoining 2016’s route in Adelaide, finishing in Queenstown on the Southern Island of New Zealand.

Australia’s Great Ocean Road

In our original pre-pandemic announcement of this route we wrote that, “We are returning to the part of Australia that has been most popular with previous Trans-Oceania cyclists – that is the section from Adelaide to Melbourne which includes the famous Great Ocean Road. From Melbourne we will take a ferry to Tasmania and do a loop of Tasmania before taking the ferry back to Melbourne. From there we will cycle to Sydney via the capital city Canberra, before flying to the very popular cycling destination of New Zealand for the last part of the tour.”

The 2022 Trans-Oceania was also moved into our Touring category, transitioning into an all-hotel tour. This makes it an ideal next trip for veterans of our many all-hotel tours in Europe. Perhaps it’s time to branch out and expand your cycling scrapbook to include Australia and New Zealand!

Fantastic New Zealand

One part of the Trans-Oceania that has not changed since it was added back in 2016 are the two sections that cover the North and South Islands of New Zealand. They feature some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and are truly a cyclist’s paradise.

5 Reasons to Cycle New Zealand – Hobbits, Wines, and Worms

“Traditionally a war cry, war dance or challenge in Maori culture, it is used to proclaim strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition and to motivate the participant. A haka can include facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and poking out the tongue. Next comes a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stomping of the feet, all the while chanting words, a variety of cries and grunts. So gather together your fellow cyclists and psyche yourselves up for the performance of your lives.” Read more.

Riding the Long Cloud

“I used my easiest gear for the first time on the entire tour on the ride out of Auckland, and used it again almost every day after that. But, as every cyclist knows, what goes up must come down, and we were rewarded with some sweet descents. We were fortunate enough to have dry weather on many of these high speed rides. On one day in particular, a few riders missed the lunch spot because they were descending so fast!” Read more.

Experienced Tour Leaders Micah Markson (veteran of two previous Trans-Oceania tours) and Doug Percival will be heading up this trip and they look forward to meeting everyone in Adelaide this October. If you are considering joining the nearly 30 people already registered for this tour, limited spaces are still available.

>>Register for the 2022 Trans-Oceania

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TOUR

There is a day in the not too distant future where a group of TDA cyclists will roll out of town at the start of a tour with the sounds of shoes clipping into pedals, chains moving along gears, and anticipation giving way to adventure. The cyclists will be a motley group of strangers in bright clothing that already have a lot in common – most notably their shared goal of completing a long distance bike odyssey.

Decisions, decisions

We made more difficult decisions on Monday – postponing the Trans-Oceania to 2021 and cancelling the final two sections of the  West Africa en Vélo. For the time being, in 2020 we are only offering the shortened West Africa en Vélo and our Patagonia Adventure. None of these decisions are easy, and with every postponement there is another reset required… the goalposts move again. But we have so much to be hopeful for and we know that cycle touring will return, it’s just a matter of when.

As the company founder said in his latest blog post “The media and the Internet are full of information that makes all sorts of statements, predictions, likely scenarios, conspiracies, accusations and truisms but no guarantees or clarity…What there is, is the realization that life goes on and we all need to find a way to move forward.”

A Hopeful (and Cautious) Restart

Will our first pedal strokes be in Patagonia, Canada, Africa or Italy? It’s still hard to say but we are busy working on ideas for pop-up tours in Canada or Central Europe. We have also been watching very closely the announcement that Italy will soon open up to international tourism and have discussed whether our Viva Italia trip could be an option this year. We are are also still hard at work researching possible new future tours in Morocco, Scandinavia and Namibia.

TDA is known as an organization that overcomes adversity and logistical challenges, and we are using our skills right now to assess, reassess and come up with sound and well thought out decisions – always with safety and the on-the-ground reality as our guideposts.

We are being perhaps more cautious than other bike tour operators as we know that some of the countries now opening up may need to backpedal (pun intended) if  their Covid-19 cases increase. This could mean a rapid return to social restrictions and closed borders.

We want to be very clear that it is our intention to run all the tours listed on our website but only if and when it is safe to do so. Travelling in the virus era before a vaccine will be something a little different and an option for those with a healthy amount of flexibility, patience and understanding. The normal TDA daily routines will undergo some necessary modifications.

What To Do Right Now

Our calendar continues to be updated so please keep checking it for the latest news on available tours. Registration is, of course, open for all the tours you find there and you can be assured that you can sign up without any financial risk during these challenging times. You should also feel confident that we will be implementing new safety and hygiene protocols for all our tours. Read more about this on our Covid-19: What You Need to Know page.

