2021

O u t b a c k T racks and Trails with Outstanding Accommodation

The Flinders Ranges - an Iconic Australian Destination It’s a place where you can get totally lost in another world - you’ll likely see more wildlife than humans. The stunning landscapes unfold around every corner as the unique Australian serves up dramatic cinematography right in front of your eyes. The rolling hills and deep gorges are at the surface of an ancient natural geology where time has passed slowly and largely uninterrupted by human interference. It’s an awe-inspiring environment with big blue skies, rich green bush, deep red dirt, glowing sunsets on the long hazy horizons and a starry night sky to rival the best in the world. And in amongst it all is some beautiful accommodation that blends naturally with its environment while providing a truly comfortable and welcoming stay. Oh, and there are some stunning cycling tracks that wind their way through it all too - let us take you there.

The Tour at a Glance Dates: 18-25 April 2021 (7 nights) Difficulty Rating: 7/10 Distance: 275 km + approx Average Daily: 39km+ per day approx Bike Type: Mountain or gravel bike (BYO or hire) E-bike: Welcome. A great ride for a MTB e-bike Terrain: Flat to undulating, no extreme MTB terrain Group Size: Small group tour, usually 10-20 Accom: Excellent 4-star outback properties Meals: All meals included + on-road snacks/morning teas Weather: April monthly average mid-20’s

Don’t have a mountain bike? No problem – we can source a hire bike for you and can pick it up and return it. No MTB experience required for this tour, just a bit of training in the lead-up (ask us for the training plan). ------

Highlights • The outback experience, without forfeiting comfort • Spectacular iconic Australian landscapes and scenery • Stunning accommodation - each night is an oasis • Famous burning red sunsets • Longer and shorter ride options (or take a day off) • Full-time support and mechanical help (excellent crew!) • Vehicle back-up for transferring luggage, bikes, cyclists • Small group camaraderie with like-minded people • All meals included • AllTrails’ famed meticulous planning and support Join AllTrails in 2021 on a new tour - Outback Tracks & Trails Following our recent popular tours around the rail trails and country lanes of Victoria, this tour offering is dramatically different and exciting, while keeping the same achievable distances and terrain.

There are six wonderful days of cycling on this tour and during that time you will cover the best cycling and sights of The Flinders Ranges.

You’ll spend time on the famous as well at the ‘Flinders Ranges By Bike’ cycling route. You’ll be in and out of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park which encompasses some of the most spectacular scenery in South .

With rugged mountain scenery, peaceful gorges and a huge array of wildlife and flora, the Flinders Ranges epitomises the best of the Australian outback. Criss-crossing that escarpment are some wonderful tracks and trails that offer spectacular cycling without technically challenging terrain.

With the AllTrails support staff and vehicles on hand we make this experience as smooth as possible, while enjoying great accommodation in the evenings along with quality food, charming outback hospitality and long-lasting memorable experiences.

Pricing

AUD Until 31 Dec After 31 Dec 7-night tour Twin share $4440 pp $4490 pp Single room $5330 $5380

Included: • All accommodation (7 nights) • All meals • Snacks, water and fruit on the road • Support & safety vehicle • Cycling guide and driver guides • Daily maps & directions • Bike mechanical assistance • Rider Pack: jersey, bottle, bag • All National Park and trail entry fees • Rawnsley Park Tour with Afternoon Tea

Payment Schedule: • Deposit on booking ($400) • Progress Payment 30 days after deposit (40% of package cost less deposit paid) • Balance 18 Feb 2021 (2 months before the tours begin) Travelling on your own Early bookers can book a twin share package and we will partner you up with somebody else of the same gender travelling on their own. This offer closes on 18 Jan – after this date contact us to see if we can match you, if not the single room price will apply. Travelling with friends $80 pp discount for groups of 3 or more cyclists.

