# Epic rides in Aus?



## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

Where in Australia can you do a 200+km epic ride through mountains, valleys, etc? I'm thinking a point-to-point ride with a night or two camping under the stars... not just 5 laps of St Andrews.

Check out this thread and you'll understand why I'm asking.

Roughly 100,000 words


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

It takes decades to learn the trails through the mountains or shortened to only several years if you buy a copy of the meticulously researched 'Wild Places' by Peter Prineas and Henry Gold. First published by Kaliana Press in 1983. This book is a collector's treasure. There is a recent reprint of 'Wild Places' published by the Colong Foundation. The CF are on the web. The large maps are magnificent in the original 'Wild Places'. The reprint is only $27.50.

Try to find an original copy of 'Wild Places' at a second hand book store in preference to buying the reprinted version that can be bought from the Colong Foundation or at outdoor shops .. and then design your own rides.

The maps in the original edition of 'Wild Places' are large folio. In the reprint they are small (smaller than A4) and difficult to read because of the incredible detail within each map. That's if you like getting right out there, exploring heaps, going where you will see no one else and not giving two f'n hoots if you get it wrong.

National Parks dumb down areas to this level http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/a...315/Mountain_Bike_Namadgi_Brohure10.9.08_.pdf ... locate a copy of Wild Places because every old road and old track is marked. I avoid requesting information from the counter jumpers at National Parks.

The original 'Wild Places' covers the wilderness regions in NSW and the ACT. Kanangra, Ettrema The Budawangs, Bimbiri, Deua/Woila, Bogong/Gooberagandra, Brogo, Nadgi (wilderness coast), Genoa, Indi, Byadbo, Kosciusko/Jagungal, Colo, Barrington Tops, McDonald, Werrikimbee,The Macleay Gorges, New England, Washpool, Mann and Binghi. I'm not sure if the reprint covers the new wilderness regions separately and names them. Areas like Yengo, Nattai and Wollomi and Bobby's Plains because they are under the traditional regional names in the original Wild Places.

The Northern Alps to the Main Range. Canberra to Kosciusko across the mountains is fantastic. Below Bimbiri summit over Pocket Saddle and Coolamine over Long Plain. Farm Ridge to Mount Jagungal coming out at the DH track at Thredbo. If you come in on the back tracks through the back country there are no signs that say ... BIKES ARE NOT PERMITTED PAST THIS POINT. I've not seen a sign with the exclusion details pasted on the back of it telling me to go back, not once ... :skep: :nono:

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/The-Jagungal-Wilderness-117491378

When riding in the mountains it pays to know the huts and have regular condition updates about them ... http://www.kosciuszkohuts.org.au/thehuts.html

The Western Blue Mountains. Lithgow to the Wolgan River 'through' the mountain along the old standard guage railway line to Newnes, then into Rocky Creek on something resembling a roller coaster track. Into the heart of the Colo Wilderness ... awesome gorge country. The track actually starts at the old railway yards in Lithgow, not just where the Rail Trail site says it does. The tunnel through the mountainis is very dark and full of glow worms. The only place on the planet where glow worms can be seen during the day, I once read.

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Never-Truly-Lost-93856723

Any of the Rail Trails through the Victorian forests are magic. Not all of the disused railway lines that can be ridden are listed on the Rail Trails site or paved in tarmac. Link a few track section together ... you will know where the line was.

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Spinout-Bridge-116854328

I rode the dunes tracks on 90 Mile Beach in Victoria last April and refuelled at Locksport pub. Raymond Island off Paynesville (catch the ferry across, cyclists travel for free) Raymond Island and Lake Reeves near Locksport are wonders for wildlife. The Gippsland Lakes are beautiful and easy going if you handle packed sand.

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Portrait-of-Kangaroo-Lake-115528776

I haven't done the two epic convict built roads, the Six Foot Track in the south western Blue Mountains and the Great North Road, from Sydney to Newcastle ... http://www.convicttrail.org/about.php http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nswcultureheritage/TheOldGreatNorthRoad.htm Several ride reports are on the web for both. I have done part of the Six Foot Track at Jenolan Caves.

I've ridden small sections of the Bicentenial National Trail on the northern ACT border with NSW at Cooyooyarroo and Muligan's Flat and down south at Yaouk and Naas. Excellent single tracks, real sheep trail stuff ... http://www.nationaltrail.com.au/ The trail links country pubs together it appears where it runs near my home. At 5,330 kilometres long this trail could link several country pubs together. If you can bunny hop 3m wide low wooden obstructions called horse gates when approaching roads ... you don't have to stop riding ... except to give way to the odd sheep. On the BNT site's home page in 'About' are the cyclist's notes and the 'Shop' has the booklets and maps.

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Sweat-it-Out-110938906

Warren.


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## fop1 (May 5, 2008)

Im not sure but isn't there a mt beauty to falls creek ride? i read about it somewhere seems pretty epic riding through alpine country,


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## Ben_M (Jul 7, 2008)

Wassa covered most of the trails I was thinking of. I know a few people ride from Canberra to Baitmans Bay in one day, you might be able to turn that into 2 days. Also look at the routes for the recent week epics, Mountains to Beach and Terra Australis. There might be something you could do there, although a fair bit of that would be under snow now. There is also the Snowy Mountains which I have always eyed off to do something similar one day (it will never happen).


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Ben, I'm glad that you mentioned Bateman's Bay, because it just reminded me of trips in the wilderness behind the Coastal Ranges ... into the Budawangs.

