Outbike Australia
Epic (and shorter) rides of Australia's Outback, Rail Trails and a little bit of Europe / Facebook @outbikeaustralia
Contact OUTBIKE at our independent travel/aventure shop, Arcadia Travel Noosa go@arcadiatravel.com.au
https://arcadiatravel.com.au/outbike
BIKE 'N wheels expedition
AUSTRALIA'S 'GULF 2 GULF' TRANSCONTINENTAL RIDE
NEXT RIDES:
MAY-JUNE 2022 NORTHBOUND - WAITLIST
JUNE-JULY 2022 SOUTHBOUND - OPEN FOR pre-registrations
One of Australia's great bike challenges, Outbike's Gulf-to-Gulf blazes a trail across the heart of our amazing continent, south to north.
These ancient lands reflect the heritage of Australia's First Peoples who lived out there admirably well - and the courage, tragedies and successes of European explorers like the famed but unfortunate Burke and Wills - and the settlers who forged their existence in what was for them, a land of unforgiving remoteness.
Week One explores the majestic Flinders Ranges to reach the desert railhead of Marree.
Week Two traverses the legendary Birdsville Track.
Week Three rolls across Queensland's vast Channel Country to Mt Isa.
Week Four rides the Gulf Country to Normanton and Karumba.
The most recent ride took place in May-June 2019 with 13 riders.
Information for 2022 is on our agency Arcadia Travel's Outbike pages: https://arcadiatravel.com.au/outbike-gulf2gulf/
Below are images from past events and the 2022 Northbound day-by-day programme.
THE RIDE in Brief
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Early May start from Pt Augusta.
Riders can transfer from Adelaide on our bus.
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The Gulf to Gulf rides Spencer Gulf all the way to Gulf of Carpentaria in 30 days.
In 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016 and 2019, riders set forth from SA's Port Augusta to ride 2200kms to eventually reach Karumba, Queensland - crossing the continent on the way.
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In 2022, we go again - BOTH WAYS!
Maximum 20 riders (minimum 12).
Staff of 3 to 4 plus helpers to give a high level of service together with 3 or more support vehicles.
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You need to be ready to cycle many days of 80km on dirt roads (dirt is about 600km) of varying surfaces! On the sealed roads (altogether 1600km), many days are 100-120km. But it's getting easier! About 400km has been sealed since 2005.
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Ride includes 33 nights camping (11 at bush sites), daily hearty breakfasts, lunches on ride days, dinners on remote camping nights plus Wilpena and Angorichina (local pubs the rest), extensive rider support and transfers on our bus from ADL and to CNS.
Participation per rider in 2019 was $7000.
Price for 2022 will be the same.
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We've talked on the rides about ideas for faster and slower versions of this event to suit different rider abilities - but the 30 days seems to work well and gives us a bit of flexibility for weather events that we can't predict.
In 2016, 60mm of rain hit Birdsville after we arrived and trapped us for 4 days. We were glad to be in town though and not trapped back down the track!
Back on the road, some 100km days became 150km or even 200km and many riders still made it the whole way.
In 2019, floodwaters from NW Qld closed the upper part of the Birdsville Track (280km 4 days) from Feb to Jun. It didn't reopen in time for us so we bused back from Mungerannie to Lyndhurst and detoured via the Srzelecki Track and Innamincka to Birdsville. This slow, rough and dusty bus trip took 5 days (over 1000km) but put the ride back on schedule.
Past images (most thanks to Helmut Gebels from the 2005 ride):
THE 2022 NORTH RIDE DAY BY DAY
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See also https://arcadiatravel.com.au/outbike-gulf2gulf/
The second ride in 2022 is to run southbound, depart 10 June from Cairns and start riding 13 June from Karumba. Arrive Port Augusta 12 July with transfer on to Adelaide the same day. A programme will be published in early 2021.
All nights are camping. Upgrades can be arranged at many locations but we suggest you do this on the ride on the day, or in the days before. This is a long, tough ride and we encourage everyone to be in a mindset for a month of camping.
We are not offering an advance bookable set of accommodations.
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Days ending at bush camps have flexible distances. If conditions on these days are favorable, distances may be extended by up to 20 km. For example, a helpful tailwind.
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Prior. 4th May. Adelaide to Port Augusta on our mini-coach. Hotel bag pick ups from 0800. Loading of bikes beside Central Bus Station 0900.