Optional Extras Transfers to the tour: Includes cyclist, luggage and bike From Central Bus Station* to Rawnsley Park $150pp From Hawker (for those driving) to Rawnsley Park $30pp Transfers from the tour: Includes cyclist, luggage and bike From Parachilna to Adelaide Central Bus Station $150pp From Parachilna to Hawker (back to your car) $30pp *If catching the Adelaide bus we suggest a hotel within easy walking distance to the station (eg. Franklin Boutique Hotel or Quest on Franklin). Bike hire: Contact us. We can put you in touch with a local supplier and assist with pick-up and drop-off. Indicative prices: MTB $50/day (total approx $400), MTB e-bike $125/day (total approx $1000) Bike transport from/to Melbourne: We can take your bike from our office in Melbourne to the start of the ride and back to our office again after the ride to save you travelling with it. $60 per bike. Ediacara Conservation Park Nilpena Fossil Tour: Visit the National Heritage Listed Fossil Site not accessible to the general public with specialist guides from Dr Mary Droser’s Research Team. Bike packaging carriage: Most cyclists bring their bikes not packaged or in a cardboard bike carton if they are travelling on a plane. If you have a soft bike bag or hard case we can carry them in our vehicles for the duration of the tour for the following fees: • Cardboard carton $0 (no charge) • Soft foldable bike bag ($3/day) $21 • Hard case or unfoldable bag/carton ($10/day) $70

A merchandise rider pack is included in the tour price (cycling jersey, bottle, bag).

Getting to and from the tour Getting there AllTrails transfer. The easiest way is to get yourself to Adelaide by Sat 17 Apr and stay at a hotel close to the central bus station eg. Franklin Boutique Hotel or Quest on Franklin. We have a bus leaving early Sunday morning approx 7:30am (5-6 hour drive). Drive your own car. You may want to drive your own car to Hawker and leave it there (contact us for more information). Our bus will go through Hawker on the way to the start of the ride at Rawnsley Park (approx 30 mins from Hawker). Coming Home AllTrails transfer. Our bus transfer will head back to Adelaide after breakfast on Sun 25 Apr. Approx 6-7 hour drive to Adelaide arriving 3-4pm. It is possible to fly out of Adelaide that evening but we suggest evening flights after 6-7pm (and make sure that you have travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances). Drive your own car. Our bus transfer to Adelaide on Sun 25 Apr will stop in Hawker for those who have parked their cars there.

Training for the tour For this tour you need to be a reasonable cyclist – not necessarily fast, but consistent. You don’t need to be a MTB specialist or have much MTB experience, although you will need to be comfortable riding on uneven gravel surfaces. We do suggest that road bike cyclists make an effort to do some training off-road. Aim to build your kilometres in training to be on the bike for several hours for two days straight, covering approximately 40-50km each day (off-road). We have a training schedule specific to each ride which we send to you after you place your deposit, however we are more than happy to send this to you earlier when you are considering the tour – just ask us for a copy and we will get it out to you straight away.

Training Locations: If you haven’t done much MTB cycling in the past (or even if you have), here are a few places you can go to get in some practice before coming along on our tour. Melbourne: You Yangs, Lysterfield Park Sydney: Wylde MTB Trail, Westleigh MTB Trails, Blue Mountains Canberra: Mt Majura Brisbane: Mt Coot-tha (and more) Adelaide: Belair NP (and more) Perth: Goat Farm (and more) Hobart/TAS: Maydena Bike Park, Blue Derby

Itinerary Daily distances are set out below. Shorter distances and support vehicle also available. Meals and Accommodation inclusions. Breakfast = B, Lunch = L, Dinner = D, Accommodation = A

Location Distance Date B L D A

Arrive Rawnsley Park Station and Loop Ride 16km Sunday 18 April 2021 - - Y Y Rawnsley Park to Hawker 52km or 63km Monday 19 April 2021 Y Y Y Y Rawnsley Park to 50km Tuesday 20 April 2021 Y Y Y Y Wilpena Pound to Brachina Gorge 34km Wednesday 21 April 2021 Y Y Y Y National Park Boundary (Nth) to Wilpena Pound 35km or 49km Thursday 22 April 2021 Y Y Y Y Willow Springs Station to Gum Creek Station 48km Friday 23 April 2021 Y Y Y Y North to Parachilna 40km Saturday 24 April 2021 Y Y Y Y Depart Parachilna NA Sunday 25 April 2021 Y - - -

Total Distance Cycled 275km 7 6 7 7 Average Daily Distance 39km Itinerary cont. Arrive Rawnsley Park Station and Loop Ride 16km Sunday Day 1. (arrival day). We will be taking a bus transfer this morning from Adelaide Central Bus Station. It’s an early start so we suggest staying in a hotel within easy walking distance on Saturday night (eg. Franklin Boutique Hotel or Quest on Franklin). If you prefer to drive your car, we suggest driving to Hawker and leaving it there. The bus will stop at Hawker on the way through and can drop you back there after the tour as well. After arriving at the impressive Rawnsley Park Station we settle into our rooms then prepare bikes for a quick 16km loop ride around the station to get familiar with the property and immediate vicinity. Dinner tonight will be a great chance to get to know the crew and your fellow cyclists as we enjoy delicious local produce in the on-site restaurant located in an authentic Australian Woolshed.