From the small town of Nerriga on the Braidwood-Nowra Road, 1 klick south of Nerriga an old rough track, the Endrick River Road, runs east to join the Endrick River. The road then forks, go south to run between Foster's Mountain and Quiltey's Mountain to finally reach Sallee Creek ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Many-Rock-Ribs-116857660

The track then heads north to Mount Sturgiss, Pagoda Rocks and Hidden Valley, camp in Hidden Valley. The photographer Rob Gray has done some good work near 'Hidden Valley' ... http://www.robgray.com/grayoutdoors/galleries/locations/ns-bud-1.php

Dump the bike and spend hour to climbing Mount Sturgiss. Walk out to the edge of the escarpment overlooking the Clyde River Gorge at the end of day 1. Every evening the fog rolls in ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Wandandian-Country-119319737

Day 2, Get back on the main track, and head north to the Vines, You can take 60 minutes to climb Quiltey's Mountain on the way and look at the old Aboriginal Bora grounds ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/The-Bora-Ground-118941351 and the giant snakes ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/A-Snake-121391898

There is a section or two of portage over gaps near the Vines because the old wooden bridge is out, an always slippery crossing because of the thick rainforest canopy and moss. Rob has photographed the crossing here http://www.robgray.com/photos/pages/00133.php These types of crossings are very slippery underfoot because the Vines are a remnant rain forest pocket. You need to be careful on these tracks because of the fragility of the ecosystems. At the Vines head NE to Newhaven Gap or do a relatively short trip west, back to Nerriga. Eventually you will join up with the Braidwood Nowra Road at Sassafras if you go through Newhaven Gap. Excellent riding on huge sandstone slabs through Snow Gums, Sallees, Inland Scribbly Barks and heath lands is to be had here, shallow sandstone slab creek crossings with lots of natural sandstone steps. There are even several creek crossings on the maps marked as 'many rock ribs'.

I can list the topo maps for this ride, but the map to get is called 'The Budawang Sketch Map,' available in camping stores.

The Braidwood-Nowra Road heads west, back to Nerriga. Before then 15ks of much sandstone pavement from New Haven Gap to Sasafrass to enjoy, then about 25ks back to Nerriga on gravel. You will ride through the upper catchments of Ettrema Creek and Bainbrig Creek and Bullee Brook after Sasafrass down a long hill. The road is cut through the sandstone escarpment. This is unbelievable country, to be distracted in. The rivers here are all sandstone filtered and crystal clear.

You will not ever forget this ride through the NW Budawang Wilderness just touching on the southern tip of the Ettrema Wilderness ... you can ride out to the high escarpment of the Shoalhaven Gorge, past The Jumps to Touga or across Quiera Clearing to Tullyangella Clearing to Tolwong, if you still have the energy ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Transportation-Spur-119054934

If you ever do this trip, let me know and I'll detail several side trips, that will knock your sox off Buddy ... guaranteed. Don't take two days you will miss seeing too much, take a week to ride the 100 kilometres, you will most likely turn it into 200. Once you are there, you will know exactly what I mean.

This wilderness is the likely haunt of monsters. You will need to keep a good eye on the carnivorous plants near Sallee Creek ... they don't often see a fresh juicy young cyclist. The last few guys who took this road into the Northern Budawangs still haven't returned, that was several years ago now ... I doubt that the carnivorous plants gave them a chance to go feral.

One of the side trips to Shrouded Gods Mountain ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Shrouded-Gods-Mountain-119022643 The Budawangs are also known as the Misty Mountains. They also have another nickname, THE FLOODAWANGS. Finding water doesn't seem to be a real problem here except during the height of summer. You will do many creek crossings.

Another side trip, ... into the Valley of the Monoliths ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Close-to-Seven-Gods-119423260

If you ever do this trip, cut a few inches off each side of your handle bars ... because if you are ever going to come face-to-face with a Velociraptor, it will be in a tight rock slit in the Budawangs ... getting stuck will be messy.

Warren.


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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

fop1 said:


> Im not sure but isn't there a mt beauty to falls creek ride? i read about it somewhere seems pretty epic riding through alpine country,


I know there are quite a few alpine trails around that area (Bogong High Plains), but nothing as lengthy as some of the stuff Wassa is referring to by the sounds of it. But you're right about Alpine country - it really is something to behold. All the way from Gippie to the Blue Mountains really.... there's HEAPS of awesome terrain there to be discovered by us MTB-ers. A group multi-dayer like the link HB posted would be awesome along our Great Dividing Range.

But as for Mt Beauty, I once thought it would be a good idea to try and ride to the top of Mt Bogong and spend the night up there. I did this once on foot via the staircase spur - best hike I've done with an awesome sunset and equally awesome moonset, camping right next to the cairn on the summit. After entering a MTB race around Mt Beauty one year I found several trails/fireroads that seem to lead up to the top of the Bogong range - I figured you could ride up these and from there you could link up with the track that goes from Falls to Bogong summit and ride that to the top, then backtrack from there, coming down via the Big Hill MTB trail network, including the most awesome Surveyors Track. But I don't know if any bikes are permitted on all those trails up on the range.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Maybe the outback is your best bet. Lots of riding there that could be interesting.


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## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

www.bikepacking.net has some great advice on these types of trips.

There is also the Simpson Desert Challenge they run here each year which is meant to be amazing. Elvis from DirtWorks does it and he is around MTBR somewhere if you need more comments on that (he's in the Fargo forum occassionally and on Rotorburn)


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## I Like Dirt (Apr 10, 2006)

I reckon you could string something together quite close to Melbourne.
I've been working on getting from Diamond Creek to Smiths Gully store minimising bitumen but I still have a way top go here now need to get along the top - Watery Gully Rd to Clintons rd. From here head out to Yarra Glen- Dixons Crrek- old Toolangi Rd to Toolangi Sylvia Creek Rd to I think its Quarry Track up to Monda Rd Up Mt St Leonard (need to somehow incorporate Tanglefoot track in this) down Monda Track onto track 11 to Donnellys Wier and into Healsville.
I'm not sure how much of this land was hit by the bushfires
The 2nd Orca book has something similar to this I think its Hurstbridge to Marysville160km


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Hud's brother, Saint Andrews NW of Melbourne? ... that's no good ... Saint Andrews is a suburb 55k SW of Sydney near the Nattai Wilderness. I was going to say, tell me about the Nattai ... well obviously not.

You being Hud's brother, well my surname is Hudson. I'm Hud's son ... well Hello Uncle! 

Mommny says send Daddy home if you see him, She is very cross. I've not ever met Daddy ... and I keep telling Mommy to claim child support. Now I know Daddy is somewhere near Melbourne we have notified Centrelink.

I should be able to buy a new carbon super bike, squishy in the front and the back, with all the child support we are claiming ... or Mommy is claiming.

