Bondi to Kosciuszko Cycle Tour

from the most famous beach in the world…

…to the highest mountain in Australia

(Click on each photo to view a larger image.)

Brief Description: Beginning at the famous Bondi Beach, this route takes in some spectacular coastal scenery south of Sydney, delightful villages in the Southern Highlands, rolling hills through the grazing country, glimpses of the nation’s capital and the high alpine tarns and rivers of Kosciuszko National Park.

Route: Bondi Beach (Sydney), Cronulla, Bundeena, Sublime Lookout, Appin, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon, Goulburn, Tarago, Bungendore, Queanbeyan, Cooma, Berridale, Jindabyne, Charlotte Pass, Mt Kosciuszko.

Variations on Route: Variations arise by considering how one negotiates the Sydney metropolitan area. Options are mentioned in Day 1 below. The tour could also pass through Canberra with minor alterations.

Distance: 658km (Bondi to Kosciuszko return to Jindabyne).

Altitude variation (rough guide only): Bondi Beach (0m), Sublime Lookout (400m), Appin (80m), Moss Vale (700m), Cooma (800m), Jindabyne (850m), Charlotte Pass (1750m), Mt Kosciuszko (2228m).

Time: 6-8 days. I completed the trip in six days (including return to Jindabyne from Kosciuszko).

Traffic conditions: Traffic varies throughout the journey. Most cycling takes place on the open road but off the busiest highways.

Road surface: Sealed and in reasonable condition, except for the fire trail between Charlotte Pass and Mt Kosciuszko. This 9km stretch of unsealed road is fairly well-graded. I cycled this on a hybrid and found it moderately difficult but very possible. The final 1km to the summit should be walked due to erosion problems. Note: From June 1 to October 1 each year many of the high altitude roads in Kosciuszko National Park are closed due to snow. For details contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Public transport access:

• Bondi Beach is less than 3km from Bondi Junction train station. Cyclists catching a CityRail train to Bondi Junction should pay a half-fare for bicycles during peak travel periods. Otherwise bicycles are free. CityRail also services Cronulla, Helensburgh, Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale and Goulburn, all of which lie on the cycling route.
• CountryLink trains service Goulburn, Tarago, Bungendore, Queanbeyan and Canberra. Tickets should be booked a couple of days in advance. (However when I did the trip Pete, my cycling partner, managed to catch the train at Tarago with 15 minutes notice when he discovered a crack in his bicycle frame!) CountryLink also has a bus service as far as Cooma. I am not sure what their policy is regarding transporting bicycles in buses.
• REX offers flights between Sydney and Cooma. Fortunately Cooma airport en route to Berridale from Cooma.
• Alpine Coaches is based at Jindabyne and has routes between Sydney, Canberra, Jindabyne and Perisher (10km from Charlotte Pass). Most of their services operate during winter for the ski season. Contact them on (02) 6456 2522 to ask for a timetable during the warmer months.

When to travel: Inland NSW can get quite hot during the summer months, while roads in high altitude areas are closed from June to September inclusive. The best time of year to cycle this route is probably March or early April (though one would not expect to see snow during this period). I did this tour in December 2001 and still had to drag my bicycle across a few snow drifts on the upper flanks of Mt Kosciuszko exactly one week before Christmas. If thinking about travelling in October or November, contact the Jindabyne office of the National Parks and Wildlife Service on (02) 6450 5600 for information on snow conditions around Mt Kosciuszko. Further climate and weather information for any part of the route can be obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Bicycle Shops: There are numerous shops in the Sydney and Canberra metropolitan area and I will list only a couple of them. I have not had personal dealings with most of these stores. Use the Yellow Pages Online for a complete range of options.

· Bondi Junction Cycles, Bondi Junction, (02) 9369 4443

· Chain Reaction, Cronulla, (02) 9544 1066 

· Bicycle World, Campbelltown, (02) 4625 0955 

· Bong Bong Cycles, Bowral, (02) 4861 1419 

· Legend Cycles, Moss Vale, (02) 4868 1375 

· Ye Olde Bicycle Shoppe, Bundanoon, (02) 4883 6043 

· Goulburn Cycles, Goulburn, (02) 4821 2333 

· Queanbeyan had a bicycle shop in 2001, but I can’t find it listed in the Yellow Pages

· Smith Cycles, Fyshwick (about 7km from Queanbeyan), (02) 6280 7778

· Cooma Sports Store, Cooma, (02) 6452 2222

· Berridale had a small adventure shop in 2001; they could do minor repairs and stocked tubes, spokes, etc.