Rawnsley Park to Hawker 52km or 63km Monday Day 2. This morning we head off in that famous crisp early morning air of the outback ready for our first full day of cycling. And what a wonderful start it is as the massive expanse of the land and sky open up before you as you ride the peaks and troughs of the landscape through Rawnsley Park, culminating in a long downhill run on the Mawson Trail to finish the first 25km of the day where you’ll be ready for morning tea. A quick transfer allows us to skip a highway section of the route and jump back on the Mawson Trail with a lovely ride through to Wonoka Station Road (52km) or Hawker (63km). Lunch in Hawker wraps up the cycling before heading back to Rawnsley Park where we take a tour of the shearing shed with afternoon tea. Activities can also include a 4WD tour, a walk, helicopter or scenic flights, or a dip in the pool. If you are around the Woolshed at 5pm, drop in for ‘Cutout’ (shearing shed happy hour).

Rawnsley Park to Wilpena Pound 50km Tuesday Day 3. After another full and satisfying breakfast, we head out in the opposite direction today, looping around into Sacred Canyon on the ‘Flinders Ranges By Bike’ (FRBB) trail, where we stop for morning tea. From here we ride north into the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and the famous Wilpena Pound Resort where you can explore the property which will be our ‘home-base’ for the next few nights. This is the only accommodation located within the National Park and is a glowing example of outback hospitality with quality lodging, restaurant, bar, swimming pool and general store. Wilpena Pound itself is actually a natural amphitheatre of mountains in the heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park which we will be seeing quite a bit of over the coming days.

Wilpena Pound to Brachina Gorge 34km Wednesday Day 4. The Mawson Trail is our guide for the start of today’s ride as we traverse this extraordinary landscape which is 800 million years old and has been home to Adnyamathanha people for tens of thousands of years. Enjoy morning tea at Bunyeroo Creek with a short hike in to Bunyeroo Gorge. The last part of the ride sinks deeper into the National Park with a final glide through to Teamsters Campground at Brachina Gorge and a lovely lookout as a reward for your day on the bike. We head back to Wilpena Pound for the night where afternoon activities can include Lake Eyre flights, Aboriginal cultural tours, 4WD tours, bushwalking, a look around the art gallery or a swim in the pool.

National Park Boundary North to Wilpena Pound 35km or 49km Thursday Day 5. The great thing about staying multiple nights in the same location is that you can cover many highlights rather than just what can be seen in a day. Today we get to take advantage of that as we head out north to the National Park boundary where the full route cyclists begin (49km), with a shorter option starting at Trezona Camp (35km). As we wind our way back home to Wilpena Pound you will pass iconic sights along the way including Bunyeroo Valley Lookout, Razorback Lookout and Yanyanna Hill Lookout. You will be back at Wilpena Pound for lunch in time to relax or enjoy a few of the activities and facilities that you didn’t get to yesterday. Or just relax around the pool with a cool drink and the setting sun over this ancient landscape.

Willow Springs Station to Gum Creek Station 48km Friday Day 6. Today we get to explore a bit further out as we begin our ride at Willow Springs Station with a morning ride to Skull Rock Lookout at Bunkers Conservation Reserve. From here it’s a nice downhill along the FRBB Trail to morning tea at the edge of the National Park and a loop around to Gum Creek Station. Here we finish cycling for the day and enjoy an afternoon side-trip up to historic and picturesque Blinman North for lunch with an excursion into the ‘Great Wall of China’. Back home to Wilpena Pound for our last evening at the resort.