Warren.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

You could always save a few $ and then join us for the Alpine Epic.

http://www.alpineepic.co.nz/


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## cowpat (Apr 13, 2008)

I Like Dirt said:


> I've been working on getting from Diamond Creek to Smiths Gully store minimising bitumen but I still have a way top go here now need to get along the top - Watery Gully Rd to Clintons rd.


Sorry, off topic: cross St Andrews Rd at the end of Watery Gully onto Dawson. Either go up Kings Rd which joins Cracknells via singletrack, or Glenvern which joins Butler, also via singletrack. Either way you'll get to Alma.


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## I Like Dirt (Apr 10, 2006)

Cheers Cowpat
The ST from Kings is at the end ?
I can feel an Epic St Andrews Ride coming on


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## cowpat (Apr 13, 2008)

Yes. Down Kings to the end, bridal trail (signposted) to the left, across the little bridge, up the grassy easement to Couties. On the other side singletrack goes east-west, and there's a northwards branch maybe right there or a few metres to the east, going approx north. Follow this one down into the gully and up again to Cracknells.

If I don't head out to Castlemaine on Saturday I'll probably be riding out to St Andrews from Greensborough instead. If you're interested we can meet up on the way out.


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## I Like Dirt (Apr 10, 2006)

Cheers mate but Saturdays don't work for me (I can't see my 7 year old slogging up theose hills)
I am planning a ride from the store on Sunday morning 8:15 for 8:30 start if anyone is interested in that.
Sorry for Hijacking the thread


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## Hud (Jun 22, 2004)

Cowpat I mould like to meet you at St A. if you are heading out there. Castlemaine is on my list for the next few weekends, but not this one. There are a few social rides next month at Castlemaine run by the bike shop. I intend getting up there again then.
I Like Dirt, I think you'll find alot of the fireroads are still closed in Toolangi etc. All the gates along Melba hwy have 'track closed' signs on them plus the pipeline works may mean a few areas are inaccesible.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

I Like Dirt said:


> Cheers mate but Saturdays don't work for me (I can't see my 7 year old slogging up theose hills)
> I am planning a ride from the store on Sunday morning 8:15 for 8:30 start if anyone is interested in that.
> Sorry for Hijacking the thread


Sunday sounds good to me. Planning a big ride? I need to get out of the house Sunday. Girl stuff happening.


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## cowpat (Apr 13, 2008)

Yeah really off topic now :nono:. Hud, how about the shop about 9:30? And anyone else if they're looking to ride on Saturday. There's new tracks out there in them thar hills...


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Was reading a book on extreme running today and it has an event called "The Bogong to Hotham Trail Run" at Mount Bogong in Victoria. Maybe start looking there...it seems to be EPIC at 64KM 

You may have to ride illegally to get any "EPIC" trails/ KM's/ ascent worth riding downunder..... _BUT_ this looks interesting....

TERRA AUSTRALIS

*552 km's&#8230;..7 days&#8230;.. 15,000+ mts of ascent*

There is your epic.....  Dang.....even I'm keen :ihih:

"Terra Australis is an epic seven-day Mountain Bike journey. An unforgettable adventure that will take you from the heights of Victoria's Alpine Resorts, through historic high country villages and Australia's premier gourmet food and wine region. Jaw dropping scenery, Nirvana single track and an amazing natural environment are all part of the experience. Every competitor will be rewarded with a personal victory over the course, over the elements and over your mind, body and soul. If you are looking for the ultimate Mountain Bike endurance challenge then you need to be on the start line of Terra Australis on March 29th 2009."

https://www.terraaustralismtbepic.com/about/intro_ambassadors.html

Some photos :ihih:
































































Makes the OtwayOdyssey look like a warm up......


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

so is this ride not epic enough for you?


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## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

Waiting for a response from me??

I just wanted to start the conversation, then sit back, look at the pictures, and dream about doing these great rides one day.


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

Wow, awesome thread. I came here to ask the same question! Not quite 200 ks, but really good is the Great Dividing Trail that connects Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Daylesford, Castlemaine and Bendigo. I've done Ballarat-Castlemaine (about 140ks depending on getting lost etc), and this weekend am doing Woodend-Blackwood-Bacchus Marsh.

Another book I'm surprised not to see mentioned is Keiran Ryan's "Off-road Cycling Adventures". Again, nothing >200ks, but a couple go close.

Steve


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## Hud (Jun 22, 2004)

A thread on Rotorburn is discussing the GDT at the moment. In the future it appears it may be a 300km mtb (and walkers) trail. My favourite riding area in Vic!

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145164


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

Yeah, I'm on Nick's mailing list already. According to Wikipedia (disclaimer, I wrote the article) the GDT is currently 280km (heh, I'd forgotten), but a few sections of it (as mentioned in that thread) are currently not MTB-able. They're also considering an extension to Gisborne, but I have no idea what the route is.


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## mmatrix (Aug 20, 2007)

*thinking along the same lines.*

This is a great thread. 
I have never done long mtb rides and only last week one of my mates was saying he wanted to go on some sort of adventure type ride like we do in kayaks.

We have done a lot of adventure type trips in white water kayaks but have not really got into them on a mtb bike.
We have paddled the Franklin, paddled the snowy river and also been over seas on paddling expeditions in canada but the next step is the mtb bike.

Here are some suggestions we have talked about.
The Mitchell river in gipsland has a walking trail next to it that can be ridden. It takes a day to paddle from Glenendale to the final fling rapid but I am going to check the map to see if there are trails beyond glennondale.

Like wise the snowy river has a walking trial. From Buchan to sugan buggan.ther eis a great track into the snowy along the roger river. This could be ridden.

Also there is a great ride, which we planned to do earlier this year but the weather beat us , which is aprox six hours from Guthega power station in the snowy mountains to the geehi resevoir,via the schlinks pass. The following day you can ride from geehi to Khancoban via Murray 2 pond age. It is 4 wd track but due to it being above 1500mts there is some great riding. The map to check out is by Rooftop mapping service and is called "Kosciusko national park forest activities map Jindabyne - khancoban

Also the flinders ranges is meant to have some great riding this time of year.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

"I just wanted to start the conversation." It's a good conversation to have started Uncle.