While there are no tours currently running, we encourage you to get involved in everything else we have going on. Participate in the TDA Community News initiative by submitting your photos or videos using the hashtag #tdacommunitynews.

Or join us on our virtual fundraiser ride, designed to assist some deserving organizations in East Africa. While we all worry about our own situations, sometimes it is good to be reminded of those people and organizations in much more dire situations than our own. Our partners, One Bike Tanzania and the Africa Impact Foundation, have both reported sudden and drastic funding shortfalls due to the pandemic. Supporting their work means helping some of the most vulnerable people in East Africa in a time of great need. All funds raised in our campaign will go directly to these two organizations.

We are ready to return to cycle touring when the moment is right. Will we be running cycling tours in 2020? We sure hope so and we are working towards that end. But if it doesn’t happen, and if we need to wait longer, that is exactly what we will do.

See you at the next coke stop.

The Australian island of Tasmania is quickly gaining a reputation as a cyclist’s paradise – from cross country to downhill, to relaxing rides along quiet country roads with scenic coastal views. Lightly-trafficked roads in good condition provide a great network to explore the entire island.

While you are happily pedalling along – on your own or as part of the Trans-Oceania Cycling Tour – be aware that Tasmania has a lot more to offer riders than just ideal cycling conditions.

1. Wildlife – Tigers, Devils, Wombats & Wallabies

With fewer introduced predators and a relatively large amount of intact habitat, Tasmania is a haven for wildlife and has some animals that are found nowhere else on earth. Cyclists will have a good chance of seeing some of these while pedalling along the roads, save perhaps the semi-mythical Tasmanian Tiger. The Tasmanian Devil, the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, is unique to the island. It has fearsome teeth and powerful jaws which combined with its famous bad temper and spine-chilling screeches, certainly lives up to its name. Another singular Tasmanian animal is the Pademelon, a small marsupial related to the kangaroo. They are distinguished from their more famous cousins by their shorter, thicker, and sparsely haired tails. Then there is the Quoll, a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. The island is home to the Eastern Quoll where it can be found in rainforests & alpine areas. Incredibly you may also see penguins, mutton birds, wombats, dolphins, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, possums, wallabies, bandicoots, platypus & whales!

2. Colonial History

Richmond Bridge, Richmond

Tasmania is named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who made the first reported European sighting of the island on 24 November 1642. Its colonial history is harsh and dark and includes the genocide of the original Aboriginal inhabitants. The island was permanently settled by Europeans in 1803 as a penal settlement of the British Empire and over 75,000 convicts were sent there until the practice ended in 1853. Free settlers were attracted by the offer of unpaid prison labour and land grants. A visit to the Port Arthur Historic Site reveals the depressing scope of the colonial prison system – the sombre ruins are a reminder of the convict-labour industries which included timber, milling, ship-building and coal mining. Many bridges were also constructed by prisoners across the island including the one in Richmond, a major town in the incarceration and slave labor of convicts. This one was built in 1823 making it the oldest bridge in Australia and is reputedly haunted by the ghost of George Grover, a convict who was thrown off the bridge to his death in 1832. His ghost has been seen pacing the length of the bridge and hovering in the trees on the west bank of the river. Witnesses say they can feel the intensity of his anger.

3. Wine, Whiskey & Beer

Vineyards, Tasmania

Many people know Australia as the source of some incredible wines, especially bold, juicy Shiraz but not everyone realizes that Tasmania was one of the earliest regions in the country to be planted with vines. In fact, some cuttings from the island were used to start vineyards in Victoria and South Australia. The island’s cooler climate produces some lovely Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. For those more interested in spirits, Tasmania has some wonderful whiskeys. Despite production being banned until 1992, in 2014 Hobart’s Sullivan’s Cove’s French Oak Cask variety was judged the best single malt whiskey in the world. Riders can follow the Whiskey Trail around the island. Beer loving cyclists are in for a treat. Traditionally, Tasmania had 2 main breweries – Boags in Launceston and Cascade (Australia’s oldest brewery) in Hobart. These days the craft beer scene is exploding and riders can check out such standout microbreweries as Seven Sheds in Railton or T-Bone Brewing in Hobart. One classic bike/beer experience is to tackle the challenging climb up to Weldborough and then sample the dozens of local craft beers available at the historic pub in town. Fortunately the hotel has rooms for those cyclists who may have tried a few too many.

