Oceania calls to those who believe the best way to experience a landscape is to earn it—pedal stroke by pedal stroke. This vast region stretches from Australia’s sun-scorched outback to New Zealand’s glacier-carved valleys, with islands dotting the turquoise Pacific in between. Strap on your helmet and feel the wind. These five cycling routes deliver the adventure of a lifetime.
1. The Munda Biddi Trail – Western Australia
Stretching over 1,000 kilometers from Mundaring to Albany, the Munda Biddi Trail is one of the world’s longest continuous off-road cycling paths. Its name means “path through the forest” in the Noongar Aboriginal language, and that’s exactly what awaits—a journey deep into Western Australia’s sprawling eucalyptus woodlands.
Picture this: you and your bike gliding through towering jarrah and karri forests, their leaves releasing that distinctive earthy scent after summer rain. Wildflowers explode in color along the trail, and kangaroos occasionally bound across your path at dawn. The trail is dotted with free or low-cost bunkhouses, meaning you can travel light and sleep under genuine outback stars. By the final stretch to historic Albany’s rugged coastline, you’ll have pedaled through the soul of the Australian bush.
2. The Otago Central Rail Trail – South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand’s South Island serves up drama on a geological scale, but the Otago Central Rail Trail offers a gentler way to absorb its magic. This 152-kilometer trail follows a former railway line through the heart of Otago, crossing viaducts high above gorges and winding through landscapes carved by gold rushes and shepherds.
You’ll cycle through tunnels cool as cellars, past weathered stone cottages abandoned by 19th-century miners, and over the iconic Poolburn Viaduct with valley views that stretch for miles. Small towns along the route—like Clyde, Alexandra, and Ranfurly—welcome cyclists with local wine tastings and hearty pub meals. Each evening brings a historic inn with a hot shower and stories from fellow travelers doing the same magnificent ride.
3. The Great Ocean Road – Victoria, Australia
Few roads on Earth deliver coastal drama quite like Australia’s Great Ocean Road. This 243-kilometer route hugs Victoria’s southern coastline, serving up endless ocean views, lush rainforest detours, and the star attraction: the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean.
Feel the salt spray on your skin as you round each bend, revealing another sweeping vista of cliffs and crashing surf. The road itself demands respect—it winds and climbs relentlessly—but rewards every effort with koalas snoozing in eucalyptus trees along the way and the iconic Loch Ard Gorge waiting around the next corner. By the time you roll into the surf town of Apollo Bay, your legs will burn with the sweet exhaustion of a day well spent on two wheels.
4. The Tasmanian Trail – Tasmania, Australia
Tasmania remains Australia’s wildest secret, and the Tasmanian Trail offers the key to unlocking it. This 480-kilometer route runs from Devonport in the north to Hobart in the south, stitching together farming valleys, dense temperate rainforests, and dramatic coastline.
Your tires will crunch through gravel sections where wombats wander nonchalantly nearby. You’ll descend into valleys blanketed by ancient ferns, then climb again to plateaus with views over Bass Strait. Tiny towns like Bothwell and Oatlands offer warm pubs and quiet camping spots. The trail changes personality constantly—one day highland pastures, the next day wild ocean—but always feels authentically Tasmanian: rugged, beautiful, and utterly untamed.
5. The Coral Coast Pathway – Queensland, Australia
Queensland’s Coral Coast offers something rare in cycling: flat, easy riding through tropical paradise. This developing network of paths connects the coastal towns north of Brisbane, with the section from Cairns to Port Douglas stealing the show. Here, the Coral Sea gleams in impossible shades of turquoise just meters from your handlebars.
Imagine pedaling through sugarcane fields with mountains rising green on one side and the Great Barrier Reef sparkling offshore on the other. Small beaches appear around every headland—pull over, kick off your shoes, and wade into warm water whenever the mood strikes. The ride ends in Port Douglas, where palm trees line Four Mile Beach and the promise of fresh seafood rewards your efforts. It’s cycling at its most idyllic: sunshine, ocean breeze, and the world’s largest reef system as your constant companion.
Oceania teaches cyclists something profound: that paradise exists in many forms. Sometimes it’s the red dust of the outback settling on your handlebars. Sometimes it’s the Southern Ocean spraying your face on a coastal climb. Sometimes it’s just you, your bike, and an empty road stretching toward the horizon.
Which of these Oceanian adventures will you and your two wheels conquer first?
Lisa Jaz Montgomery is a passionate traveler, storyteller, and adventure seeker from the USA. With a backpack full of curiosity and a heart that craves new experiences, she has explored over 30 countries—from the bustling streets of Tokyo to the serene beaches of Costa Rica.
Through her blog, Lisa shares honest travel guides, cultural insights, and personal stories that inspire others to embrace the unknown. Whether she’s hiking through national parks, sampling street food in hidden markets, or navigating language barriers with a smile, her mission is to prove that travel is for everyone—no matter your budget or background.
When she’s not on the road, Lisa enjoys photography, learning new languages (badly but enthusiastically), and planning her next escape. Follow her journey as she turns misadventures into memories and reminds readers that the best stories begin where the comfort zone ends.