When to go to Australia

Any cyclist heading for Australia will have to carefully consider the seasons.

January and February mark summer in the southern hemisphere and temperatures can easily surpass 40°C in many places. The summer is, unsurprisingly, also peak holiday season so campsites and flights will be packed – especially from Christmas to the third week of January, when most children return to school.

With such a big country, of course weather varies from region to region.

The north has a tropical flavour with high humidity, wet and dry seasons. In the summer, it often is hit by cyclones and flooding.

The centre around towns like Alice Springs is desert territory and makes for harsh, lonely cycling.

The south is more temperate but can still see sweltering summer days. Winter temperatures are relatively mild compared to Europe or North America and snow is uncommon, although not unheard of.

How to decide? We found Tasmania very refreshing in summer, with no humidity and temperatures usually hover around the low to mid 20°C range. The cooler months would be ideal for tackling epic trips like the Nullarbor, while September through April is a nice time to pedal around Western Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology has weather information for Australia.

• Cycling Australia
• Tasmanian Weather
• Can you bike during the rainy season in Southeast Asia?
• Australia Journal Entries
• Caravan Parks in Western Australia