4. Hobart

Hobart marina

This city has come a long way from its founding in 1804 when it was a collection of tents and huts, its population consisted of 178 convicts, 25 Royal Navy marines, 15 women, 21 children, 13 free settlers, and 10 civil officers. It is now home to over 40% of Tasmania’s population and its streets are lined with classical examples of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Its attractive waterfront is lined with pubs, restaurants and cafes and is the site for many popular festivals. Cyclists can pedal through the city stopping to visit attractions like the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site where colonial Hobart’s female convicts were held (1 in 4 prisoners sent to Tasmania were women) or spin out to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, home to over 6000 exotic and native plants species. There is also a wonderful cycling path, the Intercity Cycleway, running along an abandoned railway line from the city northwards to the exquisite Museum of Old & New Art (MONA). After all that activity, riders will be more than eager to explore the city’s exciting craft beer scene, stopping to sample the brews at the Hobart Brewing Company or Shambles Brewery.

5. Arts & Culture

Museum of Old & New Art, Hobart

Tasmania is blessed with some wonderful galleries, festivals and museums. Perhaps the most incredible is Hobart’s Museum of Old & New Art (MONA). The largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere, it has been described as a “subversive adult Disneyland.” Exhibits include Wim Delvoye’s ‘Cloaca Professional’, a machine which replicates the human digestive system and turns food into faeces, excreting it daily. Another must-see destination would be the small town of Sheffield. It reinvented itself in the 1990’s as an arts hub by encouraging residents to paint large scale murals. There are now more than 50 examples around the town and it hosts an annual mural painting festival. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG), in Launceston is situated in both an 1870s era railway workshop and an 1891 Royal Park Art Gallery building. You can see dinosaurs, death masks, planes soaring above, and artefacts from Australia’s oldest merchant shipwreck. Or join the locals in experiencing Aussie Rules Football when the North Melbourne Kangaroos play in Hobart or the Hawthorn Hawks visit Launceston’s Aurora stadium.

6. Historic Railways

Railway enthusiasts might regret both the end of Hobart’s unique double decker tram network in 1960 and the cessation of all rail service in 1970 but, happily, Tasmania is still blessed with a couple historic train lines. The small west coast town of Tullah (Aboriginal meaning ‘meeting of 2 rivers’) is the location of the Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway. In the past the only way to get to Tullah from its founding in 1900 until 1961 was on a narrow gauge railway. Now you can take a 20 minute ride through the area’s stunning temperate rainforest pulled by an authentic 1924 steam engine. Just under 60 km further south, riders will discover the West Coast Wilderness Railway. Running through breathtaking rainforests and over 40 bridges, it runs between Queenstown and Strahan. Built in 1896 for the Mt Lyell Mining Company, the original railway closed in 1963 but restoration began in 2002 and in 2014 operations were restored along the complete original route.

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“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Becket 

“Do you know why TDA is a successful company?”
“No” I responded.
“Because you are not afraid to fail.”

I was surprised and nodded, not knowing what to say. Was this correct?

This conversation took place a few years back during the inaugural South American Epic tour with one of the participants who had been on other TDA tours.

2014 Trans-Oceania route

Three years before that discussion, when we decided to do the first Trans-Oceania tour, we came up with what we thought was a great cycling route that crossed Indonesia, Timor and Australia. The tour turned out to be challenging but was a wonderful experience for those who decided to join. Unfortunately not many did. Because the tour was great and part of the 7 Epics, we thought we should try the same tour again.

>>Find dates and prices here

It didn’t fly, there was no interest. So, we tried a new version. This time we would by-pass Indonesia and Timor, take the same route through Australia but we would add New Zealand. To our dismay, we again found that the route through middle of Australia simply didn’t attract enough participants. So, we tried another route that started in Perth and that didn’t work. Still minimal interest.

Old 2020 Trans-Oceania route

Though Samuel Beckett was not writing about our company, his lines seems to apply to us. For over a year we have had a new Trans-Oceania route on our website but unfortunately it hasn’t attracted enough participants. So, what did we do? We decided to try again.

We are now announcing a new version, a much-improved version. To begin with, it will be all hotels, something that has proved very popular with our participants. We are dropping the ride through the Outback, which is not suitable for hotels, but we are adding one of the top cycling attractions in Australia – Tasmania.

Tasmania

We are returning to the part of Australia that has been most popular with previous Trans-Oceania cyclists – that is the section from Adelaide to Melbourne which includes the famous Great Ocean Road. From Melbourne we will take a ferry to Tasmania and do a loop of Tasmania before taking the ferry back to Melbourne. From there we will cycle to Sydney via the capital city Canberra, before flying to the very popular cycling destination of New Zealand for the last part of the tour.

