2009 Adventure Touring - Part 2
This issue, Todd keeps it a little closer to home, sharing his favourite three rides around his base at Queensland's beautiful Sunshine Coast, with varying degrees of difficulty to suit different experience levels.
3. Bald Knob and Stanley River
Short/easy ride suitable for families, groups & novices
If you're on the Sunshine Coast and have the time to get out on the bike for a day, then this circuit is perfect for the adventurer who's travelling two-up, or who wants to soak in the best views the Glasshouse hinterland region has to offer - all without raising a sweat! The route is a circuit, roads are sealed and the surface is well maintained. The circuit comprises the entire length of both Bald Knob and Maleny-Stanley River Roads and the connecting portions of Landsborough-Maleny and the Kilcoy-Beerwah Roads. The former two roads run parallel to each other in a general east-west direction. Bald Knob Rd is narrow (single lane with no shoulder) so it offers a riding challenge that is balanced by the remarkable views it offers and the tranquil landscape in which it sits. The Stanley River road is more open and flowing, having two fully marked lanes with sealed shoulders most of the way. The entire circuit will only take 1 to 1 1/2 hours plus stopping time, so it's a very easy morning or afternoon ride. Because it's a circuit, where you start is where you stop so if you start the ride in Beerwah you will also get to include the Peachester Range (twice) which I must admit is my daily ride, even if I want to rent a DVD or buy a litre of milk. But don't worry about me, I can cope!!!
If you like, you can start in Maleny, which means you get to check out the award-winning food for breakfast OR lunch and morning OR afternoon tea, respectively. If you're getting the idea I like my food.....well, I do - no apologies! Be warned though, regardless of which direction (clock or anti-clockwise) you choose, you will be tempted to go back around the other way so this 'short' morning/afternoon ride can turn into an all day affair if you let it. And of course you should!
As I said, the Bald Knob Road is a tight winding single lane affair that leads you through State Forest and dairy farms. It follows the ridge that runs from east to west through Crohamhurst, home of the late Inigo Jones, the famous long range weather forecaster, and his successor Lennox Walker. The observatory is still there and listed on the State's heritage list, if you're interested in dropping in. www.eps.qld.gov.au has further details. The road clambers over a number of spurs through the Crohamhurst State Forest and emerges in the middle of the local dairy country. If you're riding the road around milking time (for you city folk, that's about 5-6:00am and 4-5:00pm), watch for cows on the road - and the little presents they leave behind.
Keep your eyes peeled as you hit the open farm stretches, particularly if you are heading east (uphill) as the great views of the Glasshouse Mountains will, of course, be behind you. Pull over somewhere safe if you want to take some happy snaps, as it is easy to have a car or truck sneak up on you and there isn't much room to get off the road. Play it safe, ride on and find a good place to pull over and walk back for the shot. Too many times have I seen people do really silly things to save a minute's walk. This entire road is views, views, views, so take your time! 200m from the Landsborough-Maleny Rd end (eastern end) there is, in my opinion, one of the best, truly unobstructed 270 degree views I have seen in South East Queensland. From this position, you'll see the Glasshouse Mountains (or at least most of them), the Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island, the Sunshine Coast from Caloundra to Coolum. Absolute gold!!!
Stanley River Road trickles west from Maleny, out past the showgrounds, toward the edge of an escarpment. The beginning is posted 80km/h and there are lots of driveways, so keep your wits about you. If you have the time, just out of town turn off onto Mountain View Road, the posted route to Mary Caincross Park. This little run is more about views than the road as it's effectively a suburban street, but you will soon see what I'm on about. There's a small lookout a few K's down Mountain View Road on the right and it offers another great view of the Glasshouse Mountains, soak it up and when you've had enough, keep heading southwest and enjoy the cosy country scenery until you reach Mary Cairncross Park on your left. This stunning piece of land was left to the community by the family of local conservationist Mary Thynne and has the most famous perspective of the region's famous volcanic plugs. There are a series of walks through a 52 hectare example of untouched sub-tropical rainforest that would have blanketed the entire region before settlement. Take advantage of the 'facilities' before you leave and head back along Mountain View Rd the way you came to Stanley River Rd and turn left.
