THE ROUTE
Sure, TERRA AUSTRALIS is a race and some of you will be entering with the goal of stepping up onto the podium for a stage win or even an overall podium finish. If that’s your motivation we say, “bring it on”. We can’t wait to see the powerhouses smashing it at the pointy end of the field. For some of you, being able to pull on the finishers T-shirt will be all the motivation you need. With the podium places long filled you will be competing in your own race with your teammate by your side.
Above all, TERRA AUSTRALIS is about the experiences you will have along the way. You will ride well above the tree line in the Victorian Alps taking in spectacular, endless vistas as you go. You will stay in 5 diverse communities, each one showcasing it’s own unique qualities that makes the North East of Victoria a must do destination for tourists of any persuasion. You will meet new people and possibly make lifelong friends. You will get to ride your MTB on some of the best trails in Australia.
North East local Paul Fitzgerald has designed the course. Paul has been living around the North East of Victoria for well over a decade. He’s been exploring the region for the best part of that decade too. In winter he can be found at Mount Hotham on a pair of Telemark Ski’s and through the warmer months hiking with school groups and of course Mountain Biking. He was the driving force behind the Beechworth Mountain Bike Park, Mount Stanley Downhill track and the sweet single track of the Gravity 12 Hour at Rosewhite. What a dream job, spending months pulling together and testing a 550km Mountain Bike course in the best Mountain Bike region in the country.
The course is now set with some changes made as a result of the fires that affected Day 5 and a small part of Day 6. Paul assures us that it is exciting with a mix of terrain and trail types. For those of you that need hard facts and figures we can give you the low down on what to expect. The total distance for the 7 stages will be 552 km's with a total elevation gain of 12,762 mts. What goes up must come down however so we should also mention the 15,493 mts of descent. The longest stage tops out at 116km while the shortest is a cruisey 52km. You will ride to over 1750 mts above sea level 3 times in the first 3 days with the highest point reaching 1875 mts on day 1. More detailed info including profiles and course descriptions can be found on the relevant day pages in the race menu. Subscribe to our newsletter and get updates and course scouting reports emailed regularly.
The following information will allow you to confidently book accommodation in the overnight stopovers.
| Stage | Date | Start | Finish |
| Rego | March 28 | Falls Creek | |
| 1 | March 29 | Falls Creek | Mt Beauty - approximately 79km |
| 2 | March 30 | Falls Creek | Dinner Plain - approximately 96km |
| 3 | March 31 | Dinner Plain | Bright - approximately 72km |
| 4 | April 1 | Bright | Bright - approx. 116km (incl. 11.8km controlled start) |
| 5 | April 2 | Bright | Bright - approximately 79km |
| 6 | April 3 | Beechworth | Beechworth - approximately 52km (incl. 2.6km controlled start) |
| 7 | April 4 | Beechworth | Wangaratta - approximately 58km (incl. 7.3km controlled start) |
Click here to view the Terra Australis Blog