Will this work? There are a couple of quotes, apparently incorrectly attributed to Winston Churchill that go something like this – “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” and “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

New 2020 Trans-Oceania route

When it comes to the staff at TDA, every tour that we undertake is unique, challenging and always a great adventure. They take riders into the great outdoors, they allow them to see countless wonderful parts of the world, to meet many people and to even become friends for life. Keeping all of that in mind, for us, as long as the cyclists arrive as planned and healthy, the tour is considered a success.

Postscript

If you are worried about biking in Australia given the current situation, our Australian friends at Cycle Tours Global put it nicely “There are many ways to donate to help the huge recovery effort but one way you can help is go on a bike tour! Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the area and its near collapse in peak season is devastating for local communities. The good news is that Australia is a very big country and, although the bushfires have destroyed vast areas, just about all cycle routes, rail trails and tour operators are still open for business.”

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Please note that the Trans-Oceania tour has been updated since this post was published. Please click here for the latest announcement.

1. A return to Darwin, but a different route south

The first two editions of the Trans-Oceania began their Australian portions in Darwin – the country’s northern outpost city and beginning of the Stuart Highway. For 2020, we will begin our tour there, like we did in 2016. However, we will break from our previous routes. After just three days heading south on the Stuart Highway, we will take a hard left turn, heading east through Queensland. After arriving at the coastal city of Cairns, the tour will head south all the way to Sydney, before flying to Auckland to pick up our previous route in New Zealand.

2. Getting dirty on the Savannah Way

When we make that left turn off of the Stuart Highway at Mataranka, we will be joining the second half of the route known as the Savannah Way. This section takes us onto gravel roads for approximately the next 1,000km (from Roper to Normanton). Those riding this challenging section will be rewarded with some interesting landmarks along the way, including the 19^th century port towns of Burketown and Normanton (with famous pubs!).

3. Southern Lost City

This lesser known spot, approximately half way through the gravel section, is not just a campground. Located in Limmen National Park, it is also home to these peculiar towers, which are so-named because of their resemblance to the ruins of an ancient village. These spires are not, in fact, crumbling buildings, but are actually geological sandstone formations.

4. Lava Tubes

Continuing on the geological theme, the tour will pass by Undara Volcanic National Park. While it is home to a variety of scenery, animals, and plants, this park is most known for the lava tubes. These were formed almost 200,000 years ago during the world’s longest ever lava flow. It went on for nearly 160km! Left behind as the lava cooled on its long journey, countless tubes and caves were formed. Some of them are at risk of collapse, and can also contain dangerous carbon dioxide levels, meaning that they can only be accessed by guided tour.

5. Great Barrier Reef

The tour reaches the end of the Savannah Way when it arrives in the coastal city of Cairns. While it was originally a mining town, these days Cairns is known primarily as an access point to the Great Barrier Reef. The reef has lately been making the news due to its threatened status from climate change, but it is still kicking! Most visitors to the reef will go for a swim or snorkel to get an up close look at the wide array of coral, fish (over 1,500 species), and other creatures that inhabit the area.

6. Australia’s Big Things

Australia is known for its collection of ‘Big Things,’ about 100 of which are found along our route. Ranging from livestock to fish to fruit and beyond, this vast collection of larger-than-life sculptures have been built around the country as a means to promote tourism. Often located in otherwise lesser-known towns, it is hoped that these objects will entice tourists to make a pit stop.

7. Gold Coast

Heading south from Cairns, the tour will first travel along the world-renowned coastal region of Queensland. The famous beaches surrounding Brisbane to the north and south will surely be a popular rest day activity! The towns of Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, and Sunshine Coast are all found here, and are all just as nice as their names suggest!

8. Waterfall Way

Taking a brief departure from the coast, the tour will head inland to follow a scenic route called Waterfall Way. It is known as one of Australia’s most beautiful routes, and passes through or next to seven national parks. The area includes the Gondwana Rainforests, which are the world’s biggest of the subtropical variety, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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If these reasons have you convinced, click here to find all the details of the 2020 Trans-Oceania cycle tour.

Aotearoa

The usual translation of the Maori name for New Zealand is The Land of the Long White Cloud. This phrase evokes images of endless blue skies, with whisps of white extending into the distance. But, as we would soon be reminded, clouds come in many forms…

The North Island

Arriving for the start of a bike tour by plane gives you the unusual opportunity to see the terrain from above. My memory of New Zealand, and what I always hear everyone talk about, is that there are hills and mountains everywhere, and that this meant we would be doing lots of climbing. But from the sky, it looked pretty flat!