Blinman North to Parachilna 40km Saturday Day 7. Pack your bags and say good-bye to Wilpena Pound as we head out of the National Park to Blinman North where we begin our final day’s ride. While the profile shows a gradual downhill transition to Parachilna, the reality is an undulating journey along Glass Gorge Scenic Drive, the Flinders Ranges’ best kept secret, with stunning pockets of ancient terra firma all the way to morning tea at Parachilna Gorge. Our lunch stop and overnight accommodation destination is the Prairie Hotel, famous around the country for its outback hospitality and character, rising up as an oasis on the cusp of the rugged Flinders Ranges east-side, and desert plains west-side. Your final afternoon can be a relaxed wind-down around the hotel, or can hold a range of activities including a return to Angorichina to do the Blinman Pools Walk or join the renowned Ediacara Fossil tour ($125pp). As the sun goes down, head out to the front bar for Saturday night Frothies, where you will meet locals and visitors from all over the world soaking up your last outback sunset. Tonight we have our final group dinner in the restaurant, famous for its 'FMG' - Feral Mixed Grill - listed as one of the top 100 Gourmet experiences in Australia (plenty of non-feral and non- carnivorous options are also available!). What a way to wrap up the week!

Depart Parachilna Sunday Day 8. After our final breakfast we will take off this morning back to Adelaide with a stop along the way at Hawker for anyone who has their car parked there. What a great ride and a spectacular part of the country. An experience quite unlike any other on the globe.

Frequently asked Questions

Feel free to contact us at any time through our website ‘Contact Us’ page, phone or email. We love what we do and want to get you on the best bike ride for you. Speak to us about what’s on your mind and we’ll help you make your decision.

Sharing rooms – how does it work On the online entry form you can nominate any travelling companions who you would like to share a room with. This can be in a double bed or twin beds. If you are travelling alone like many of our riders, a Single Supplement price is available for those who would like their own room for the whole trip. On some tours you can also choose to ‘twin share’ where single riders are paired with other riders of the same gender (often changed during the tour to allow solo travellers to meet other solo travellers). If you are a snorer, very early riser, or have other habits that may affect your fellow roommates we ask that you book your own room at the Single Supplement price. If you are coming on your own and have booked in as twin share, this usually means that you will share a room with one other single twin share cyclist or crew member, however in some cases we may have larger rooms (eg. Two-bedroom apartment or a B&B/house with multiple bathrooms) where we may have 3 or more single twin share travellers together.

Snorers can enjoy their own room If you are a chronic snorer, very early riser or have other habits that may affect your fellow roommates we suggest booking your own room (single supplement cost). This is not just a courtesy to your fellow travelling companions but will also give you the space and privacy you need to enjoy your sleep after a long day on the bike.

Carrying personal items on the bike We suggest you carry a spare tube, a full water bottle and your own personal goods such as phone, money and rain gear, on your bike with you. We transport your luggage, drawstring day bags, food & extra water. A more detailed list of things to bring and not bring is on our ‘Tour Preparation Guide’ which is sent out to you before the ride.

Meals and food Always a big part of any cycling holiday! Check tour details for meal inclusions on your ride. Our emphasis is on fresh food and balanced diet with plenty of carbohydrates, proteins, fruit and vegies catering for a cycling holiday. We successfully cater to most dietary requirements, however feel free to contact us with any questions. Most meals are included as part of our tours; however you may be required to purchase some meals.

Speak to a past client We will be happy to give you the names and telephone numbers of people who have participated in the ride or a similar ride to the one which you are considering. Where possible we will provide you with the details of someone within your city or state. Another good place to look is our ‘Testimonials’ page.

Changing or cancelling a tour Should you wish to change your booking with AllTrails to a different tour, there will be a very reasonable service charge. We try to keep this figure as low as possible to allow flexibility where we can as we want to make sure that you get on the right tour for you. If you need to cancel your tour, a travel insurance policy will cover cancellation fees due to most unforeseen events. This is why we provide links to travel insurance options and highly recommend that you investigate and purchase travel insurance for all our rides (including Australian domestic tours) at the time of deposit and ensure that it includes coverage for cancellation fees if for some reason you are not able to travel (see Travel Insurance FAQ). For our international tours we require all participants to have Travel Insurance to assist you in the event of a medical emergency, lost baggage, personal liability, cancelled tour or other trip related issues. For cancellation and refund policies for your tour click the ‘Book This Tour’ button on the relevant tour page of our website.

What sorts of people join our tours? People from all parts of Australia and some overseas guests. Ages generally range from 35 – 75 with the average age about 50-65 years old. Adventurous cyclists usually about 40% women & 60% men with a mix of singles, friends and couples.

