If you’re the type of holidaymaker who bases their travel plans around where and what they want to eat along the way – often leaving very little time between meals and snacks – you’ve likely faced the conundrum of being continually sated without time to regain your appetite before the next stop on your itinerary. 

Well, while the world’s scientists have been working hard to solve slightly more significant dilemmas, we’ve been seeking a solution that will allow you to enjoy even more of the things you love most (food) on your adventures this year. After vigorous testing and much menu-sampling we’ve found an answer. The solution? Something we’ve dubbed ‘extra-size’.

With food-oriented holidays on the rise, ‘bikepacking’ and ‘site running’ have grown in popularity. The concept is simple: by cycling or running between your itinerary stops, you can travel light, sample local foods and wines across specific regions, keep active and, better yet, foster a healthy appetite. 

For the pedal-pushing adventurers, an ‘Attack of the Buns’ cycling route from Bungendore to Bundanoon provides a deep-dive into a scenic landscape – passing through country towns with some of the best-loved bakeries in New South Wales. And, you can stop off at the Cambewarra Estate winery for some essential refuelling. Of course, you may like to consider adding many litres of water, a first-aid kit and some serious extra-sizing snacks to your food-based itineraries too.

While you can certainly plan your own itineraries based on the region where you’d most like to eat – a la Felicity Cloake in her bikepacking adventures through France, as described in her book One More Croissant for the Road  – there are numerous tour operators mapping out bikepacking and running (extra-sizing) tours for you all over the world. In fact, there are countless websites, Facebook groups and books dedicated to this satisfying trend, to help you find tips for packing, where best to dine and where to rest. 

Fortunately, you don’t need to be an athlete to partake in a cycling or running holiday. You can choose tours based on your fitness level (from non-existent to Olympian) and based on the kilometres you wish to traverse. And, treat yourself to luxury lodgings or opt for something a little more rustic (perhaps chosen for its proximity to regional restaurants). 

On a Find Your Feet Tours running weekend on Bruny Island, you can visit an oyster farm then shuck and taste its produce fresh from the sea, sample the island’s famed locally made cheeses, and connect with nature in this picturesque part of Tasmania – while running over the craggy island in between. 

For the pedal-pushing adventurers, an ‘Attack of the Buns’ cycling route from Bungendore to Bundanoon provides a deep-dive into a scenic landscape – passing through country towns with some of the best-loved bakeries in New South Wales. And, you can stop off at the Cambewarra Estate winery for some essential refuelling. Of course, you may like to consider adding many litres of water, a first-aid kit and some serious extra-sizing snacks to your food-based itineraries too.

Other great food-and-wine-centric regions for bikepacking and running trips include the Yarra Valley VIC, the Bellarine Peninsular VIC, Hunter Valley NSW, The Tweed Valley NSW, Margaret River WA, The ‘Riesling Trail’ through Clare Valley SA and The Granite Belt QLD.