Have you been to Kanangra Boyd? ... it is just a little up the road from your Nation's Capital. Just a tad north of Goulburn. Unfortunately the distances are huge. It is nothing to do 600 to 800 kilometres of driving to get to and return to a places only 170 klicks from Canberra if you are leaving from Canberra ... as the Little Ravens fly.

So far I've only done a couple of recces into Kanangra. Onto the Boyd Plateau, up Kanangra Walls, across to the Wild Dog Mountains and in to the Queen Pin on the Thurrat trail.

There is a place called the Blue Breaks, that interests me greatly to the east of Kanangra Tops. Google 'Dave Noble, Blue Breaks'. This is not a place often visited except by the hard heads and tigers.

On my next tip (shortly) if I have still no joy going across Kanangra Tops in an attempt to overlook the Blue Breaks, I'll drive around to Yerranderie and suss-out the Scott's Main Range Trail.

Kanangra is amazing. The riding is hopefully on huge sandstone slabs, once you get the bike up through the cliffs. If anyone is interested in joining me on the next trip, please let me know. It will be exploratory, from the 21st until the 26-27th of this month, I normally travel alone. I'll be doing another trip before Kanangra, we would have to meet at Kanangra Walls or at the extinct volcano of Yerranderie ... if you would like the thought of an exporatory trip on your bike that will knock your sox off, prime bush camping on the Boyd River with a good possibility of snow, come and do it. If where I intend to go isn't ridable ... well carrying a bike is still fun.

Some shots from my last trip to the Kanangra Boyd Wilderness.

The Mountains of the Wild Dogs.










The Maker of Clouds.










Kanangra Deep.










The Desert of Horizontality. On the horizon is the Blue Breaks.










Kanangra Walls.










Warren.


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## Hud (Jun 22, 2004)

mmatrix said:


> Also the flinders ranges is meant to have some great riding this time of year.


I got pretty keen on the Mawson Trail a year or so ago. It's a 900km signposted route from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges. It is a signposted, though you still need maps GPS etc. that takes in sealed roads, gravel roads, fireroads, bush tracks, single track. More of a cycle tour than a mtb trip but really gets into remote, awesome country. It also heads through Melrose which is a little town becoming a MTB destination, way out in the sticks.

There is also the incomplete Munda Biddi trail in WA which will eventually go from Perth to Albany(?) but is a constructed trail I believe.


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## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

Warren, I salute you. Good on you for getting out there. What sort of bike do you ride, and how do you carry your gear? Panniers or a trailer? I'd like to see a pic of your setup. It'd also be good so see pictures of the trails themselves, so we can get more of an idea of what it's like to ride to these places.


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

Ooh, never heard of the Mawson Trail before. Looks right up my alley. Wonder how long it would take to the do the full thing solo - 15 days would be fairly comfortable, 10 days maybe.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Hud's Brother, Hello. I'm pleased that you like the shots.

I have a definitive MTB touring setup. I put a back pack on and stick a few things in it. Like Gator Aid powder, a medical kit and waterproofs for my camera and a couple of basic bike tools and puncture repair stuff then bung a few things on the pannier rack fixed with bungee cords and that is all I need. A Johnny Appleseed on two wheels with maps and a compass.

Its no drama to ferry in camping stuff from the car, just a couple of rides worth of luxuries and set up a base camp, if I'm spending a few days exploring. I don't take a tent just a 100 gm fly and a couple of space blanket for emergancies. I camp in huts or under rock overhangs or in big hollow trees, very lightweight camping and basic riding indeed. I do have a -10C sleeping bag and a Thermarest self inflating thingo and an old Trangia bushwalking stove which I should replace with some super-light high-tech wizzer.

I've two bikes, an old rigid girl's bike and a hardtail (the girl isn't rigid or old, the bike is). A Finnish made Scorpion at 22 kg, She's got $10 knobbly K-Mart tyres and shocking Shitmano brakes but it is adequate and I've a Giant hardtail for when I'm posing in the carpark at Stromlo.

I ride alone in the bush (mostly) because real riders are offended by my old Scorpion. Mountain bikers are totally embarassed to be seen riding with me. I don't know what a technical track is, that is possibly my problem ... and I've no technique. I've usually got too many rocks and tree roots and washaways and drops to get over to have time to be technical ... one day perhaps I'll study some MTB theory.

I've been able to identify 19 different types of trails and tracks that I enjoy. Dual-track/4WD, single track, half track, quarter track, trunk tracks and trackless tracks. These can be detailed as, old snig tracks, back tracks, rock gardens and slabs, sheep tracks, goat tracks, train tracks, a Roman road, mammalian trails, navigable ice caves, cycle paths, back ally-ways and mud buckets. All of the above qualify as being legal and illegal of course.

Here is a collection of some of the types of tracks that I've enjoyed recently. Unfortunately, I've just realized that I don't have a cycle path shot and I live in Canberra. That's a tad dereguerre ... sorry. If I went on a Canberra cycle path there are so many, I'd probably get lost.

18 photos coming ... and the 19th photo will come when I photograph a cycle path. It will take a while to post the shots and put them in a logical order.

Dual-track or Double-tracks (photo below). Shared with 4WDs who's tyres usually make the ruts that have become parallel single tracks and prized by real mountain men. The two mountains in the middle horizon are Bimbiri Peak and Little Bimbiri. We came through that saddle between the two mountains on an old historic road which was 80% overgrown to join up with the Murray Gap to Pocket Saddle road. I took the photo at the northern end of the Currango Plain, on our way to the Coolamon Plain.










Single-track up on the Main Range. Mountain bikers say that riding single track is "the Holy Grail of mountain biking" ... well I can't comment on that because approaching seven thousand feet I needed oxygen not spending my time dreaming of some ficticious etherial mug.










Half-track is a track so overgrown that you wouldn't consider it to be a single-track. Riding a half-track is closer to the presuit of gardening than it is to mountain biking. Really over-grown single track is called a vegetable tunnel. So, I was just cruising up a half-track in the Croagingalong Wilderness and found this wonderful example of true coastal humanity dangling right in the middle of the track. I'm sure it as a warning not to proceed along this half-track ... for the pussies.










