Newsroom

Forest, farms, heritage in new self-guide ride

The new 44 km Apsley Bothwell Country Loop takes in the bucolic views around the heritage town of Bothwell, as well as the Den Hill Forest Reserve.

It’s perfect for e-bike riders or fit riders of standard bikes.

The approximately 4-hour ride begins in Apsley where ample roadsides provide a parking spot for cars. Once on your bike it’s an easy 5 km down a sealed road before hitting a steep gravel road that climbs 400 metres over about 6 kilometres.

It’s then downhill into Bothwell for the next 10 km or so, where you can stop and have lunch or a coffee or just admire the Georgian architecture of many of the buildings.

Bothwell celebrates its Scottish heritage with all the streets having Scottish names and the street signs featuring a tartan print design. There is a Golf Museum to visit here, located at the Information Centre. Bothwell was the location of one of the first golf courses in Australia, and it is still operating here at Ratho.

Heading out of town, the next leg is an easygoing 10 km or so through farmland before a short rise and steep downhill taking you back to the starting point.

Most popular Ambassador routes

Our self-guided Ambassador route library has a new ½ day addition with the Apsley Bothwell Country Loop ride.

If you haven’t already checked them out, the Ambassador routes are a collection of self-guided rides with photos of what to expect, route maps, elevation profile and a downloadable cue sheet to help you find your way.

Bicycle Network members get the added bonus of being able to download audio cues so you can let your phone guide you for a more relaxed ride.

Our data analysis software shows the top 5 rides that seem to have captured people’s attention over the past year.

  1. Longford – Cressy – Woolmers heritage

A 45 km loop on country roads from the Longford Village Green, through rural Cressy to the historic Woolmers Estate colonial property, where coffee, snacks and guided tours are available.

  1. White Hills Winery Loop

And easy 35 km ride from Launceston out to Josef Chromy wines for lunch via a scenic farmland route.

  1. Oatlands – Andover – Parattah

A 66 km ride around waterbird haven Lake Dulverton and via a rail trail to the old railway town of Parattah, through sheep country on quiet rural roads, about half of it unsealed.

  1. Railton–Sheffield Rail Trail

A 26 km offroad "out and back" ride from Railton along the remains of a historic tramline with a memorial to conservationist Norman Sykes along the way. Includes some on-road and fairly rough gravel sections.

  1. Orielton Lagoon Loop

An easy 12 km flat ride from the country town of Sorell, experiencing the Waterway Trail and a number of offroad shared paths, looping around scenic Orielton Lagoon.