· Bike & Board Pty Ltd, Jindabyne, (02) 6457 1366 

Maps

The NRMA NSW Touring Maps give excellent coverage of the tour. Touring Map 2 (Canberra and South East) covers the entire journey. Touring Map 3 (Sydney) is strongly recommended for its detail of the Sydney metropolitan area. Cycling Maps of the Sydney metropolitan area may be downloaded from the RTA website here. The NRMA Touring Map 3 may be useful (but not essential) for its extra detail of the Southern Highlands. Detailed maps of the Snowy Mountains (not necessary but of interest value) may be purchased at newsagencies in Cooma or Jindabyne. Two less detailed maps may be obtained below, but please note that not all the roads cycled on the tour are shown on these maps.

Map 1: Bondi Beach to Moss Vale

Map 2: Moss Vale to Mt Kosciuszko (Expand image for clarity.)

More Information:

• The Snowy Mountains regional tourism organization has information on all the major villages, towns and ski resorts in the region from Bredbo to Charlotte Pass (and beyond).

Detailed Description

The following is an account of the route as I cycled it. I have tried to include as much useful information as possible. Variations and alternate routes are discussed along the way if I have information. An alternate itinerary which takes 9 days (instead of 6), including a return day from Jindabyne and takes in more sites at a more leisurely pace, click here.

Day 1: Bondi Beach, Cronulla, Bundeena, Sublime Lookout, Appin, Cataract River (between Appin and Wilton) (117km)

Rob Taggart and Peter Lee at Bondi Beach

This is quite a long day with a number of climbs with almost as much descent. An early start at Bondi Beach (say 6am) will pay off by avoiding peak hour traffic through the eastern suburbs of Sydney. The suggested route is not the easiest way to cycle to Bowral, but I prefer it because (i) there a cycle ways most of the way, (ii) you get to see some excellent coastal scenery and beaches, which is missing in alternate routes, (iii) the cycle along Botany Bay is significant for historical reasons, and (iv) you pass through the forests and heaths of the Royal National Park. Another option is discussed below; now however we describe the recommended route.

The hardest part is to get out of Sydney’s suburbs. The route below may be read in conjunction with the RTA cycle map recommended above.

• From Bondi Beach, cycle up Bondi Road. At the top of the hill, turn left onto Council Street.
• Follow Council St (which becomes Carrington Road) until the end of a downhill stretch. Here, turn right at the traffic lights into Darley Rd.
• At the end of Darley Rd, turn right into Alison Rd.
• Take the first left-hand turn into Doncaster Ave.
• From here there is an intermittent cycle lane which goes all the way to Cronulla. Initially, follow the cycling signs to Botany Bay. A brief description of this section of the route is as follows: Continue down Doncaster Ave, turn right into Day Ave, left into Cottenham Ave, right into Tressider Ave, left into Tunstall Ave, then on the footpath over the Gardeners Road bridge. The cycle way curves off to the right, under Gardeners Rd, into Florence Ave. Follow this into Grafton St, George St and then dogleg into Coward St. Cycle to the end of Coward St (2km) and onto the cycleway along the canal. This sounds complicated by the route is signposted.
• Continue on the cycleway beside the Alexandra Canal. (There is a signposted turnoff to Tempe. This is an alternate route out of Sydney and will be discussed briefly below.) The cycleway to Botany Bay goes over the Cooks River, skirts around a golf course, park and creek and eventually crosses General Holmes Drive. Do not be put off by the changes of directions in this section.
• Once across General Holmes Drive, follow the cycleway signs to Cronulla. The cycleway goes along Botany Bay and is easy to follow.
• The cycleway goes over the Captain Cook Bridge and goes through the suburbs until Cronulla is reached. Simply follow the signposted route to Cronulla Beach.
• From Cronulla Beach, go through the park to Laycock Ave, turn right into Cronulla St. After 50m, take small pedestrian underpass on the left and cycle down to the jetty. This is the wharf for the Cronulla-Bundeena ferry.

Cronulla is a lovely place and worth enjoying before one catches the ferry to Bundeena. The ferry leaves Cronulla at half past the hour from 8:30am till 5:30pm and costs about $4 per person. Bundeena is a small township of about 2500 people nestled in the Royal National Park, the world’s second oldest national park. There is a supermarket and opportunities for excellent coast bushwalking. Camping in Royal National Park is very restricted; in particular camping is forbidden along the route I am describing.

From Bundeena, take Bundeena Drive into the national park. Along the road (behind and to the right) there are good views of the Sydney CBD. At the T-intersection, turn left. Along this stretch there are side trips to Wattamolla and Garie Beach. Each side trip is about 5km return but involves a descent to the coast. Wattamolla has a beautiful waterfall which plunges into a lagoon with a palm tree. If your legs are fresh (and you are not travelling as far as Appin) it is well worth the detour.

Lagoon at Wattamolla

After a long decent the road continues through temperate rainforest opens out to spectacular costal views at Otford.

Coastal view at Otford

From Otford take the road to Helensburgh where there is a small shopping centre including a bakery. Then head south onto the Old Princes Highway towards Wollongong. This is a quiet road through scrub and farmland. The road gently climbs up to Sublime Lookout where there is a spectacular view of Wollongong and the Illawarra region.

