Look at, or imagine, a map of the south-east corner of Australia. Find Canberra, find Melbourne and consider what is in between other than what appears to be a lot of open space.

Twixt these two attractive capital cities is some of the most diverse, most beautiful countryside in the entire continent.

Canberra and Melbourne are very different types of cities when compared by population, history, culture and climate. They do however have much in common. For example, Canberra and Melbourne share the privilege of both having iconic, extensive, popular lake precincts for inner city sanctums.

Canberra has Lake Burley Griffin and Melbourne has Albert Park Lake. Both are very special places greatly appreciated by locals and visitors.

So how about a cycle tour from Canberra's lake to Melbourne's lake? It is easy to plot a slightly meandering Canberra to Melbourne cycle tour route of about 1000 km which crosses some of the highest sub-alpine habitats, most beautiful coastal lakes, tallest forests, longest beaches, greenest pastures, best rail trails and most scenic rivers in Australia. Cycle-tourers note that there is even an elevation bonus. Canberra is at 640 metres and Melbourne is at sea-level so a ride should be a downhill run!

A close up look at the geographic splendour of S.E. Australia is reason enough to do this ride but there are other good reasons.

Canberra and Melbourne both claim to be great cities for cyclists. I know for sure that Canberra is, but I have never cycled in Melbourne. Indeed I barely know Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. So this ride is an opportunity to get to know Melbourne better, and getting there, and through the city by bicycle will be the way to do it.

There is another, more numerical motive for this tour. I turn 56 this year. I was born in 1956. The Olympics were held in Melbourne in 1956. Melbourne is Australia's undisputed sporting capital. This year is an Olympic Year, so I feel compelled to try something reasonably physically challenging. Working in a sedentary office job I need to do something to get a bit fitter. A slow but steady ride to sporty Melbourne should be a start. And, in years to come if I am struggling to recall why I rode to Melbourne, just shout the number '56' at me and I should remember why I did the ride.

And one more reason for the ride. Perhaps the most important reason. I like to explore and document Australian short and medium length tour routes which are readily accessible and are potentially attractive to other cycle-tourers, especially international cycle-tourers. I think the Lake-to-Lake Canberra to Melbourne by backroads tour route has potential to be a classic tour route deserving a lot more international attention. The proof will be in the ride though. I'll let you know if it is really a good tour route after I have actually ridden it!

Next year is the 50th birthday for Lake Burley Griffin, and it is the Canberra Centenary. So 2013 could be a year for fifty, or perhaps one hundred, loaded cycle tourers to do the Lake-to-Lake Canberra to Melbourne tour to celebrate one or other of the birthdays.

The goal of this tour then will be to cycle from Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin to Melbourne's Albert Park Lake by a route of backroads and rail trails.

By way of international comparisons, the Lake to Lake ride distance of about 1000 km will be similar to London to Zurich, or Portland to Sacramento, or Bangkok to Saigon, or Manhattan to Quebec City, or Edinburgh to Plymouth. I expect the Lake to Lake ride will take me about 12-16 days to complete depending on weather and my fitness.

The return trip is likely to be by a combination of train and bus. It would be possible to devise a pleasant return by a different route to make a circuit tour, but not this trip.

Why sitting on a Thorn you ask? The bike I will ride for this tour is a Thorn Sherpa which is a robust touring bike well suited to back-country roads and trails.