Sydney to Perth or Cairns to Adelaide?

[CyclistST]

Hello! We are planning on cycling from Sydney to Perth, via the Coastal Road to Melbourne and Adelaide then the Nullarbor Plain, beginning in late January. Looking at the direction of winds, this seems to the best way to go (east to west) but most blogs seem to having people doing this route in September. Any thoughts on this route at that time of year? An alternate route is Cairns to Adelaide, also via the coast. Any thoughts on that vs. Sydney to Perth? Thank you!

[silentbutdeadly]

Any thoughts on this route at that time of year?

Yes. It'd be potentially life threatening - on either route. January is smack bang in the middle of Summer. Ambient temps can easily reach mid to high 30s Celsius and frequently much higher. The apparent temps on the road can get to more than 60. No cyclist in the world can carry enough water to cope with that. That's the reason that September is the most popular month.

If you want to bicycle tour in Australia at that time of year...do a circumnavigation of Tasmania. Or go to New Zealand.

[petie]

Having journeyed up the east coast at that time of year in a car, I would say it's possibly equally as dangerous with the type and volume of traffic... You would need to be very careful with your route planning if you did chose that route, certainly doable, but be careful!

[CyclistST]

Thanks for the quick replies! Based on timing, we would probably not leave Victoria or New South Wales until mid-February, hitting the Nullarbor Plain in mid-March.

Alternatively, if we headed north, we'd be headed to Brisbane mid-March. Looking online the temperatures seem a bit better mid-March, but would you still say both routes are not great this time of year and only look at the August-November window? When does the traffic get a little calmer up the coast? We could maybe push timing a bit so we start our tour early March in Australia.

Thanks for the tip on Tasmania and New Zealand. If both routes I proposed are really not a good idea this time of year, do you have any other suggestions for Australia for a 3 or 4 month bike tour? Beginning mid-January, ending early April.

Thanks again.

[Aushiker]

Thanks for the quick replies! Based on timing, we would probably not leave Victoria or New South Wales until mid-February, hitting the Nullarbor Plain in mid-March.

Eucla got to 38.9 C in March this year ... which means 50 C+ on the bitumen + road trains = not the best option going. I would be heading for Tasmania personally At least if you are heading west you are likely to have a tail wind

Andrew

[CyclistST]

Thanks for the additional thoughts, Andrew. We'll head back to the planning board then! Tasmania was already on our list, so maybe we play with our dates a little to get to Australia to time good weather.
Thanks again!

[Meditator]

Yes Tasmania is the only place i'd be sure would be good in January and its ideal, though can still be hot but you have a much better chance of mild weather and it wo'nt be hot day after day. But you could also do the Great Ocean Road perhaps and southern new south wales if you stick to coastal areas where it will be cooler. January will be the hottest month in Victoria and NSW.

Don't go either of your proposed routes.

I'd probably also recommend new zealand instead of oz. except tassie and south east corner. Also south west corner might be ok. So you could do a few different areas and join them together with other modes of transport.

You also have to remember that the recorded temperatures are of the temperature in the shade and protected from wind. Being in the sun and wind will radically alter the temperature you experience.

[CyclistST]

Hi again,
Sorry for a delayed reply, but thanks to everyone who replied! Based on your comments and further research, we think we'll try and shift our timing a bit and focus on Tasmania and NZ, with Australia (probably SE area) more in March and part of April.
Thanks again!