Read the trip notes of our inaugural EBB Grand Tour, a multi-day tour where we explore somewhere a bit further afield. This year we chose to ride from 'Kosciusko to the Sea', a ride we are happy to recommend as a bucket list item!
Kosciusko to the Sea - Trip Overview
Basing ourselves in Jindabyne, in the Snowy Mountains, we officially started our tour at the top of Mt Kosciusko - the highest point in Australia! - and then rode east all the way to Tathra, on the NSW central coast over five days.
It is not as many kilometres as you might think. However, it is definitely a lot more climbing than you imagine going from the top of a mountain to sea level would be! (Thank goodness for electric bikes lol).
- Total distance = 309km
- Total metres climbed = 4,466m
Day 1: Mt Kosciusko / Jindabyne
Charlotte's Pass Ride / Walk to the top of Australia, Cycle back to Jindabyne
6km walk, 64km cycle, 863m
A great Day 1 for our Kosciusko to Sea ride with a little bit of everything thrown in weather-wise.
We got dropped off at Charlotte’s Pass for a gentle’ish 7.5km uphill ride to Rawsons Pass. It was chilly but clear until the Pass where it changed to very(!) chilly, windy, sleet & a complete white out.
The 4km return hike to the summit of Mt Kosciusko was still worth the effort though and the ride back to Charlotte’s Pass was a hoot, emerging out of the clouds into sunshine again.
The downhill fun continued along Kosciusko Rd for a lot of the return ride to Jindabyne…except for the uphill sections.
We had a lovely afternoon tea on the banks of Sawpit Creek courtesy of Leanne from @snowconnect , great to have her support for the week, and opted to try out the single track skirting the edge of Lake Jindabyne to get us home.
All up we covered about 64km and … got to stand on the highest point of Australia.
Day 2: Jindabyne to Bobundara
Cycle via Dalgety on the Snow River Way to Bobundara Station
59km cycle, 961m
A day of two halves!
We left Jindabyne in rain & sleet which progressed to snow (!) as we headed out on Snowy River Way into the Monaro plains.
We had a very welcome morning tea/ early lunch break in Dalgety at the Showgrounds. Bliss as it was dry and the tea/coffee hot!
It cleared after Dalgety and we were treated to stunning views (and some solid climbs!) with the real treat being arriving at the beautiful Bobundara station with its beautifully-restored historic accommodation buildings and glorious sunset.
Day 3: Bobundara to Bombala
Continue to Bombala
67km cycle, 930m (way more than we expected with a wicked battery-draining headwind!)
The weather cleared for us today so we had great views the whole way. We got a good warm up with a big long climb straight up and a fun fast downhill from the wind farm.
The 16km of dirt through cattle and sheep stations, albeit hard with the headwind, was absolutely stunning and we were glad for the downhill into Bombala with batteries getting low.
We finished our day with a nice picnic in a picture-perfect picnic spot next to the Bombala River platypus-spotting.
Day 4: Bombala to Candelo
Cycle over Mt Darragh and Myrtle Mountain enroute to Candelo
81km cycle, 1,222m
What a day! Sunny(ish) skies, a mild headwind and a big 80km with over 1100m climbing… and some exhilarating descents!
We kicked off a bit earlier than usual from Bombala as we were expecting it to be harder & trickier with battery range. Our warm up (!) was a gradual 10km climb up to Mt Darragh.
What goes up comes down though and our first big long descent had us cruising in to the lovely town of Wyndham quicker than we expected.
With the sun out at last and beautiful rolling green hills as our view we then kicked off up the Myrtle Mountain Rd for our next big climb. This one was harder - 14km and steeper. Well worth the effort though to get the views of Bega Valley o& our next long fast descent.
We rolled into the historic town of Candelo for a late lunch and wander along the river & town shops, before another gruelling climb to our overnight accommodation. Another treat with stunning views & great hospitality at Bumblebrook farm Hotel.
Our legs are tired now but with a good nights rest we’re all looking forward to our final day tomorrow as we reach our destination, Tathra.
Day 5: Candelo to Tathra
Cycle to the seaside town of Tathra, lunch and transfer back to Jindabyne
38km cycle, 490m
The Sea we saw!! Our destination Tathra, after starting 5 days ago at the summit of Mt Kosciusko. Just 40km today however after some hard days in the saddle it was nice for a cruisier ride.
We kicked off from the gorgeous Bumblebrook Farm with a fast (& fresh!) descent into Candelo (and almost had an extra passenger with Toby the very cute farm dog).
Then it was a steep climb out to settle into rolling hills all the way to the coast through Bega dairy country.
It was a gorgeous sunny day, just the day to hit the Coast!
What a great trip! An adventure every day and a privilege to experience this iconic Aussie landscape this way and with a great group of people.
A special thanks to @australiancycletours for their organisation and to Leanne at @snowconnect for looking after us each day so well.
We hope to hold an EBB Grand Tour each year for our EBB Owners. If you are interested in joining in please contact us to let us know you are interested (and of course we can let you know what is being planned).