Sneak out past the end of the 80km/h zone, on to the edge of the ranges and absorb the postcard views west. The roller coaster ride snakes along with entering T intersections at the crest of nearly every hill. Each of these entering roads is worth a short 5 minute exploration as they wriggle their way down the inland side of the ridges in a more intimate fashion and transport you into fairytale valleys. You know the kind people always tell you about, but never find. Well, here they are. Take your notebook because you could piece together a week of exploration here without much effort. Nearly all of them will contract to single bitumen tracks then to dirt and eventually you'll find yourself in Bellthorpe/Conondale/Jimna State Forest/National Parks. Don't forget yourself and get lost!
If you managed to get back on track and find yourself itching for a little boot scraping, then your itch is about to be scratched! The road begins a descent through a series of left/right sequences and basically never lets up until you hit the end, which comes out at the top of the Peachester Range. You'll know you are there by the appearance of our favourite yellow advisory signs "Steep Descent", "Trucks use low gear" and my favourite variety "x km of windy road". Enjoy!
If you get to the end of Stanley River Rd and are wishing for more, turn right and head down the western side of the Peachester Range to Cedarton - about 5 km. Turn around and head back up and over to Peachester and enjoy the eastern side as it drops you back into Beerwah (again). If you're still not satisfied, I can't help and you really have a problem!!
2. Sunday Creek
Bellthorpe Road loop
For intermediate level riders.
If you like to be immersed in nature, particularly sub-tropical rainforest or tall Sclerophyll, then the Sunday Creek-Bellthorpe Road loop is for you. The two roads which are entirely well maintained dirt, meander through the Imbil State Forest, Conondale National Park and steep wooded farm land. For the sake of convenience only, I'd suggest you start from the Kenilworth end as this will place you in the vicinity of facilities at key parts of the trip.
If you start at the Maleny-Kenilworth/Sunday Creek Road intersection, you will make the Jimna end of the Sunday Creek road in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, plus stopping time. The Bellthorpe section then takes about 2 hours (plus stopping time) and will have you in Woodford for lunch if you start by 8:00am. If you arrive early enough in the winter months, you will see great views of the mist rising off the valleys.
There is a good campground right at the beginning (Kenilworth end) of Sunday Creek Road called Charlie Moreland campground. NOTE: to camp
Charlie Moreland you will need to organise a permit from :
https://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks/iaparks/gds/
Select-> I Want to: Book a camping permit
Select Location-> Kenilworth State Forrest (Conondale)
Select Camp ground-> Charlie Moreland Camp ground.
Even if you're staying elsewhere, keep this neat campground in mind for next time.
Moments after you pass through the camping area (Go slow, there will be kids) you will begin to pass through the edge of the pine forest lined with Bunya and Hoop pines and into the rainforest proper. The road is sometimes used by logging trucks carting the fallen pine to the mill during the week, so proceed at a sensible pace and don't cut the corners if you're out there during those times. If you have a UHF radio, you can keep track of the trucks on their frequency, which is signed on the road, but usually channel 09.
The road is lined by tall eucalypts, huge tree ferns and bangalow palms, all native to the area. The air is cool, so it's a great ride in Summer, too and the whip bird calls echo through the crisp air at every turn. There are many service trails leading off either side of the road and some offer easy access to fantastic views inland and toward the coast. If you have time, take the opportunity to explore them, but remember they will add to your travel time. As you progress further, the road drops down and over numerous creeks and streams and then winds back up over ridges in a general westerly direction. In some areas you are so immersed in the forest that there is no direct sunlight on the path, and as you shiver your way through the rods of filtered light, you will catch glimpses of mosses and lichens growing on the old logs and rocks.
About 2/3 of your way across to Jimna you will pass the Sunday Creek Environmental Education Centre. This centre is a co-operative of the State Forestry and Education QLD, where schools organise excursions and treks designed to educate students on cultural perspectives, community building, personal growth, creative expression, energy and change.
Past this point, the terrain opens up and you emerge from the forest a few kilometres from the end of Sunday Ck road and its intersection with the Kilcoy Murgon Rd. At this point you may want to turn right and head into Jimna for a cool drink and a rest. The town hails from the thriving timber years and, in itself, is an interesting hamlet to wander around. If you travel into town, make sure to stop off at the visitor info centre for some local 'flavour'.