View of Wollongong from Sublime Lookout

There is a small café at the lookout for refreshments, as well as toilets and water. Continue down the Old Princes Highway for a couple of minutes and turn right towards Appin (Campbelltown). Along the Appin Rd much of the elevation gained since Bundeena is gradually lost. At Appin turn left toward Wilton. Campsites along this stretch were hard to find; I eventually settled for something about 5 minutes on the other side of the Cataract River Gorge. There may be places to camp in the state recreation area on the northern side Appin Rd; entry on the southern side of Appin road is restricted because it is a catchment area.

Alternate route out of Sydney. There is a more direct route out of Sydney which also relatively cycle friendly. Take the route described above from Bondi Beach to the Tempe turnoff on Alexandria Canal. From Tempe, follow the Cooks River cycleway towards Homebush Bay. This is a pleasant cycle away from busy roads through river parkland. At South Strathfield, make your way to the Parramatta-Liverpool Rail Trail (another cycling route). Near Liverpool join the M5 motorway, which has a large shoulder suitable for cycling. Exit the M5 motorway at the Campbelltown Exit. From Campbelltown cycle to Appin to rejoin the recommended route. Alternately cycle to Picton then to Mittagong via Buxton for some pretty rural scenery and bushland. If taking this last option, a short detour to Thirlmere Lakes National Park (with excellent opportunities for a great camping spot) is recommended.

Day 2: Cataract River, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon, Marulan (121km)

The first half of the day involves gaining about 550m of altitude; the second part involves a pleasant cycle through the Southern Highlands and is fairly flat. From Cataract River, cycle through Wilton (basic shops and service station) onto the Hume Highway. After crossing the Nepean River at Pheasants Nest Bridge, take the quiet back roads on the right to Bargo (see NRMA Touring Map).

Nepean River

Cycle through Yanderra, Yerrinbool and Mittagong to Bowral. Bowral was the birthplace of the world’s greatest cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman and the Bradman Museum is a must for all cricket fans. Bowral and Moss Vale are both good places to enjoy a café lunch. The road between Moss Vale and Marulan (via Bundanoon) is a lovely cycle along a well-graded road and is virtually trafficless after Bundanoon. Bundanoon is nestled on the edge of Morton National Park is a popular destination for bush lovers. It has good camping facilities and would be an excellent place to stay the night. If time affords take the 6km return detour from Bundanoon to the lookout.

From Marulan rejoin the Hume Highway. There are basic supplies at Marulan as well as a 24 hour truck stop. I found a camping site 4km west of Marulan down the road which heads to Marulan South.

Day 3: Marulan, Goulburn, Tarago, Bungendore, Queanbeyan (128km)

Today’s cycle spends most of its time through the undulating southern tablelands. The countryside consists mainly of farmland and could be quite pretty when everything is green. Unfortunately, there is little option to start the day cycling 27km along the Hume Highway to get to Goulburn. Goulburn is a major regional centre and boasts the Great Marino (a small detour from the route). From Goulburn take the comparatively quiet road to Lake Bathurst (historic building, lavender tea gardens), Tarago (hotel) then Bungendore (small shopping centre including a basic supermarket, bakery and café).

Tarago

The road to Queanbeyan involves more hills but the scenery is more interesting and the descent into the town gives views of Canberra. Queanbeyan is has a large shopping centre.

Descent into Queanbeyan and view of Telstra Tower (Canberra)

Alternate Route (via Canberra): For those wanting to visit the Australia’s capital city, I recommend cycling to Bungendore then rejoining the Federal Highway near Sutton. Approach Canberra from the north gives an excellent feel for the capital city. One could take the Federal Highway from Goulburn but the scenery is rather bland (except for the initial interest around Lake George) and the traffic heavy (even though there is a good should for cycling). Canberra has an excellent network of cycle paths but the signposting on them is poor and I’d prefer to use the road than go down the wrong track (some intersections on the cycle paths occur in the middle of nowhere and reference points are hard to find). Come prepared with a cycling map (Pedal Power ACT has some information on how to obtain maps of the cycle path network). Be warned that Canberra drivers can be unforgiving when cyclists don’t use cycle paths, even though the roads are so wide compared to those in Sydney!

Day 4: Queanbeyan, Bredbo (82km)

From Queanbeyan, cycle towards Tuggeranong then turn left onto the Monaro Highway. There is a long hill just outside the Canberra suburbs with an equally long descent on the other side. The rest of the day is undulating. There are service stations at Williamsdale and Michelago. Bredbo is a small village of 200 with a few shops, including a pancake parlour (renovated from the historic general store) and a pizzeria. Pet and I found a nice place to camp near the cemetery (a right-turn from the Monaro Highway). (Note: we covered less distance Day 4 because we visited friends in Queanbeyan, not because this leg of the trip is difficult.)

