One of the best ways for a family to explore a destination they are visiting is by bicycle, and Australia is rich with this type of adventure thanks to the plethora of trails and paths on offer in each state and territory. In this final instalment of our Best Family Bike Rides series, we head to Western Australia. With its growing number of trail networks and bike parks, WA offers an abundance of rides for your cycling family. Here are four of our favourites from way out west.
Wadandi Track
Distance: 23km Grade: Easy Bike: Gravel
Originally known as Rails to Trails (and sometimes still signposted as such), this repurposed railway stretches between Cowaramup and Witchcliffe, with the town of Margaret River at its heart, and a brilliant riding experience for your crew.
It begins beside Cowaramup’s fire station, fittingly rounding the old railway station, where the platform and a freight car remain like museum pieces. The shared-use track starts as a concrete path, but quickly narrows into an unsealed trail, cocooned inside a strip of bush. The often-ruler-straight track beelines south towards Margaret River, with a few random railway sleepers still running like ribs across the track.
As it nears the town, it enters Wooditjup National Park and crosses the evocative wooden relics of a couple of the railway’s original trestle bridges. Beside Carters Rd – just past the last of the trestle bridges – the ride passes the trailhead for a couple of Margaret River’s mountain bike trail networks. They’re short and (mostly) simple trails if you want to stay and play for a bit.
A few hundred metres ahead, the track crosses Margaret River (the actual waterway) and then passes along the outer edge of its namesake town – a good midway stopping point – before briefly thinning into singletrack.The ride becomes more rural south of Margaret River, paralleling the Bussell Hwy most of the way into Witchcliffe. Approaching Witchcliffe, the track passes a series of markers noting the location of mining claims during the 19th-century gold rushes.
At Rowe Rd West, the track turns onto a roadside path, heading towards the highway before weaving its way through to Redgate Rd. Witchcliffe, and the ride’s end, is just 200m away to the left.
Rottnest Island
Distance: 4-22km Grade: Easy Bike: Any
Picture an island in the Indian Ocean fringed with 63 beaches, where the only motorised traffic is a bus, and an island-based rental company has almost 2000 bikes in its fleet. Welcome to the cycling beauty of Rottnest Island. Perth’s favourite holiday island is one of the country’s most bike-friendly destinations. Sealed roads run to its myriad beaches, and climbs of any note are rare, with the island barely peeping above the sea – its highest point is just 46m above sea level.
Three cycling routes are promoted on the island, from a 4km Rotto Mini Loop to a 22km Island Ride that runs the length and width of the island. All routes begin in The Settlement, where ferries from Perth and Fremantle dock. The Island Ride’s end goal is Cape Vlamingh, at Rottnest’s western tip, home to a colony of New Zealand fur seals as well as a boardwalk with clifftop views. This ride skirts Rottnest’s south and north coasts, which have their own distinctive characters. The north coast is more developed, with beaches such as Pinky Beach and Geordie Bay backed by tourist apartments and campgrounds. The south coast feels more remote, but each beach has its own individual attraction – there are remnants of a shipwreck at Henrietta Rocks, and a popular snorkelling trail at Little Salmon Bay.
Almost every beach has bike racks, making it possible to while away an entire day on the Island Ride, but other than a coffee van at Cape Vlamingh and a general store at Geordie Bay, there are no dining or drinking options outside of The Settlement, so plan ahead if setting out for the day.
Kalamunda
Distance: 75km + Grade: Easy to Advanced Bike: MTB
On a weekend, four car parks bulge to capacity as Perth’s most popular trail network absorbs happy families of bike riders. The trails here are directional, cope well with the volume of riders and there is something for everyone. Get away from the popular trails, such as Scorpion or Mother In-Law, and you will often have the trail to yourself.
Beginners’ skills trails, cross-country loops and downhill runs; this has it all. There is even a club-run shuttle bus if you don’t want to pedal up. Uniquely, there are adaptive trails (for riders with disabilities) and specialist bikes for wheelchair-bound riders to hire out.
Set inside the beautiful Beelu National Park, the complex network of trails is intersected by the long-distance Munda Biddi Trail, allowing gravel riders to log up some kilometres. There is a mix of volunteer hand-built and machine-built trails, and most riders will need a couple of rides to sample all the trails on offer.
The nearby town of Kalamunda is a mountain bike hub, with many dusty riders and hikers having post-ride coffees (or beers) before heading home. The Kalamunda Loop Trail starts from Kalamunda and loops out to the Kalamunda Circuit. No area packs a greater diversity of experiences for family bike rides; from absolute dirt beginner to MTB trail gods young and old – there are choices galore in the Kalamunda region for the bike-loving family.
Collie
Distance: 50km + Grade: Easy to Intermediate Bike: Gravel/MTB
This industrial coal-mining town is rapidly redefining itself as an appealing destination for mountain bikers who are keen to play on its trails. With so much going on, several trails have been packaged together and called the Wambenger Trails. These trails are in different areas but are all close to town.
Locals here have always ridden from town out to Rays Trail and Dead Cats in the Arklow area, but a spread-out network of cross-country trails has been added, allowing riders a 40km hit-out with more log rides off to the side than any other network.
The Wagyl Biddi network is a pocket park tucked into the corner of the river and allows a quick after-school run. The local bike shop is the hub of the riding community here and they always know what’s going on – the shop cat, “Sprocket”, can be a bit judgemental, so you’ve been warned.
Wellington Dam is a popular tourist attraction and some great trails have been added, including technical descents for those who like steep, rocky trails. Mt Lennard (Pile Road) is just across the valley and is an easy/intermediate trail network. Welli Mills, just a bit further along, is a popular downhill racing destination.
Venture 5km north of Collie and you will find the Arklow Trail Network, with more than 35km of trails, including the Arklow Adaptive, one of the best family bike rides in Oz. This 9.2km green-grade loop is perfect for your young cycling clan, and is also suitable for those using hand cycles, with a mix of flow and old fire trails.