Quarter-track. My deffinition of a quarter-track is the track that you always think about doing ... but never do. The number of times I think about riding along the Bullen Range firetrail is a quarter of my anticipation of planning of rides. I can see the Bullen Range almost every day from home ... and think to myself, "maybe next week." Next week doesn't ever come of course ... and I've again saved that ride for next time. The Bullen Range with Mount Franklin and Mount Aggie dominating the right hand skyline and Mount Tennant on the horizon.










Trunk-track. A real one.










A Trackless Track. Trackless tracks are interesting because you get to carry your bike. It was here on the back of Watson's Craggs that I saw a Yeti ... but I will not be spending the rest of my days searching for another one of these ellusive creatures like some become obssesed doing ... my LBS is full of them.










An Impression of a Roman Road, up in the mountains. Finding this road proves that the Romans did cross the Alps, the Australian Alps. This was well before Captain Cook invaded the place ... chiunque non accosente?










A granite rock slab, somewhere above the tree line. Up on the Yalwal Plateau, the sandstone rock slabs at The Jumps, Touga Clearing amd Queera Clearing are more impressive than at Kanangra and at Kanangra the slabs are as big as most European countries.










An old Snig track above the Allyn River.










A Spinout Bridge ... on a rail trail near Nowa Nowa. When rail trails are paved they are just another cycle path, sadly. It is a pleasure to find an old derro railway line half overgrown and with a spinout of a bridge.










Sheep Tracks. I first started riding on sheep track around the hills here in the Territory. The sheep tracks are usually only 8-12cm wide and they are great riding practice, riding on them at speed in ruts is just as dangerous as riding in tram lines in a city ... because of the chance of landing in sheep sh*t. Some of the sheep tracks on the hills around Canberra are first class rides, if you can stay upright and bunny hop the Eastern Brown Snakes.










A Navigable Ice Cave. I've ridden up a stream in an ice cave to get away from the flies and have lunch in peace. The high country in summer is bad for flies. If you ride by an ice cave, on the main range either the Cootapatamba Drift or the South American Drift ... I asure you, my photography does not do these places justice and the water is refreshingly freezing and perfect for adding the Gator Aid powder.










Historic and/or convict built tracks. I don't know how the early engineers knew to build tracks in such amazing places. They must have had only two mandates; to build a road through the most difficult locations imaginable and to build a road that would have the least practical purpose possible ... or were they hundreds of years ahead of their time preempting mountain biking to amazing places? I think the later.










A Goat Track ... there are all sorts of goats making tracks in the bush. Be careful of all tracks that you follow.










A Mammalian Trail. From Nursery Hill looking into the amazing Nursery Swamp. Nursery Swamp is the biggest fen on mainland Oz. The other large fens are in the highlands in Tassy. A fen is a closed body of water. You can not see the water at Nursery Swamp when following these mammalian trails until it is too late. These tracks were made by 'Stinkers', 'Red Necks' and Eastern Greys. A Stinker is a Swamp Wallaby, Red Necks are Red Shouldered Wallabies ... they created this level of vandalism. I only follow the Wombat trails.










A Back-track. The back-tracks in the reserves close to the suburbs, all around Canberra are first class riding, especially to the west of town. They are nearly always dry and remain in good states of conservation because of the concrete nature of the dirt. The tracks see extremely light traffic. Hard packed and fast. I don't know of any dirt surfaces harder than the open woodland reserve roads around the ACT ... and the views are wonderful from these roads. There are no cars or 4WD, and very rarely will I see anyone else when I'm out on the back-tracks. The photo below is on the track at the back of Mount Arawang on a smokey day. The Bullen Range in the centre ground and on the horizon is the ever present Mount Tennant.










Back Ally-track. A city slicker's ultimate hard pack. Be careful here ... punctures can be frequent.










A mudbucket-track (below) behind the dunes on the 90 Mile Beack. I do not ride on dirt in the wet ... I can always walk. HighSpeedDirt60's post on the Manly Dam thread has summed up reasons for not riding on wet tracks ... https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178574&page=4










Warren.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Seems that you live a life most of us only dream of Warren.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Looking forward to the pics. The above lot are great. Do you have a blog or something?


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## J_775 (Sep 14, 2006)

Wazza, awesome shots, love some of the post-treatments you've given them. So many of the places you've been mentioning are still unticked on my long list of places to ride/walk. Thanks for sharing.


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## Ben_M (Jul 7, 2008)

Thanks for sharing Wazza, just stunning. Maybe there are more trails out there than we thought?


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Stevob, Thank you Mate. I don't have a blog. I'm happy to post here and on Roterburn in the ACT section and in Dirt Jumping/ 4x/ and Street. 

J-775, Cheers. Digital post processing I find very enjoyable, there are many good resources on the web. My favourite site for resources is 'Deviant Art' aka DA. In the resources section on DA there are some fantastic grunge textures and brushes for adding a retro look to the images. 

Ben-M, Especially around here. I'm going to Stromlo this afternoon to add a few more shots to this post and ride some bits of Cardiac Climb and Blackberry Climb and see if I can find the new section called 'The Fang' and add a shot or two of something considered to be tech-nick-all ... see I can't even spell it. It looks like I'm in for a long walk this arvo. 

Warren.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Great shots there Wassa and some great stories to match! Shame that they have been jazzed up with filters and image magic though. Do you have the originals by any chance?


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

ilostmypassword, G'day Mate.

I do have the originals ... they are my photographs. They have all been converted to JPEGs from PMGs for posting here. As PMGs they are extremely sharp with very good tonalities. On a forum like this you would be waiting for ages to see each image if I hadn't dumbed them down. To be honest I'm not that happy about how they look here either.

My cycling buddy Mike on a very steep berm on the DH at Stromlo.










Warren.


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## m0ngy (Dec 22, 2005)

impressive photoshop skills mate. the east coast has some real elevation - the adelaide hills hardly compare.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

mOngy, I don't use Photoshop, I'm a Canon Arcsoft user and there are only a few images from the East Coast. Have you heard of the Great Dividing Range and the Great Escarpment? 

