Staff Picks: Best Melbourne Overnighters

It’s an uncharacteristically stormy day here in Melbourne, and what do we do when the conditions aren’t optimal for riding bikes? We plan rides! Tomorrow, friends, the sun will shine and we will have routes at the ready! We’ve already hit you with the blog post on what to bring on your first overnighter, now we bring you the very best routes that Victoria has to offer. Some here are classic already-established routes (special shoutout to Melbourne Gravel Grinders and Adventure Cycling Victoria!), others are just strung together by poking around with a healthy sense of stoke and curiosity.

The usual caveats apply: Check local conditions in advance and always have Vic Emergency downloaded with an alert on for the area you’re visiting. This is especially important as we head into bushfire season, but also sometimes V/Line services are down, and flooding or storm damage can take a while to clear. You know, just use these routes as inspiration, but do your due diligence. Be sensible out there!

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you a comprehensive list of our staff’s favourite overnighters.

Kia M: French Island

To hell with saving the best for last. I’m coming in hot with a heavy hitter! French Island has a lot going for it:

  1. It’s accessible by public transport
  2. The campsite is FREE (but you have to book!), and only 5km from the ferry, so you can dump your stuff and ride unloaded
  3. Once you’re on the island, you don’t really need a route, you can just pootle around.
  4. Abundant wildlife, with almost guaranteed koala sightings

Highlights of French Island start before you even get there, with the Westernport ferry from Stony Point to Tankerton. From there it’s a pleasant sandy gravel ride to Fairhaven, from where you can drop your things. Depending on the tide, you can swim just in front of the campsite. If the tide is out and you’re looking at mud flats, take the opportunity to go for a ride and see the island. Hot tip for Koala spotting is Red Bill track, and the Pinnacles (via some sandy, heathy double track) is a must-see. I’ve also really enjoyed the ruins at Blue Gums (with stunning views over Westernport Bay), which, at the right tide (low) will drop you at the beach for a scenic hike-a-bike meeting the road again at the port of the Barge from Corinella. It’s a choose your own adventure out there, but you’re sure to see lots of wildlife!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49489563

Simon: Starling’s Gap

A flexible route with options to make it easier or harder. It has been featured on our blog (https://offcourse.bike/blog/2022/amazing-east-warburton/) and I rate it!

This is a good route for new bikepackers, but also a nice one to revisit from time-to-time. Catch the train to Lilydale, then ride the Warby trail. Depending on how you’re feeling, deviate south-east from Wesburn for a harder route in, or take it easy and stick with the trail into Warburton. There are lots of spots along the rail trail to stock up on food and water. With the Warburton option you can camp at Big Pat’s Creek if you’re starting to fatigue, or if you’re up for more, take the long but gentle climb up towards Starling’s Gap.

The Starling’s Gap campsite is free and has a drop toilet. There’s no running water at the campsite, so you’ll have to haul it up the hill. The descent the next morning into Warburton is amazing, and rolling into a hot breakfast will surely keep your spirits high.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47055653

Finn: Surf Coasting – Riding the Surf Coast Track from Torquay to Winchelsea.

Ever driven along the Great Ocean Road and thought “damn, I wish I could ride this on a bike! Also, if only it was well-graded gravel single-track with stunning Southern Vic native flora on all sides”? Well, here is a route you need to ride.

The Surf Coast Walking Track as a name is somewhat misleading; signage indicates that bicycles are permitted for the entire path between 13th Beach (Torquay) and Fairhaven. As cyclists, however, always be aware that walkers are the predominant traffic on this path, and we should ride accordingly. Be warned: there are one or two sets of stairs to carry your bike up (these can be avoided with short stints on the road).

Camp in the area around Aireys Inlet or Fairhaven, where there are a number of picnic grounds and a caravan park, then meander through the gravel roads of the Otway foothills to finish at Winchelsea station, where the vLine takes you back to Melbourne.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49490078

Mike: “Wombat Gold”

Starting at Macedon train station, taking in single track though Wombat State Park and the best continuous mountain bike sections of the Goldfields track. 

Ending in Castlemaine means easy trains home and a somewhere to eat and drink at the finish.

You can camp in an old Volcano at Mount Franklin, skip it and push on to Vaughan Springs campsite to make the 2nd day short or book accommodation in Daylesford or Hepburn springs if you want to travel light. There are plenty of options.

Best on a mountain bike or something that can take 2 inch tyres plus.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49503699

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Off Course acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional custodians of the lands and waterways in the area now known as Brunswick, and pays respect to their Elders past, present, and emerging, as well as to all First Nations’ communities in Australia.