Weather you drop into Jimna for visit or not, the beginning of the Bellthorpe road is about 6 Km South (if you come form Jimna) or Left (if you come from the end of Sunday Ck Road). The Bellthorpe section will take you 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete (plus stopping time). The entrance on the left to the dirt road is marked only by a small green and yellow State Forest sign marked "Bellthorpe Rd", so keep you eyes peeled. Upon entry, you're immediately in a 'classic' Australian bush scene with towering eucalypts and sclerophyll standing shoulder to shoulder right up to the roads edge with a beautiful 'flush' of vivid green and gold wattle along the shoulder. Follow the "Bellthorpe" and then "Woodford" signs through another mix of earthy coloured, wooded country interspersed with glossy green tropical oases in the protected gullies and south west ridges.
Stop off and cool down by dangling your feet in the crystal clear water of the creeks and again, take small excursions off the main road when you see a hint of the view on your right. As with any steep country, there are numerous grade-off's and 'whoops' to slow water run-off. Watch your speed accordingly.
As you emerge from the forest you will wander through some cleared cattle country ushered in by the appearance of the cattle grids every few kilometres. The descent through these grazing paddocks has some steep sections that can be eroded, depending on what time of year and the prevailing weather, proceed with caution over the crests. You will pass the old forestry research station that hides behind a huge abandoned gantry beside the track. It's a striking structure that was part of Brandon's West Bellthorpe Mill to load the massive hardwood logs that were felled around there in years gone by.
You will cross Montford Creek as you hit the bottom of the ranges and a nice quick ride along the sealed section of Montford Road and Stoney Creek Road that will take you to the main east-west arterial road called the D'aguilar Highway.
From here you can go left (east into Woodford for a break and some refreshments), or you can turn left again before Woodford and head back over through Cedarton to Peachester and Beerwah. As a wind down from this track, you could turn off on the Stanley River or Bald Knob (see previous ride) for a nice scenic run back toward the coast via the hinterland.
3. Beerburrum Powerlines
Mt Mee to Mt Glorious via Lacey's Creek- Splityard Creek.
For the experienced adventure tourer. Don't try this with 80:20 tyres.
Now the main requirement for this route was simply ‘EXTREME' hence the qualifier above. There are plenty of ‘extreme' routes around my neck of the woods, so much so that it's not difficult to find the ‘IMPOSSIBLE' if you (as I did) make the mistake of thinking Off-Road. Initially I, as most, confused the two. However the Dual Sport or Adventure Riding definition of extreme is really what Adventure Riding is all about, as far as I'm concerned. Now remember, I'm talking 650cc or bigger Dual Sports here, not nimble lightweight ‘chookies' that can't carry gear and possibly a pillion for 1000's of kms without wearing down to the nub like an old pencil. As in the expression “from one extreme to the other”, we (Adventure Riders) are as happy as an R1 pilot, scratching a boot on a nice piece of hotmix OR ambling along with the cruiser folk, soaking up the sights and smells OR charging west on straights that join one horizon with the other with the big bore tourers OR spending hours on the pegs, wrestling our machines through terrain that a pimply-faced 16 year old on a WR would call boring. . . . just to get to where we want to be. So, in light of this, ‘extreme' is really about combining one end of the motorcycling universe with the other. . . . . including all points in between. Therefore, the route below is a compilation (or more correctly a concatenation) of my favourite ‘local' pieces that fit the bill(s).
This route comprises two loops forming a figure eight and either loop can be taken in either direction, depending on if you want to keep your dirt to the end, or have it straight up or a mixture of both all day.
We (the Sunshine Coast) aim to please the most discerning of appetites. Naturally, starting in Peachester, you can head straight down Neil/Range Rd through the local tracks to the Beerburrum Powerlines, just west of Mt Beerburrum and then on to d'Aguilar. This section is reasonably easy except at for some bog holes and - if it's been raining - the clay!! Keep your eyes peeled for scuttled 4WDs over the crests, as they seem to enjoy wallowing like hippo's in the mud. Strange folk, them. I do like the idea of a winch, though! There are plenty of 'chicken tracks' around those sections that are too extreme for you, but most adventurers will enjoy it. If at any point you think twice, there are a plethora of forestry and council roads heading east and west back to civilisation.
