Mike Van de Elzen: Biking Tasmania

Michael mountain bikes down Mt Wellington and up to MONA with guide Rob Potter. Photo / Christine Cornege

Hi, I'm Mike Van de Elzen. When I'm not in the kitchen, or with the family, biking is my thing. I love the adrenalin kick of mountain biking and I love to go fast. My build means I'm a bit slower on the ups but, going downhill, I'm in my element.

On my Australian travels, I've been consuming a lot of incredible food, wine and beer so giving the legs a workout isn't going to do me any harm. I have heard good things about biking in Tasmania. If you are a speed nut, apparently you head to Mt Wellington - clearly it's not the one I'm familiar with in Auckland!

But first, I can't resist having a look around the Saturday Salamanca markets in the centre of Hobart with everything on offer from wooden toys to leather bags and meat pies.

Tasmania has been a hidden gem for me, I didn't know what to expect and I am blown away by the quality of the cuisine and its different approaches.

Read how Mike pushes his boundaries of biking, eating and drinking in Tasmania in the NZ Herald Travel section, and here at nzherald.co.nz.