Pete with tent at Bredbo

Day 5: Bredbo, Cooma, Berridale, Jindabyne (103km)

This section of the trip passes through more undulating farmland.

On the road between Bredbo and Cooma

Cooma is an important regional centre with 8000 people and a decent shopping centre. Before entering the town you will notice the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric power scheme information centre on the right; this is well worth the visit. Berridale has a general store and number of food outlets and adventure/ski stores. I was able to get bicycle repairs at one of them when my spokes started snapping. (My wheel had been respoked just before I left Sydney; a total of 11 spokes broke in that trip!) Jindabyne has a number of adventure/outdoor stores as well as two reasonably sized shopping centres. When we did the trip in December 2001, these roads and towns were quite quiet; this would NOT be the case during ski season.

Lake Jindabyne

Day 6: Jindabyne, Charlotte Pass, Mt Kosciuszko and return (107km)

This is the day we were waiting for: cycling to the top of Australia’s highest mountain. You can tell by the number of photos! For people from other continents, this may not look too spectacular, but for two lads bread in western NSW…

This is the hardest day cycling. The initial ascent from Jindabyne gains 750m of elevation and the total vertical ascent is about 1400m. It is best to leave all but essentials in Jindabyne. Take camera, warm clothes (even in summer it can get very cold), wind jacket (for downhill descent at the end of the day), plenty of food (in summer there may not be any shops open at the ski resorts) and bicycle lights (just in case!).

The end of the first big climb

From Rennix Gap (1600m) the sealed road undulates making a gradual ascent to Perisher Blue, a ski resort. When we were visited in December there was one small fast food outlet open. There was also a vending machine for purchasing confectionary items. After Perisher the road snakes through a beautiful valley with gurgling streams and pristine alpine lakes.

Alpine tarn with snow in the background

The sealed road ends at Charlotte Pass (about 1850m above sea level). There are a number of walks which may be attempted here, though Peter and I had no time in our trip. There are also pit toilets here (but now water). Continue along the fire trail towards Mt Kosciuszko, which is 9km from Charlotte Pass. I cycled this section on a hybrid and found it a manageable ride though I had to walk some of the steep rocky sections. About 4km along, the fire trail crosses the Snowy River, a famous watercourse in Australian folklore.

Snowy River

Here the river is just 4km from its source.

Pete's bicycle acrobatics

The trail continues to climb towards Seaman’s Hut. It was near here that four snowboarders died in a snow cave in August 1999. We had better weather but still managed to play in the snow.

Seamans Hut, 2030m

Pete's snowball

Not far away begins the final ascent of Mt Kosciuszko. Cycling is forbidden for this last kilometre and cyclist should walk their bicycles to the summit.

From the summit of Mt Kosciusko

And for those who want to tell the world, there is mobile reception on Mt Kosciuszko!

From the summit, the journey is complete. However, car access is not permitted beyond Charlotte Pass. But really, who would not want to enjoy the downhill ride back to Jindabyne?

Day 6:

After the excitement of our ascent, Pete left me and the tent at Jindabyne to cycle back to Queanbeyan in a day.

Farewell to Pete at Lake Jindabyne

I then began the next phase of the journey: another 600km from Jindabyne to Parkes, via the Snowy Mountains Highway. Click here for more details.

Suggested 9 Day Itinerary

For those who want to do the tour in 9 days, rather than 6, here is a suggested itinerary with a brief description of the attractions of overnight stays. The tour has been modified slightly to accommodate good camping locations. Alternatives to camping are suggested.

• Day 1 (76km): Bondi, Cronulla, Bundeena; stay at Otford or Stanwell Tops (great views of ocean, plus bushwalking).
• Day 2 (80km): Otford, Sublime Lookout, Appin, Picton, camp at Thirlmere Lakes (for more details, click here) or stay at Thirlmere.
• Day 3 (60km): Thirlmere Lakes, Hill Top, Bowral, stay at Bundanoon (views, national park, bushwalking).
• Day 4 (75km): Bundanoon, Marulan, Bungonia, stay at Goulburn (major centre, Big Merino). This route avoids the Hume Highway.
• Day 5 (97km): Goulburn, Tarago, Bungendore, stay at Queanbeyan (major centre).
• Day 6 (107km): Queanbeyan, Bredbo, stay at Cooma (regional centre, hydroelectric tourist centre).
• Day 7 (63km): Cooma, stay at Jindabyne (rest up for the big day).
• Day 8 (107km): Jindabyne to Mt Kosciuszko return.
• Day 9 (63km): Jindabyne, Cooma. Alternate route to Cooma via Dalgetty (90km sealed) or via Berridale/Middlingbank (74km). Return to Sydney or Canberra via bus or plane.