Luckily, I didn’t get my hopes up, because sure enough, we were climbing pretty much every day! We didn’t have many days with big ascent numbers, but the hills are steep. I used my easiest gear for the first time on the entire tour on the ride out of Auckland, and used it again almost every day after that.

But, as every cyclist knows, what goes up must come down, and we were rewarded with some sweet descents. We were fortunate enough to have dry weather on many of these high speed rides. On one day in particular, a few riders missed the lunch spot because they were descending so fast!

The North Island is full of curiosities, but a few defining elements in particular caught the riders’ attention:

While the whole island is a geothermal hotspot, it was the bizarre and pungent mud pools that had us transfixed (at least until the smell got to us…). The bubbling mud pools are present in a few locations. They are caused by geothermal steam (and sulfur) escaping from the ground below.

One of New Zealand’s lesser known attractions is “Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu”, the longest place name in the world. It beats out the next longest place (in Wales) by a whopping 27 letters.

And the last thing that we heard the riders talk about day in and day out, was the rain. Of course, we had all heard that it rains a lot in New Zealand. But nothing can really prepare you for the feeling of riding in rain almost every day! I suppose that long white cloud had to turn dark gray eventually…

South Island

Even before disembarking the massive Interislander Ferry, we were greeted with the New Zealand that I was expecting – the one defined by imposing mountains seemingly rising straight out of the ocean.

The West Coast region of the country is defined by the sudden meeting of land and sea. One such place is here, the Pancake Rocks, where these mysterious layered formations cause waves to shoot up into the sky.

This part of New Zealand is known for its glaciers. While the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers are the most impressive, there are actually over 3,000 of them on the South Island.

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Queenstown

The Trans-Oceania route certainly goes out with a bang. The last two days of the tour each include a mountain pass. First, the Haast Pass, and second, the Crown Range. The latter includes an epic switchback descent into Arrowtown, just 20km before the end of the tour.

While the Trans-Oceania may not end at the very tip of a continent like many of our other tours, it stops in Queenstown for a reason. Although it is a small town of only 16,000 people, it has for very good reason become one of the world’s top destinations for action sports of all kinds. After celebrating at the final dinner, some of those in this photo would go on to mountain bike, jet boat, bungee jump, and even sky dive! Who knows, maybe we will incorporate some of these activities into the tour next time…

The Trans-Oceania’s route into Wellington – the last day on New Zealand’s North Island – is a bit different from the rest of the tour. While we have ridden a few short sections of other rail trails and dirt roads, the Remutaka would prove to be the most adventurous off road journey of this tour.

About the trail

The Remutaka Rail Trail runs for 18km between the towns of Featherston and Upper Hutt. It follows the route of the Wairarapa train line’s original alignment, which was in use from 1878 to 1955. That train used the Fell system to climb the steeper than normal incline – a third rail was added in between the usual two for extra traction. The Fell system was used in other places around the world, but most were decommissioned or replaced around the same time as this one. However, the world’s only surviving Fell locomotive is on display here, at the museum in Featherston.

When riders hear that we are heading to a rail trail, they usually like it, as most trains can only climb very mild hills. The Remutaka, however, due to its use of the Fell system, has maximum inclines about twice as steep. The climbing was not the only challenge the riders would encounter along the trail. The route notes also warned of the trail’s entry, a 1 km section of narrow singletrack, several long and unlit tunnels, and one creek crossing where the bridge had been removed, forcing riders to dismount and walk through the water.

Riding the Remutaka

As we had been told, the trail began with 1km of narrow singletrack, with some short steep pitches and a few pretty rough and rocky sections. Many of the riders walked this part of the trail, but all made it through!

At the end of the singletrack, the rail trail begins. It has a pretty good surface. Maybe a bit rougher than your average rail trail, but not too bad. The combination of the loose surface and steeper and longer than normal grade was a challenge!

At the creek crossing, there are two lookout points – one just before the descent to the water, and one just after the climb back up to the trail on the other side. This gave us the opportunity to watch each other struggle on this bit of the trail!

The trail includes four tunnels, ranging in length from 73 to 584 metres long, all of which are unlit. Riders with bright lights were able to ride through them, while those without mostly chose to walk.

After reaching the top of the climb, and emerging from the aptly named Summit Tunnel, riders felt a great sense of accomplishment. The worst (or best?) of the trail was over, with only a smoother, mellow cruise down to Upper Hutt remaining.

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“When is the final dinner?”

