Three of Victoria's Best Riding Regions

These three recommendations are all possible as a day trip from Melbourne, but don’t let that stop you from further exploring the region. From coastal oases to picturesque dairy towns and dreamy fishing spots, these routes are situated close to many of Victoria’s hidden gems, which are well worth a visit in their own right. With the sheer range of terrain and jaw-dropping backdrops, the wider Geelong and Bellarine area is a rider’s dream — especially if you’re after a bit of rest and relaxation after a day’s adventure, with the region also offering some of the country’s finest resorts.  

You Yangs, Geelong

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While these expertly designed tracks in the You Yangs Regional Parks feature some accessible routes perfect for beginners of all ages and abilities, they also feature some heavy-duty, steep technical sections that will put an experienced rider through their paces.

With more than 50 kilometres of tracks across two areas — the beginner-friendly Kurrajong Plantation and the more intermediate-to-difficult Stockyards — the Regional Parks offer plenty of adventure. Three looping tracks across Eucalypt plantations are perfect for first-timers, while the Stockyards features three downhill tracks through rocky terrain, as well as a heap of longer cross-country tracks.

Photo: Supplied

The parks, maintained by Parks Victoria, also feature a heap of picnic areas with barbecue facilities, walking tracks and lookouts that oversee the beautiful Werribee Plains. 

Anglesea Mountain Bike and Forest Mountain Bike Trails

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Anglesea’s reputation as a surf and sun town precedes it, but its biking adventures are just as world-class. Before you hit up its Eumerella trails, test out your skills at the Anglesea Bike Park — Australia’s first professionally built mountain cross park. Featuring mounds, rollers, jumps and table-tops as well as dirt jumps and a track with a log ride, it’s a great place to either try out new techniques, meet fellow bikers or warm up ahead of the main event. 

Photo: Supplied

And for those looking for a non-mountain biking ride, the 44km Surf Coast Walk is bike friendly, taking you across stunning clifftops and the Ironbark basin — a nice, active alternative to the nearby Great Ocean Road drive.

The Eumerella Trails, between Anglesea and Torquay, accessible via the Great Ocean Road, features more than 20 kilometres of mostly smooth dirt tracks, featuring jumps and log jumps. There are also fire trails with minimal obstacles, perfect for beginners. More difficult tracks include those in Area 9, accessible from the Bike Park, and the Currawong Falls 11km loop, which is largely a descent. 

Camperdown Rail Trail

Photo: Zoe Strapp

This 40km trail follows what was once a rail line cutting through Victoria’s woodlands, rainforests and charming towns. Tackling the full trail runs from Camperdown’s volcanic lakes down to Timboon, a delightful town featuring world-famous ice-cream, fishing lakes and the beginning of the Twelve Apostles Trail, an 11km round trip to the iconic seaside landmarks. 

But between Camperdown’s Botanic gardens, the 12 Apostles Gourmet Food ‘trail’, and Timboon’s historic railway shed turned distillery, there are plenty of reasons to break up the trail into several days' worth of adventure, enjoying what the region has to offer. 

Photo: Lauren Doolan

Of the many sections, the 5kms from Merretts Road to Curdies River’s trestle bridge offers the most for mountain bikers, with a dense bushland ride featuring the rails of the original track. You also may spot the many native animals who live in the area, from owls to the giant yellow-bellied glider possum, as well as wallabies, koalas and kangaroos.

This feature is a paid promotion on behalf of Great Ocean Road Tourism & Greater Geelong and The Bellarine Tourism.