Do you want to see some epic shots? These shots above are just warm-up shots to encourage family touring.

Warren.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

bloody nice images Wild Wassa  You have an eye for it for sure. I know you don't have a blog, but if you were ever keen i'd be happy to help you set one up.

Happy snapping and trails!


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## m0ngy (Dec 22, 2005)

Wild Wassa said:


> mOngy, I don't use Photoshop, I'm a Canon Arcsoft user and there are only a few images from the East Coast. Have you heard of the Great Dividing Range and the Great Escarpment?
> 
> Do you want to see some epic shots? These shots above are just warm-up shots to encourage family touring.
> 
> Warren.


Wozzzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaa! 

Whatever the software, they're great images. I live in rAdelaide ('cause it's soo RAD, not) and anything east of the border is east coast to me mate. Wish we had proper mountains here though, the Adelaide Hills are great, but you really gotta earn any lengthy downhill with plenty of up-down XC.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Wild Wassa said:


> Do you want to see some epic shots?


Yes please.


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

*Aawt*

Does anyone know if any of the AAWT (Australian Alps Walking Track) can be ridden on? It's 650km and goes from Walhalla to Canberra. I've walked the first three days of it and actually saw a guy on a bike near Baw Baw. Anyone have any kind of map of sections that are rideable?

Steve


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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

stevage said:


> Does anyone know if any of the AAWT (Australian Alps Walking Track) can be ridden on? It's 650km and goes from Walhalla to Canberra. I've walked the first three days of it and actually saw a guy on a bike near Baw Baw. Anyone have any kind of map of sections that are rideable?
> 
> Steve


Looks like a good trail if it were indeed rideable. Huts along the way and all. Here's a page of pics of a couple of oldies doing the Thredbo - Tharwa section on foot:
http://www.takeawalk.com.au/AAWTsection3.htm

There's also the Bicentennial National Trail (over 5000km long) which I remember discovering as a child on a map my dad gave me from his rally driving days - back when we lived in Canberra. I was amazed to discover it ran literally behind my house, and I'd been riding it for years assuming it was just somewhere for those scary horse-chicks to take their steeds (you know, those girls in high school who were really into their horses, to the point they wore tight kahki pants to school?). Anyway, I tried riding it south as far as I dared - thinking Melbourne was an outside chance - and made it to Stromlo forest (back when it was an actual forest) via the back of Hawker, Cook, Aranda etc, before turning back. Those were the days ... a $200 K-Mart rigid dunger, no helmet, no food, no water, no fear.

Anyway, am I the only one here sensing a potential MTBR Aust/NZ group trek across the great divide might be on the cards? Our version of some of the muti-day treks HB was referring to when he started this thread? I think I'd need about 6months to get into shape of course.

(and a new bike suitable for such endeavours ... Dos Niner perhaps)


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

Yeah, there are clearly some great spots in there - but how to find out which are rideable, and which are just nightmare territory? There are a few books or websites that detail entire loops, but what I really want is just maps showing lots of segments that you can link up as you go.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

From a Territorian's perspective, from Canberra heading to Walhalla, it is basically all down-hill from here. Is it is only a nightmare if you consider pushing a bike at times, to be not cool? Or a drama from not paying attention to the alternative river crossings. The AWT gradings are bogus when it comes to being on a bike some of the 0 Gradings can be very slow on a bike. Where single-track becomes half-track because the grass is too close for the pedals, this is not cool.

There is plenty of deep single track that are really only half track, especially on the the long plains between Farm Ridge and Jagungal an the Murrumbidgee to Happy Jacks but this is it not like doing the Townsend Spur or the Hannel Spur Tracks.

... and apart from National Parks signs that say stuff like 'No Bikes Past This Point' which are signs obviously only for people who are literate, unlike we mountain bikers who can't read didly squat, there is no part of the Alpine Walking trail that is not navigable on a 'rigid' between Canberra to Cowombat Flat over the Victorian Border (if you skirt around the Pilot?). We are not talking Tea-tree country, just a few slopes and a bit of snow grass and decompossed Granite soils and that's just like Stromlo. In fact Stromlo (Blue and Black tracks) can be 10X harder at times.

If starting at Corree or Bulls Head and heading south? ... it's just all too easy. If starting at Corin Dam ? ... ascending the infamous Stockyard Spur it is just a cake walk until you reach the track, then it's on'ya'bike Mate. I haven't ridden from Currango to 3 Mile (I've done it by car, in the days before the gates were locked) the easiest part of the trip. It is wonderful riding on the tracks across the frost plains of the north.

Here are some shots in no particular order of the Alpine 'Riding' Track. I've spent a lot of time in the mountains. I recommend exploring and making mistakes to all ... when it is at it's hardest, isn't that the best and most rewarding part of any tour?

One thing that I should say is, if riding becomes intolerable leave the track and join-up with any of the back tracks or fire trails through the mountains ... despite being called Wilderness, none of the track is actually in true wilderness (except during winter). There is always a bail-out road not too far away. You don't have to do the worst of something like Tingaringhy or the Charcole Range because the back-tracks are just as extraordinary. If you have ridden from a place like Buchan to Seldom Seen then down to Willis ... you'll know exactly what I mean.

Anyway here are some shots upto the Victorian Border from south of the frost plains of the north. I'll start with just a few unnamed shots.























































Warren.


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## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

So who's up for a ride?


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## Hud (Jun 22, 2004)

Those shots are amazing. I had no idea that Vic had those sorts of high tree-less rocky mountains. Rather NZ-ish.


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## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

Wazza will clarify, I thought those shots were from NSW, just north of the border.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

I stopped at the border before the Cobberas ... but I have been known to cross the border.

Black Labyrinth. Indi Wilderness ... welcome to Victoria.










I don't know the Victorian High Country, not at all. When I go to a place, I like to go there several times in a row just to explore. The Victorian High Country is a bit too hard/far too get around to and do you know how difficult it is to read the 'Alpine Walking Track' by John Siseman backwards ... I gues that's something Victorians will not ever know.