This question was repeated quite a few times as the Trans-Oceania began its final approach to Sydney. As the alumni among the group know, upon arrival at each tour’s final destination we celebrate with a big group dinner.

And so once we had set our sights on Sydney, they began to wonder, will there be a final dinner there? The tour, of course, would continue in New Zealand, but you can understand why Sydney felt like the end of a journey. Not only were many of the sectional riders finishing there, but it was also the endpoint of our journey from west to east across Australia, the world’s 6th biggest country. The riders were feeling an appropriate sense of accomplishment for having completed this 6,100 km journey under their own power.

Our last two weeks in Australia were certainly some of the best. The lush green fields and plentiful beaches were an incredible contrast to the barren Nullarbor from earlier in the tour.

On one night, we camped in a town known for its population of platypus. We looked eagerly for them, and caught a few glimpses of their bodies emerging from the water, but they were too quick for us to get a good look at. The landscape, though, was beautiful, and the cycling was a prize in itself.

In a tradition taken from other TDA tours, we made use of one of our shorter days to send the riders on a scavenger hunt. Split into two teams, they set off with a list of items to find and tasks to complete.

So, to answer that earlier question, there was no final dinner in Sydney, but on our last camp night the winning team from the scavenger hunt got to set the menu, of bruschetta, roasted potatoes, seared tuna, roasted duck, and tiramisu. It was a fitting end to our Australian adventure. After a couple of rest days in Sydney, we all set off for New Zealand, where the tour would resume in Auckland a few days later.

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“Are we there yet?” This familiar refrain was heard frequently as soon as we left Adelaide. As this section of the tour is named after the world-famous 250 km stretch of road, many of us expected it to begin immediately. “I don’t think this is it, we can’t even see the ocean!” These replies were correct. The Great Ocean Road proper wouldn’t begin until about halfway through the section.

Those first few days had us riding through endless pine logging forests reminiscent of Canada, and fields of sheep, sheep, sheep, and more sheep.

It seemed as though the area we were passing through was nevertheless full of popular tourist destinations, with towns going to extreme measures to compete for the attention of passing camper vans. As we arrived in the town of Kingston, we were greeted by one of these – the 17 metre tall Big Lobster.

But, sure enough, after a few more days of riding, we had arrived. Riders passed under a wooden arch announcing the start of the Great Ocean Road. The weather had also cooperated, and we enjoyed days of riding in full sunshine along the coast. Riders stopped at countless viewpoints to see the magnificent rock formations along the way.

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We passed the well-known Twelve Apostles formation. The combination of unrelenting waves and soft limestone causes these pillars to erode up to 3cm each year. In fact, there are now only eight apostles remaining, with the 9th having fallen in 2005.

Some of the riding through this section was truly breathtaking. The roads curved up, down, and along lush green hillsides, with the ocean waves lapping at the shore just metres away.

Despite the beautiful winding roads and spectacular scenery, the riders were all looking forward to arriving in Melbourne for a double rest day. This bustling city was a well-suited place for everyone to relax and prepare for the final push to Sydney.

Most people would say that crossing the Nullarbor is a pretty wild thing to do. It probably is. But it’s not as hard as you might think. With only one road to follow, all you have to do is get yourself to Norseman, and start heading east! Having just completed this endeavour ourselves, we’ve compiled a list of 10 helpful tips to help you on your journey:

1. Keep an eye out for unique creatures

Australia is know for some of its strange wildlife. Despite its barren nature, the Nullarbor is still home to some of these. On our journey, we saw lizards (both Shingleback Skinks and giant Goannas), snakes, kangaroos, wallabies, countless birds, and more.

2. Get used to the flies

3. Plug your nose

One unfortunate reality of a major highway crossing through an area so densely populated with kangaroos is that many of them end up as roadkill. These scenes are not nice to look at, but the smell is definitely worse. However, over time, the remains are reduced down to skeletons that are a bit more interesting…

4. Bring your golf clubs

You may not expect a golf course in this vast desert, but there is one. In fact, it is the longest golf course in the entire world! With one or two holes in each town, the course stretches nearly 1,400 km, all the way from Kalgoorlie to Ceduna.

5. Visit the Bight

Certainly one of the most spectacular attractions of the entire Nullarbor, the Great Australian Bight is not to be missed. The Nullarbor is so flat because it is made up of one giant sheet of limestone. The edge of this sheet, where the Nullarbor meets the ocean, is a dramatic and sudden cliff that drops up to 60 metres / 200 feet into the water below. The highway occasionally passes quite close to the cliff, offering up the opportunity to stop and take a look at this magnificent drop.

