Bikepacking French Island – The Surprisingly Isolated Island 2 Hours From Melbourne

For a unique bikepacking adventure close to Melbourne, take the 15-minute ferry from Phillip Island to French Island and pedal into one of the most detached communities in all of Australia. French Island has its own unique laws, and is full of rusty cars, dirt roads made for bikepacking, and plenty of koalas.

Quick Overview

Things will always be different when venturing off the mainland and onto an island that’s now renowned for its koala population. The trail we took was 34km long and takes you through dusty dirt roads, sandy trails, farmland, and pockets of native forest.

Whilst the trail requires concentration at nearly every turn, be sure to look up as you might spot one of the many koalas located on French Island.

French Island Bikepacking Facts

Distance: 34km
Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Elevation gain: 315m
Nearest town: Cowes (by ferry)

About French Island

Most tourists come to French Island to search for koalas. Since driving your car over from Cowes isn’t an option the best way to explore French Island is by bike.

Other things that French Island is known for include, McLeod Prison, French Island Vineyards Cellar Door, cottage style accommodation, as well as campgrounds.

French Island History

French Island has a colonial history spanning back to 1802 when Jacques Hamelin arrived aboard the ship Naturaliste and named the island Ile des Francais, which translates to French Island.

Prior to this time period the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation are believed to have used the island as a hunting ground, collecting shellfish and swan eggs, whilst living on the mainland.

Today, French Island is known for its tourism, primarily based around koalas, which is ironic considering that koalas were introduced to the island in the 1880s.

French Island still to this day doesn’t have a municipal council which means its roads aren’t considered part of Victoria and therefore its residents aren’t required to register their cars. The result is a lot of rusty, unregistered yet legal cars on the island.

In 1997, 70% of the island was turned into a national park comprising an area of more than 11,000 hectares.

Fun fact! French Island is actually bigger than Phillip Island at 111km² compared to 101km²

How to Get to French Island

The best and pretty much only way to get to French Island is by ferry, unless you’re really adventurous and decide to kayak over. For this trip, we took the ferry from Cowes to French Island which operates three times a day. Although, if you’re traveling from Stony Point the ferry operates more frequently.

The trip takes about 15 minutes and costs $16 each way.

Where to Stay on French Island

Accommodation on French Island is limited and if you decide to bikepack, I recommend camping at Fairhaven Campground which is only 5km away from Tankerton Jetty. The best thing about these campsites is that they’re free, which is a rarity in a national park these days.

The only catch is that they need to be booked online or by phone prior to arriving, as there are limited spots.

If camping isn’t your thing then try out French Island Cottages.

Skill Level for Bikepacking French Island

Beginner

This track is suitable for basically any bikepacker, from beginner to advanced. The trip can be tailored to match your ability level and it shouldn’t be discounted by seasoned bikepackers as a fun single or two day trip.

Whilst most of the trails are gravel and sand, the relatively flat terrain all over the island, bar the Pinnacles Track, makes it suitable for someone who’s starting bikepacking and wants to test out their gear.

Essential Gear for Bikepacking French Island

As this is a less technical trail, the amount of speciality gear required is also minimised:

• Helmet
• Bike repair kit and puncture kit (Ben had a good time changing his tyre)
• At least 2L of water carrying capacity + an additional water bladder
• Water treatment method
• Towel
• Camera (to get photos of all the koalas you see)
• Tea/coffee
• First aid kit

Read more: Remember to leave no trace!

What It’s Like to Bikepack on French Island

French Island has a nice variety of trails especially if you’re up for exploring. Apart from dirt tracks, sand hills, and rust bucket encounters, the low population on the island (under 200) gives a real sense of isolation and freedom to explore.

What more can you ask for when you’re on an adventure with two of your best mates from high school, your sister, and her boyfriend?

The bounty of koalas on the island also added to the fun, with each of us trying to spot a new koala first.

Although at one point we thought it might’ve been a great urban myth, as for the first half of our trip we didn’t even see one.

But by the end we’d well and truly got the knack for spotting them and had seen 20+ wild koalas. The trip out to French Island is worth it just for this in my opinion.

Day 1 – Cowes to French Island to Fairhaven Campground

Distance: 28km
Duration: 4 hours

Today was a warm-up day for mates Ben and Emily, testing out their fresh gear before taking off on a much grander trip from Perth to Darwin.

We arrived on French Island about 2pm and spent the next five hours before sunset roaming the island, following nothing and playing it by ear.

After hearing word that Lu and Scott (my sister and her boyfriend) were camping back out at Fairhaven Campground, we decided to head back through Pinnacles Track which led us to Pinnacles Lookout, where there are panoramic views across almost the entire island and back out to sea.

En route to the lookout from Chump Road, the sand gets quite boggy and it’s very hard to not slide out, even with thick mountain bike tyres. This is the most challenging and fun part of the ride for those who dare to make it through the boggy sand without falling.

As you are approaching one of the highest points on the island, the hills undulate through the native forest, which makes it quite difficult to maintain traction. There’s definitely no shame in walking up the hills here, although it makes for a good workout.

Luckily, we timed it perfectly with the sunset and were treated to some magical moments of golden light on the way back to the coast.

Day 2 – Fairhaven Campground to Cowes

Distance: 5km or 15km
Duration: 30 minutes or 2 hours

Depending on your time frame and energy levels, you can either head straight back to the ferry terminal to return to Cowes or head north on a loop. Ride along Coast Road before cutting in through the trails that join onto Chump Road, which takes you right back near the start, landing at French Island General Store.

If you made it this far, you deserve to know that the 15km loop option is packed with koalas and absolutely makes the trip worthwhile. Coupled with an oat latte and a snack at the General Store, it’d be rude not to, right?

Tips for Bikepacking French Island

• Campsites are free at Fairhaven Campground, but they need to be booked in advance as sites are limited, however, there shouldn’t be any problems with availabilities especially if visiting on a weekday
• There’s water at Fairhaven Campground but it needs to be treated first
• Drinks can also be purchased at the General Store
• Make this trip in summer as the weather can be really great for bike-riding and what better way to end the day than with a swim in the bay at Fairhaven Campground? We enjoyed a stellar summer’s night in the water watching the sky turn orange

FAQs for French Island

Can I bring my car to French Island?

Unless you’re a permanent resident, French Island is not accessible by car. On ya bike (or feet)!

Can I access French Island from Melbourne?

Yep! You’ve got to drive and park at Stony Point Pier, and from there you can take the ferry direct to French Island.

Are there shops on French Island?

There’s pretty much just the one, the French Island General Store. It acts as a one-stop shop for the island.