The Alpine Walking track is west of the Barry Way ... I've been east of the Barry Way, if that is still considered to be part of the Victorian High Country? Then I have done some Vic High Country stuff. I've spent time where the Indi Wilderness and the Byadbo Wilderness overlap, relatively close to the Barry Way, south of the border. Byadbo is dry country, sharp quartzites and shales, some of the best views you will ever see in your neck of the woods ... but no water up high on the ridges and you will want more than the kevlar just in the bead of your tyres.

Map to the Byadbo Wilderness. What's up that track? ... the only map that I understand of Victoria.










At places like McKillop's Bridge (where the hell is McKillops Bridge?) and up on the Little River Plateau, they have these associations called 'Isolated Women's Groups' ... so travel slowly out that way, it's some of the best riding you might get to do ... and the coffee is also hot.

My Life Among Cannibals. The Byadbo-Indi Wilderness overlap.










Is the Errinundra Plateau considered to be part of the Victorian High Country? I've been snowed on several times not in winter, up on the Errinundra. I love the place ... the Dead Blue Bull Track and the Fanny Moo Track, with the 'giant stands of Blackwoods', the Short Cut Track 'a giant euphemism', Gunmark Road to Goonmirk Rocks, with 'giant Tree Ferns', Errinundra Road to Bonang with 'giant Podocarpus' (normally little Mountain Plums, grow to over 5m tall in the Errinundra), the Coast Range Road with 'giant Shining Gums', then along the Aspen Battery Track with 'giant muddy puddles' but the Old Bonang Road to Bonang was a 'giant disappointment' ... with the giant forests totally logged out and the 'giant timber jinkers' travelling at gigantic speeds.

Warren.


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## Ben_M (Jul 7, 2008)

I think I need to get me a map so I can work out where the hell these trails are you are talking about. I have a general idea but thats it. Ive only got maps of the snowy mountains. 

IF, I can get a leave pass, i'd be up for one of these adventures.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

ilostmypassword, thank you for your most generous offer Mate. 

I doubt that I'd be able to maintain a blog. I like the freedom of coming and going and the only time I have off work is now, over winter. If I had a blog I'd feel overly obliged to keep it well primed.

Cheers.

Warren.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

"Who's up for a trip?" - John.

On Sunday the 19th I'm going to the Burrungilling country ... where the animals are men. Part fish part reptile. I'm going to find Gu-ran-atch. He once lived in a deep waterhole where the Wollondilly joins the Wingecarrabee now he has moved south.

You might know this country as the wilderness of the south-western Blue Mountains.

Hopefully the new bike will cope. Being an exploratory trip with winter weather issues, my last few trips to here, have been blown out, snowed out and rained out ... the 4th visit has to be clear or at least not too dangerous for creek crossings in my old Volvo.

There are a lot of rock platforms to explore.










C'ya.

Warren.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Wild Wassa said:


> "Who's up for a trip?" - John.
> 
> On Sunday the 19th I'm going to the Burrungilling country ... where the animals are men. Part fish part reptile. I'm going to find Gu-ran-atch. He lives in a deep waterhole where the Wollondilly joins the Wingecarrabee.
> 
> ...


Damn man......you take some fab photos......


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

ilostmypassword, a most rewarding comment, thank you Mate.

On my new hardtail I should be able to get further into this trackless country than I've been able to in the past, on my old rigid 22kg Scorpion. I'm going to take my 11.5kg bike up the cliff, with out exhausting myself for a change ... if the weather allows it.

Hopefully the shots will be different. See you at the end of next week.



















Warren.


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## Chalkpaw (Dec 28, 2007)

Wild Wassa; those are some great photos and stories about your neck of the world. I'm planning a trip to Oz in January. Never been there in this lifetime, and I'm just really starting to wrap my brain around the geography of the wild places. Looks like you really have to earn your turns on the various tracks mentioned. Very Cool!


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Chalkpaw, thank you Mate. I hope your visit goes well and January isn't too sweltering.

Here is a bit of (my) summer ambience shot from on the Bicentennial National Trail where the track is close to my home on the NW fringe of Canberra. It gets very warm here in summer ... and scary dry.

Another Burnt-Out Wedding.










Smokey Evening.










Fire Dragon ... the Blue Range.










Warren.


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## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

Next level touring setup for those interested... how to carry a raft on your bike!

http://www.surlybikes.com/2009_08_01_blog_archive.html#2826826055476765535


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Chumbox, G'day Mate.

I've replied to your note on the BNT, but my reply doesn't appear in my 'sent items' folder.

Another image from the BNT on the Southern slope of the Pinnacle/Mount Painter Reserve, here in the Territory.










Warren.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

There is the Hume and Hovell Walking Track ... which I'm guessing was 'walked' by Hume and Hovell.

The track starts at Cooma Cottage, this side of Yass on the old Hume Highway (said as a Territorian) and ends at Albury at the Hovell Tree in the main park in town. It was good to do because it was the first ride where I had the chance tostop and talk to farmers and I spent days photographing what they did and looking at their properties. I photographed heaps of cowboys and many cows and lots of sheep along the trail. The 4-5 day trip ended up taking me over a month to complete.

http://www.lands.nsw.gov.au/crown_land/walking_tracks/hume_and_hovell_walking_track

Mountain bikes can be on the track except where the track uses 'single track'. It is requested that bikes be pushed or carried (or carried?) on the specifically made sections of walking track (OK?).

The best section to ride is between Lankey's Creek and Tunnel Road. This section is on a ridge track in Woomargama National Park ... found on Map #5. Where the track runs to the west of Blowering Reservoir it is relatively close to the Bobby's Plains, in the Bogong Goobragandra Wilderness.This wilderness is also known as the Bogong Peaks. I recommend a few days riding the tracks of Bobby's Plains as a slow diversion. The montane forests are stunning ... if you see another person on the Bobby's Plains, I'll give you your money back, guaranteed.

I spent a while continuing on the original route into Victoria after reaching Albury. I'm not a rider who takes shots when riding ... I ride so that I can take the shots.

I took over 800 photos on B/W film and here are some of my favourites. Photos coming later in the day, it will take a bit of time to sort them out, scan them and then link them to Photobucket.

Warren.