1. 5th May. Port Augusta to Quorn. 40 km sealed. Climb Pichi Richi Pass. Railway history. (L)
2. 6th May. Quorn to Hawker. 65 km sealed. Gentle grades among extensive Flinders Ranges mountain landscapes. We've adjusted from earlier G2Gs to make days 2+3 easier - or enable riding the gravel via the Mawson trail and/or Buckaringa Gorge (we used to do 120km to Wilpena in one day). (BL)
3. 7th May. Hawker to Wilpena 55km sealed. Gentle height gain and the scenery becomes increasingly mountainous. Take a hike in the afternoon or an extra ride out on the Mawson Trail. (BLD)
4. 8th May. Wilpena to Angorichina Village. 80 km incl 65 km sealed. Mountain scenery. Some climbs. Steep dirt descents after Blinman. (BLD)
5. 9th May. Angorichina to Copley. 85 km incl 35 km gravel via Beltana 'ghost town' and Leigh Creek, almost abandoned coal mining 'suburb' and the last 'supermarket' for over 2 weeks to Mt Isa. Choice of all sealed staying on Outback Highway, just 2km longer. (BL)
6. 10th May. Copley to Marree. 115 km all sealed. Entering desert country. Lyndhurst is morning tea stop and has a pub and roadhouse. See the Aboriginal ochre pits and Farina township ruins, about 3 km extra. Mostly flat. (BL)
7. 11th May. Marree rest day. Explore the town, railway station, yacht club, cultural centre. Possible Lake Eyre flights and 4wd tours. (B)
8. 12th May. Marree to Clayton Station. 60 km dirt. Commence the Birdsville Track. Some small rises to keep views changing and interesting. Spa tub at end of day! (BLD)
9. 13th May. Clayton to Cooper Creek bush camp. 70 km dirt. (BLD)
10. 14th May. Cooper Creek to Mungerannie 70 km dirt. Arrive early afternoon to enjoy this remote oasis. (BL)
11. 15th May. Rest day at Mungerannie. Enjoy the warm lake (was dry in 2019), shady trees and roadhouse hospitality and bar. (BL)
12. 16th May. Mungerannie to bush camp. 80 km dirt. Undulating desert country with occasional points to look at. (BLD)
13. 17th May. Bush camp to bush camp. 80 km dirt. (BLD)
14. 18th May. Bush camp to bush camp. 80 km dirt. (BLD)
15. 19th May. Bush camp to Birdsville. 40 km dirt. We'll aim for a late morning arrival. (BL)
16. 20th May. Rest day at Birdsville. Relax, stroll about the iconic town. Hop on the bus out to Big Red sand dune at the edge of the Simpson Desert. Enjoy the bakery and pub. (B)
17. 21st May. Birdsville to bush camp. 100 km possibly all sealed by 2022. Undulating and flat Channel Country. (BLD)
18. 22nd May. Bush camp to Bedourie. 90 km mostly sealed. Undulating and flat Channel Country. (BL)
19. 23rd May. Bedourie to bush camp. 100 km sealed. Undulating and flat Channel Country. (BLD)
20. 24th May. Bush camp to Boulia. 90 km sealed. Undulating and flat Channel Country. (BL)
21. 25th May. Boulia to bush camp. 110 km sealed. Country becoming greener and more shapely. (BLD)
22. 26th May. Bush camp to bush camp. 110 km sealed. Village of Dajarra has a friendly store. Country greener and hillier. (BLD)
23. 27th May. Bush camp to Mt Isa. 60 km sealed. Morning ride through mountain scenery into Mt Isa city. Gentle grades. (BL)
24. 28th May. Rest day in Mt Isa. See the Isa, consider an underground mine tour. (B)
25. 29th May. Mt Isa to Cloncurry. 120 km sealed. A fast run on the highway shoulder. Hills, curves and gentle grades. We're now doing this on a Sunday and there is the choice of the train! (BL)
26. 30th May. Cloncurry to Terry Smith rest area. 80 km sealed. Mostly flat, scrubby grazing country. Have a look at Cloncurry's sights before riding out. (BLD)
27. 31st May. Bush camp to Burke & Wills Roadhouse. 100 km. Mostly flat, scrubby grazing country. (BL)
28. 1st June. Burke & Wills Roadhouse to Bang Bang rest area. 95 km. Mostly flat, scrubby grazing country. (BLD)
29. 2nd June. Bang Bang to Normanton. 112 km. Mostly flat, scrubby grazing country. (BL) Becoming more tropical. Squeeze in an afternoon ride on the Gulflander train.
30. 3rd June. Normanton to Karumba. 70 km. Flat riding across Gulf Country. You'll be pleased to see the sea shore - the finish line! (BL)
31. 4th June. Rest day in Karumba. REALLY RELAX!! Take a cruise up the river (own cost). (B)
32-33. 5-6th June. Transfer to Cairns by our bus. Via Croydon, Undarra Lava Tubes and Atherton Tableland. Note, this is a 2 day trip to allow some sightseeing. Approx 950 kms. Travel from Kuranda to Cairns is included. Lunches and dinners are extra.
34-35. 7-8th June. Option to travel 2 days on the Savannahlander rail motor from Forsayth to Cairns.
ABC INTERVIEW
NEARLY HALF-WAY
"It's something I’ve dreamt about for many years, actually I never thought I’d be on the Birdsville track, and here I am on a bicycle, and we’re only about 80 kilometres from Birdsville now, and its been absolutely marvellous, its been difficult, hard, the flies have made it worse of course, and the sand and the dust".
Helmut Gebels speaking to ABC Radio, Birdsville Track Inside Route, May 2005