Bike trip to Kioloa
I was at a student conference at the ANU Coastal Campus in Kioloa this weekend. Australia doesn't have a proper railway system, so I went there by bike. I didn't really know what to expect, since the maps here are about as bad as the railway system. Here's a brief description of the route.
On the way down, I went via Captain's Flat to Braidwood and from there on King's Highway and Princess Highway to Kioloa. With a few short sightseeing detours, that's about 230km. The way back I stayed on King's Highway after Braidwood, bringing the total distance to 210km. The route profile is similar on both ways: about 30km up- and downhill after Canberra, then 20 km almost flat, then it goes mostly up for ~10 km to the Great Dividing Range/Tallaganda NP (the highest point of the journey), then down again, and then mostly flat, before the road steeply descends into the coastal area. Then it's a lot of uphill and downhill again to Bateman's Bay (35km), and then another 45km slightly hilly to Kioloa beach. In total, I'd estimate you go about 1300m down and 800m up from Canberra to Kioloa. The detour to Captain's Flat is definitely worth it for the nice views and the almost car-free roads, but it's also more demanding, not only because it's longer, but also because the road is partly unsealed. Even on the Highway, there isn't that much traffic though, especially between Bungendore and Bateman's Bay. With good breaks and lights, lots of water and a break during the hottest time of the day (which I took on the way down, but stupidly not on the way back), this is a very enjoyable journey.
JC lent me his camera, so I took a lot of boring pictures of landscapes and dead animals.
I do envy you!!, 230 km is impressive!, - esp. when considering your "bike", not the normal long distance vehicle :)) - can not been done without a solid base, what's your year mileage?
M.