The best way to see the island!
We hired 3 e-Bikes from Rob for 3 days self guided cycling around Bruny Island. Rob is really nice guy, he met us in Kettering and was there when we returned - I can whole heartedly recommend Rob and Cycle Bruny Island, everything was smooth, the bikes are really good quality and were all setup for us when we arrived. As an avid road cyclist at home, I can recommend the e-bikes ... the island is surprisingly lumpy, but the e-bikes made it a pleasure to ride.
We ventured to Adventure Bay for the first night - there is a small shop that is well stocked for provisions, fresh meat and veg and groceries - no alcohol though, so you need to bring it in yourself. We bought a bottle of wine and some beer en route at the Bruny Island Cheese and Beer Company (although apparently you may be able to buy takeaways at the bowling club in Adventure Bay if it is open). We thought there was a seafood restaurant here but seems it closes at 3:00, at least it did on the day we were there.
Second day we took a hillier route through Mt Midway Forest Reserve via Lockleys and Stafford Rds to Cloudy Bay. Everything we could find on this route online suggested that it is very difficult and steep. It is actually not too bad, the first 5 kms are uphill and the whole track is bumpy for sure but anyone used to a little mountain biking would have no issue. We had to push the bikes for a couple of hundred meters on a particularly steep bit but any competent mountain biker could probably ride the whole way - especially on e-bikes! Take a phone with Google maps though as there are many forks and logging roads which can be confusing. But it is a beautiful part of Bruny with magnificent forest that changes throughout.
On the way back from Cloudy Bay, it is also worth dropping into the winery (Bruny Premium Wines I think it is called) - they also have an excellent range of ciders to taste and a first class cheese platter/ploughman's lunch (amongst other things I am sure). Further up the road, the Bruny Hotel also served the largest Chicken Parmigiana I have ever seen - no idea where the chicken came from but it was an excellent looking meal. It would seriously have fed all three of us - again not a bad spot to stop for refreshments!
All up a really great time - cycling is definitely the way to go to see the island - and you certainly wont go hungry ... or thirsty!
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