Non-riding partners and part-time cyclists We realise that often our riders want to spend their holidays with loved ones who may not be a keen cyclist as they are - we are happy to accommodate non-riding partners and part-timers who only want to ride part of each day, or only certain days. We will generally try to allocate pickup points along the route every day. The entry price will be the same for part-time riders, while non-rider prices will be dependent on their tour plan.

Frequently asked Questions cont.

Support vehicle Our support vehicle is there to support the tour and to pick up riders who need to jump in for any reason. The bus is also sometimes used for part-time riders who only ride certain sections of each day – these are often partners of someone else on the ride. This vehicle can be quite popular on some days – especially long days or days with big hills! There is no shame in riding in this bus so if you are considering a tour and are ‘in the ball-park’ in terms of your fitness and preparedness, but not 100% sure if you will be up to it on the toughest days, just go for it – our vehicle and staff will be there to help out. It’s better to give it a try than to miss out altogether. If you feel that you are extremely far off the fitness level required and cannot commit to the training that will get you fit in time then you may be better off booking a later ride or a different type of tour – just give us a call or email to discuss.

Bike mechanical assistance provided A staff member with good bike mechanical knowledge will be part of our crew and will have a stand pump for different valves. We will have limited parts available for replacement which will be charged at shop prices. Labour is free for the first fifteen minutes, there after costs may be incurred at the mechanic’s discretion. Cyclists with rare or different bikes are asked to contact us at AllTrails as parts can often be very difficult to obtain.

Packing tips We recommend you bring a soft bag or backpack. We advise against bringing a suitcase as they are bulky, difficult to stow on board vehicles or trailers and heavy. You may be required to lift or carry your own luggage from time to time, e.g. into accommodation. We expect your bag to be no heavier than 15kg, making it easy to manage for you and the staff. Any excess luggage may need to be stored or forwarded on to your destination at your own expense. Information about what to pack is included as part of your pre-departure information. Generally we advise that you pack as light as possible.

Carrying personal items on the bike We suggest you carry a spare tube, a full water bottle and your own personal goods such as camera, wallet and rain gear, on your bike with you. We transport your luggage, drawstring day bags, food and extra water. A more detailed list of things to bring and not bring is on our ‘Tour Preparation Guide’ which is sent out to you before the ride.

Weather Our tours have been specifically scheduled to take into consideration the best time of year to travel to that destination. This considers the temperate range, possible rainfall and the prevailing winds. Of course, we can’t ever control the weather however this only adds to the adventure and excitement of your travel experience! For more specific weather and climate information visit the bureau of meteorology or for our international tours visit world weather.

IMPORTANT - Insurance Obtaining appropriate insurance is your (very important) responsibility. Travel Insurance, even for trips within Australia • When you consider the cost of cancelling your tour if something goes wrong before or during your travel, insurance is good protection. • International travellers should always have a comprehensive travel insurance. • You should also have travel insurance for domestic travel - usually considerably cheaper than international. • Purchase your travel insurance as soon as you have booked your tour and your travel – don’t wait until just before you go. • Some credit card travel insurances do not apply to domestic Australian travel – check with your provider. • There are lots of travel insurance providers – cyclists should do their own research to ensure they are covered adequately. • Here are two options as an example: travelinsurancedirect.com.au/ 1cover.com.au/ Cyclist insurance for accidents and medical Cyclist Insurance is different to Travel Insurance and is often included as part of cycling memberships such as Bicycle Network or Bicycle Queensland or can be bought separately. Cycling can be a dangerous activity and you should be prepared for the worst. If you have an accident in training for the tour or on the tour itself cyclist insurance can help with medical, income protection and third party coverage.

Why book with us? We only run 10-15 tours per year, always adding fresh destinations each year. This makes every tour as special to us as it is to you because we are not operating the same rides repeatedly week-in week-out - we are just as excited to be there as you. On most occasions the owner-operators of the business will be on tour with you and the reassurance that comes with that is one of many great reasons to have confidence in booking your cycling holiday with us.

We are a proud Australian-owned company, with the privilege of taking cyclists to the small towns and communities all over the country, supporting regional economies and offering cyclists the opportunity to experience the hospitality of Australia outside the big cities. We have earned a top reputation in the cycle tour industry through hard work, dedication and genuine care for every person on every tour. Our longevity in the industry and large community of loyal AllTrails clients who keep coming back year after year are testament to the high standard of tours that we provide. We consider ourselves the best in the business and we always make sure that our tours represent a high-quality product at a fair price.