Southern Australia - Brisbane to Adelaide or vice versa?

[Feffe]

Hello everyone,

basically the title says it all: I am planning to do a bikepacking trip through Southern Australia and would like to go from Brisbane to Adelaide mainly along the coast starting this September.
So I was wondering, is any of you guys aware if there are strong winds always coming from the same direction on long stretches of the route which would affect the choice where to start and where to end this trip?
Moreover, according to my research, the weather should be alright during that time of the year - or any other thoughts?

Thanks a lot for your insights.


Greetings from Germany
Feffe

[RonK]

You can see for yourself what the winds will be like from the BOM Wind Roses.

However as a Brisbane resident I can predict without looking at the roses that you are likely to encounter strong south westerly winds if you depart here in September.

My choice would be to start in Adelaide. It will be early spring so still quite cool in the south but that shouldn't bother someone coming from Germany.

And coming from Germany you may already be aware that the famed wine producing region (the Barossa Valley) near Adelaide were settled by German immigrants and no doubt many of the place names will have a familiar sound.  The Tour Down Under is run in these districts and there are good bike paths. Worth a visit if you have time.

Sticking to the coastal route from Adelaide to Melbourne will take you along the Great Ocean Road, which one of the prime tourist attractions in Victoria.

I have a map of a cycle touring route from Melbourne to the Gold Coast. It's a little dated but still useful. If you would like a copy, send me an email.

[Feffe]

Hi RonK,

thank you for your quick and detailed reply!
I actually haven't been aware of the German settlements since I'm still much involved for my tour through SOA which is about to start in less than two weeks.
However I wanted to book the flights for Australia before that trip in order to safe a good price.
Thank you for your offer regarding the map, I will send you my email address in a PM!

Have a nice Sunday
Feffe

[Feffe]

Ron,

I have found out (and was surprised about) that the average high temperatures in Brisbane in September are 25.6°C vs. 19.0°C in Adelaide.
I would have expected it to be vice versa since Adelaide is further down in the South.
So temperature-wise it would make more sense to start in Brisbane instead of in Adelaide.

What is your opinion / experience regarding the temperature-wind-tradeoff?

Thanks.
Feffe

[RonK]

Well, you have to remember that Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the climate zones and the seasons are the reverse of where you live. September is the first month of spring here. Adelaide is closer to the south pole and is in the temperate zone. Brisbane is closer to the equator and is in the tropical zone. So naturally Brisbane is usually warmer. Except in high summer, when hot desert winds may bring very high temperatures (+40.0°C) to southern Australia.

I guess the best direction comes down to which you have greater tolerance for - the temperature or the wind. But trying to second guess the weather is pointless, it is what it is, you get what you get. In April I toured in New Zealand and was affected by two tropical cyclones. Unusual for any tropical cyclone to reach as far south as New Zealand, let alone two in the space of less than a month, and unheard of in mid-autumn.

For me, 19.0°C is a very pleasant temperature for cycling. I think what is more important is the minimum temperature. Assuming that you will start in September and finish some time in October, there is very little difference in the minimum temperatures along the coastal route during these two months. So temperature wise it doesn't matter which way you go. However the Victorian coastline is renown for its unpredictable weather. It's a standing joke in Australia that in Victoria you may experience four seasons in one day at any time of the year. There’s a saying, if you don’t like the weather in Melbourne, just wait a minute.

So if you start in Brisbane it will be warmer, but still cool by the time you reach Victoria. But you may be against the wind most of the way.

[Feffe]

Sure, I totally forgot about that! Makes absolutely sense.
Thank you for your insights. When it comes to temperature, I assumed it to be wiser to start in Brisbane since it might get quite warm there if I started in Adelaide and only arrived in Brisbane in October / November.
But again, if the wind is against me most of the time, that's not fun either, as you stated it.