6. Choose your means of transport

While we chose to cross the Nullarbor by bicycle, that is certainly not your only option. We saw three ultralight helicopters, whose pilots would fly until they ran low on fuel, at which point they would land and roll into one of the regular gas stations to fill up. We also saw a few people choosing to make the drive in old cars from the 1930s. While they were probably not able to go very fast, they would have been a bit quicker than the ambitious man making the journey on foot…

7. Close your zippers!

Australia is home to some dangerous creepy crawlies, but most of them are more of a nuisance than anything. As long you keep your tent and bag zippers closed at all times, you shouldn’t end up with any unexpected guests.

8. Be careful

The remoteness of the Nullarbor means that emergency medical services are extremely limited. However, if necessary, the Royal Flying Doctor Service can come to the rescue, with a network of on-road landing strips spread out across the desert.

9. Celebrate!

Once you’ve made it across this seemingly never-ending expanse, you should congratulate yourself and celebrate your accomplishment. Certificates are available to attest to the completion of your journey.

10. Keep going

Just because you’ve crossed the Nullarbor doesn’t mean your travels should end. In fact, the town of Kimba, near the eastern edge of the Nullarbor, is actually just halfway across Australia. We are going to do just that – the Trans-Oceania cycle tour is now on its way to Melbourne!

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“Is it supposed to be this cold?” This phrase was uttered all too frequently throughout the first ten days of the Trans-Oceania. The riders battled cold temperatures and frequent, and often heavy, rain for the early half of the tour’s first section. “I thought Australia was warm!” was another oft-heard remark. Some days began or ended with rain, but others were wet throughout. Many nights approached zero degrees Celsius as everyone zipped their sleeping bags tight.

Days earlier, the tour set off on a sunny but windy day, with riders stopping for a group photo in Perth’s Kings Park, at a lovely spot overlooking the city’s skyline. The 13 riders set off, with four of them signed on for the full tour all the way to Queenstown, New Zealand, and the other 9 stopping somewhere earlier. But these 13 are the ones adventurous enough to venture out into the Nullarbor Plain – stay tuned for that!

While the aforementioned lack of cooperation from the weather was a bit of a drag, the tour’s route did take us through some lovely scenery. One such place was the Greater Beedelup National Park, known for its towering karri trees, growing up to 90m tall!

The first few days had some riders wondering why they hadn’t seen any of Australia’s huge variety of unique wildlife yet. Their queries were answered, though, as several of our campsites were shared with curious kangaroos. Or is that a wallaby? We also saw quite a few emus. Roadside signs warned to look out for some others too, but we didn’t see them: wombat, mallee fowl, camels, snakes, frogs, and more. The riders did, however, meet plenty of magpies. These birds are well known for their territoriality, and one of our riders even estimated that he was ‘swooped’ close to 100 times on one day’s ride.

The tour also passed through the historic city of Albany. It is well known to Australians as the last port stop for the ships that carried troops into battle during World War I. These soldiers would go on to fight in such infamous battles as Gallipoli and the Somme. As such, Albany has become an integral part of the ANZAC legend.

The last few days have felt almost like a whole new tour, with the weather having made a drastic change. The sun has been shining brightly, and daytime temperatures have reached over 25°C. While this was certainly welcomed by all, there was one positive side effect of the rain that came before. That precipitation gave a boost to Australia’s renowned wildflowers. We’ve all been mesmerized by their beauty and variety.

The tour is currently enjoying a rest day in Esperance, where the riders are making some final purchases of key items to help them through the next section – The Nullarbor Plain.

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“Once back in their homeland, Kupe was asked many questions about the land of the long white cloud. And so the stories of discovery and adventure were shared – stories of giant trees, mountain ranges, rivers full of fish and greenstone, and forests full of birds, some standing taller than a man …”  – Wiremu Grace, Kupe’s Travels Around Aotearoa

Here are 5 reasons why New Zealand (The Land of  the Long White Cloud) is emerging as one on the world’s best destinations for cycling.

1. Lord Of The Rings – One Wheel To Rule Them All

Three Treks for the Elven-kings on their bike trails,
Seven Surlys for the Dwarf-lords avoiding the rocks,
Nine Specialized for Mortal Men seeking spring sales,
One Cervelo for the Dark Lord on his adjustable rock shox

In the Land of TDA where the cycling adventures lie.

One bike mechanic to rule them all, one support vehicle to find them, one Tour Leader to bring them all and in their happiness mind them

In the Land of TDA where the cycling adventures lie.