Once on the d'Aguilar Highway, head over the Daboro Rd from the township of d'Aguilar through Mt Mee, enjoying great sections of tarmac divided by views east and west. There are a couple of lookouts that you can stop at and take the 'been there done that' photos. Turn right onto Sellin Road and head west. The track through to Mt Glorious is convoluted, but following are the basic waypoints.
Turn right at Sellin Road - go 2.8 km
Slight left to stay on Sellin Road - go 14.6km southeast
Turn left toward Laceys Creek Road - go 7.3 km
Slight right at Laceys Creek Road - go 7.8 km
The majority of this route is seldom used, so if you're not confident with your navigation and/or equipment, don't go alone. After about an hour of switchbacks and steep climbs, you will emerge onto the (in)famous 'Mt Glorious Rd' which is actually called the Northbrook Parkway. You may need to use one of the tracks around the gate to get onto the road. The turn-in where the roads meet is actually a helipad for those 'incidents' where someone gets their ambitions mixed up with their capabilities. In my opinion Mt Glorious is overrated as a rider's road, particularly with today's hardware. It is too well used by everyone from Rossi wannabes to the local car clubs and there's also all the locals and commercial traffic. On top of that, the road is damp (in the most inconvenient parts) 8 months of the year and, near the top, covered with decomposing leaf litter in just about all of the lanes except the wheel tracks. Get offline and you'll be having a helicopter ride, too! But that's just my opinion.
Anyway, briskly but carefully make your way down to the western end of the Northbrook Parkway and follow the Somerset Rd from Splityard Creek through Bryden to Somerset. This is one of my favourite 'sealed roads' in the area. Not much traffic (of any kind), it's well maintained and affords great views of the Wivenhoe Dam. Turn right at the 'T', idle into town through the 80 zone and drop in at the shop in Somerset opposite the park for a drink if you like and have a wander around the township and a stickybeak at the dam wall. If it's been raining recently, you might even see the gates open and get a water show.
The road back over the dam shore to Kilcoy is a gem, single lane with no shoulder to speak of. It can have a bit of 'sunday Driver' traffic, so be alert. A relentless sequence of tight left-right corners separated by short straights as the road clambers along the edge of the ridge through gullies and across streams. Some times, I swear if you go hard enough you can just about see your own tail-light disappearing around the corner in front of you! There is some loose gravel on some corners courtesy of the 4WD -pulling-boat avoiding oncoming 4WD-pulling-boat and venturing onto the unsealed shoulder. Do you sense a 4WD theme developing here? The views across Somerset are fantastic and plenty of rest areas to stop for a good look and the obligatory happy snap. The section flattens out for a few Km's before the turnoff to Kilcoy and there is the odd farmer and his dog wandering around, so keep you eyes peeled.
Trundle into Kilcoy. You may want to get fuel here as it has the best range on the loop and if you're there around lunchtime, stop in to one of the many munchatoriums and grab a feed. As you head back toward Woodford, going out of town, pull into 'Yowie' Park (yes, this is Yowie country) and have a look at the big carved Yowie and even get a snap while your there. I know it sound corny but hey, it's a ‘must do' while you're here, so if you're ever asked, you can say you've seen a Yowie...and got a picture! The road from Kilcoy through to Beerwah is pretty ordinary, lots of traffic and 'supervision' so just rest up and join the crowd. The last section from Cedarton up the range, over the top through Peachester and down to Beerwah is fun and a great way to finish off the day. If you're still in an adventurous mood, you can turn off onto Nonmus Road before Cedarton and follow Bellthorpe Range Road, Harpers Gap and Gap Road back around the opposite side of the valley to the Beerwah Woodford Road and come back onto the middle of the Maleny Stanley River Road. If you check the map for road names before you head off, this route is well posted and whilst not sealed, it is more picturesque than challenging. I recommend it, though.
I hope you enjoyed my take on some of the prime adventure touring routes around South East Queensland.
If you want to get into the big, wide world of adventure touring, but don't feel your trail riding skills are quite what you'd like them to be, Adventure Rider Training on the Sunshine Coast can help. A-R-T specialise in large Dual Sport/Adventure Motorcycle rider training, with numerous courses and training options to choose from. The best part about doing an A-R-T training course is that you can enjoy some beautiful parts of the country while you learn. See the website
www.adventurerider.com.au for further details.
Have fun, enjoy and maybe I'll see you on the road/track.