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## Ben_M (Jul 7, 2008)

Wild Wassa said:


> Mountain bikes can be used on the track except where the track uses 'single track'. It is requested that bikes be pushed or carried (or carried?) on the specifically made sections of walking track (OK?).
> 
> Warren.


Maybe they should put some signs up if thats the rule. Once a year a group from Wagga usually heads up to Tumut to ride the section along side of Blowering Dam.

Trail runs on the other side of the Dam. If the car was not in the way you would get a nice view up the Dam.









Its a nice ride. I have only ridden part of it with my partner (she will never let me forget it as she fell into a blackberry bush on the way back) and its a nice ride. The run from the Dam wall down to the bottom carpark is even better . It has been a few years since I have been there but I have never seen any signs about having to walking your bike. I have also walked the part from the Thomas Boyd Trackhead to the swinging bridge and its quite nice as well.

All parts of the trail I have been on are single track so seems like there would be a lot of pushing your bike.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Ben, I wrote in my post above, "which I'm guessing was walked by Hume and Hovell." ...  

On the H&H home page, in the index, there is a section on FAQ's. For those who own push bikes.

Warren.


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## John© (Jan 10, 2008)

From the Hume & Hovell website:



> Can I ride my mountain bike on the walking track?
> 
> The Hume and Hovell Walking Track may be used by mountain bikes where the track uses Public or Crown roads or fire trails. Where the track uses 'single track' or specially constructed walking track, bikes must be pushed or carried. A popular section for mountain bikes is between Lankeys Creek Campsite and Tunnel Road (see Sectional Map 5). This section is located on a ridge fire trail within Woomargama National Park.


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## Ben_M (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah it was walked by them. The original route they took near tumut is now at the bottom of the dam so they had to divert the new trail around the dam.

Re the rule. Theres one way to let moutain bikers ride but not have any turn up. 'You can ride here but not on the good bits'.:nonod: In saying that the views around that area are great so that would be the main reason for riding there, not the trails.


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## stevage (Jul 2, 2009)

Days 1 and 2 are on Bikely:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Hume-and-Hovell-Part-1
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Hume-and-Hovell-Part-2

I wish the rest were. I'll definitely have to investigate this one - hadn't come across it before. The restriction of not riding on single track sounds like an april fool's joke or something - how lame.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Images from my Hume and Hovell experience.

Canberra was originally planned to be called Border Town and the location was to be at Mulligan's Flat.

Much rivalry between the Colonies ensued. The Colony of Victoria wanted Border Town at the location of Albury and Wodonga, The Colony of New South Wales wanted Border Town to be on the Limestone Plains at Mulligan's Flat.

This image incorporates both heritages and it also shows the multitude of different railway gauges (no longer existing) that the Colonies fought to dominate. Soon after I took this image the tracks were ripped up and the lines between the States unified.

These images were shot in B/W and I digitally hand coloured them or toned them.










... and a few other images from the trail.





































Where I caught the punt and wandered off into Victoria for several weeks ... I still don't think that I've wandered back.










Warren.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

I found some of the maps I use to navigate the Hume and Hovell Track. These maps are a couple of decades old from when the trail was first commissioned and not the modern colourful kit for $19.50 that Lands sells nowadays. The Hume and Hovell track was the Department of Lands contribution to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary.










The broken line below is the track route, while the unbroken line is Hume and Hovell's original route. An easier route for cyclists and the historic route for the purists.



















A section of the Bogong Peaks Wilderness, from Peter Prineas and Henry Gold's 'Wild Places' ... (also) showing the location of Micalong Swamp, the image on the Bossawa Camp to Thomas Boyd map's front cover.










Warren.


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

I would dearly love to do some lightweight mountain touring. A cohort has done some along the Colorado Trail in the US.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=547401

I don't think we have (m)any trails like the ones in the US. They look manicured.


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

"I don't think we have (m)any trails like the ones in the US. They look manicured." - Thylacine.

Australia is very lucky that we don't ... if every second cyclist was wearing a clown suit in the bush, Garmin-Slipstream, Giant, Yeti, Jellybean, Trek Life, these seen in the bush, kill the ambience of any wild place.

We have several good touring trails here in my neighbourhood, just going right to left over a few hills but like the 'non-ethics' wanting to ride someone else's djs, ... it's "no dig no jump!"

I wrote in my first post here, "It takes decades to learn the trails through the mountains ..." If you take the time to find them ... you can ride them. There is an art to learning where to go and how to find the best tracks.

The quick tip is Mate, find out where bushwalking clubs and the National Parks Association aka the Miserable Old Hiker's Association (MOHAs) in your neck of the woods are walking on a particular weekend and ride a track in the other direction. The serious tip is, the old bush walking tracks, many 'are no longer' in fashion and they are not often in National Parks. See if you can find really old books on bushwalking, from 1965-1975, I guarantee you will not have heard of many of the places that will be suggested nor has anyone else nowadays.

The stealth tip is, carry your bike at least 50 metres from a track head, before you get on it. Also remove the cycle rack from your bumper-bar and put it inside the car so you look like a walker. I hope this stealthy information helps ... and don't ride on wet tracks or any track when you know the MOHA's will be walking within the next two weeks. Be fearless.

I went into a National Park last week and the Rangers were all sitting behind the information counter, I thought "good stuff, Good Day." I don't ever see another person in the bush in the SE ... rarely ever. National Parks are very big. About 35ks is the most a day walker can walk in a day ... which equates to only 18ks out from a track head and about 25 ks max with a pack for a weekend walker. In an hour and a half of riding any reserve is totally yours. The tracks here are not bike highways.

Riding the BNT has been good, because so many old tracks come off it. Some of these tracks are the Border Tracks.

The hills in the SE have a lot to offer even when the view is small.




























Warren.


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

Back in the mid 90's I used to ride many of the trails down here on the Mornington Peninsula, and then one day we turn up and there's "No Bikes" signs everywhere. Yeah, thanks for the community consultations, you Green Fascists. Didn't stop us though - I refused to be maginalised out of public land for no valid reason, especially if you're the only guy riding the trails, as you say.

Probably this time next year I want to start getting into 'Bikepacking' (Lightweight self-supported multi-day offroading) so I hope you can share more of your tips and insights.


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