(With abject apologies to JRR Tolkien)

Did you enjoy Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films? I know I did. Well, while cycling through New Zealand you’ll understand why the country was chosen as the location for the films set in Middle Earth. Absolutely stunning scenery, from rolling green farmland to spectacular, windswept mountaintops. Rotorua was the setting for the gentle countryside and hobbit holes of the Shire and Hobbiton. Tongariro National Park was perfect for Mordor, home to the Dark Lord, Sauron. Queenstown and nearby Lake Pukaki stood in for Laketown, set below Lonely Mountain, home to Smaug, the fearsome dragon. Te Anau & Milford Sound stood in for Fangorn Forest while Kaitoke Regional Park was the site chosen as Rivendell, home of the elves.

Aspiring hobbits (or orcs) can pedal to the Hobbiton Movie Set where they can enjoy a visit to the Green Dragon Inn. Frodo Baggins regularly visited the inn as did his friends Sam Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. Here cyclists can snack on a beef and ale pie and wash it down with a pint of Frogmorton ginger beer.

2. Haka – Unleash Your Inner Maori

Need to get hyped up for your next ride in New Zealand?  Follow the example of the legendary Kiwi rugby team, the All Blacks, and channel your inner haka. Traditionally a war cry, war dance or challenge in Maori culture, it is used to proclaim strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition and to motivate the participant. A haka can include facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and poking out the tongue. Next comes a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stomping of the feet, all the while chanting words, a variety of cries and grunts.

So gather together your fellow cyclists and psyche yourselves up for the performance of your lives.

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 3. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – Sip, Sip & Sip Some More

Remember the days before New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs? The nights of guzzling down bottles of sweet white wine (Germany’s Black Tower & Canada’s very own Baby Duck come to mind)? Unfortunately I do…only too well! I do, however, also remember the first time I tasted a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It was sublime. No wonder the country is famous for this incredible wine (although its Pinot Noirs are now also being noticed). While wine making in New Zealand extends back to colonial times, it was in the 1960’s and ’70’s that events led to the planting of the country’s best vineyards. When Britain joined the European Economic Community it forced New Zealand to look for exports other than its traditional meat and dairy products. In addition, vines, which produce best in low moisture and low soil fertility environments, were seen as suitable for areas that had previously been marginal pasture. In 1973 Montana (now Brancott Estate) planted Marlborough’s first vineyard and produced its first Sauvignon Blanc in 1979. The rest is history.

After a long day of cycling through the rolling hills of Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough, Nelson, the Wairau and Awatere valleys of Marlborough, and Canterbury, riders can settle in to taste one of the world’s truly great wines. Mark Oldman in ‘Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine’ wrote that “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is like a child who inherits the best of both parents—exotic aromas found in … the New World and the pungency and limy acidity of an Old World Sauvignon Blanc like Sancerre.”

4. Glow Worms – Into The Dark

I remember hitchhiking to the Waitomo Caves, set in a tiny village, back in the 1970’s. New Zealand was way off the beaten track and a step back in time. Women with young children would stop and give you a ride, pubs and restaurants were closed all day on Sundays and they had this remarkably exotic food item for sale, a lamb burger. I’m pretty sure there were no cycle tourists either. The caves themselves? Well, let’s just say it was a magical experience.

Times have changed. According to the New Zealand Government, in 2017 almost 4 million people visited the country which, itself, only has a population of about 5 million. Of those, about 5% or 250,000, did some cycling during their stay. Pubs and restaurants can serve booze until 2am every day and I can get a lamb burger just about anywhere in the world. I’m not sure about the hitchhiking but quietly gliding through the 3 main limestone caves by boat – Glowworm, Ruakuri and Aranui – illuminated by glowing bugs on the ceilings is still simply bewitching.

5. Mud Baths – Get Down & Dirty

New Zealand sits directly on the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and tectonic plate boundaries that lines the Pacific Ocean. It extends 40,000 kilometres and includes 452 volcanoes. Not only does this make for some incredible scenery but it creates the optimal conditions for thermal activity including some amazing mud baths. One of the best places to cap off a day of riding is near the North Island town of Rotorua, with its spouting geysers, bubbling mud pools and colourful sinter terraces.

Tourists have been enjoying Rotorua’s thermal baths since 1874. There are two types of local mineral water: ‘Rachel’, which is alkaline, sulphur water, softening the skin and sedative and ‘Priest’, which is acid free water. They are combined with mud baths to manage rheumatic diseases. The waters are regarded as soothing and sedative, relieving pain and reducing swelling in joints and tissues. That sounds like something any cyclist would appreciate after a challenging ride through New Zealand’s endless hills.