While we're big fans of taking in Sydney’s sights on foot, there's just something about whizzing around with a bike seat beneath your bum that brings a little extra childlike delight to a journey. You don’t need to be a lycra-loving, hardcore cyclist to appreciate the joys of riding around New South Wales – and Sydney’s Centennial Parklands offer a glorious leafy loop for cyclists of all abilities. But for the most scenic cycling route in the state, you’ll want to head a little further north – the Gosford to Woy Woy via Brisbane Water Cycleway on the Central Coast has just been ranked amongst the top ten in the country.
The 19km trail takes an average of three hours and 50 minutes to complete – winding along a relatively flat, waterfront route. If you like your views heavy on the blue, this is the cycle route for you (pardon the poetry). And with the Central Coast recently gaining a global award for its approach to ecotourism, it makes sense to view the region on two, person-powered wheels.
The Gosford to Woy Woy via Brisbane Water Cycleway attained a scenic trail score of 51, which was calculated based on key factors, including trail ratings and reviews, total number of Instagram hashtags and amount of photos uploaded on Alltrails. This was the joint eighth top score out of 200 biking trails across Australia that Evolve Skateboards analysed for the study, filtering out tracks that have a higher level of difficulty, are longer than 50km or unpaved.
Crossing the finish line in first place is Warrnambool Foreshore Promenade, which can be found along the majestic Great Ocean Road. Coming in second-best was Mokare Heritage Trail in Western Australia, offering calming vistas of the Denmark River, ample shading under the paperbarks, and glimpses of Denmark's rail and settlement heritage. Next on the top scenic routes list was WA’s Shelley Rossmoyne Foreshore Park, followed by the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Trail in Victoria. Jones Creek Trail, which is in Melbourne's outer western suburbs, tied with the Gosford to Woy Woy via Brisbane Water Cycleway in joint eighth place.
Here is the full list of the most scenic biking trails in Australia:
- Warrnambool Foreshore Promenade, VIC
- Mokare Trail, WA
- Shelley Rossmoyne Foreshore Park, WA
- Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Trail, VIC
5= Moreton Bay Cycleway: Wynnum to Manly, QLD
5= Outer Harbour Greenway, SA
- Mon Repos Turtle Trail, QLD
8= Jones Creek Trail, VIC
8= Gosford to Woy Woy via Brisbane Water Cycleway, NSW
- Coastal Pathway: Coolum Connection, QLD