Brief Aussie gravel ride

[XF650]

Went to Noosa last week as bag-man for wife’s golf trip. However chasing a stupid white ball around golf resorts isn’t my thing, so I had pre-booked a 2 day bike hire. My intention was to head a wee way inland to get away from the tourist crap, ride gravel where I could and to do some market research for work. Renting a bike was more expensive than hiring a car, but that’s not the point……

I used AussieBiker because they were handy to where we were staying. Their bike hire options include G650GS, R1200GS, VStrom’s, trail bikes & cruisers. Interestingly the owner’s (Dave) own adv / gravel bike is a Triumph Scrambler. I initially wanted a bike with 21” front but Dave reckoned the G650GS would suit me fine, for their type of gravel. I didn’t realise BMW had resurrected this model, the main difference being they now manufacture the engine in Asia. I was pleased to see it was fitted with hard side cases & shod with EO7’s. In addition it had factory ABS & heated grips, both of which were to come in handy later in the trip.
I am aware of the risks of riding alone in isolated areas & had enquired in Noosa about EPLB’s to hire, but couldn’t find any. So I ended up just texting Vicki as I started each leg, giving estimated route & destination and then a confirm text on arrival.

[XF650]

Headed off on Tuesday morning, wanting to hook up with Highway 85 that would take me west. As I rode down through the hinterland, I chose not to use the map. As an experiment for direction, I simply kept the sun at my back, knowing this would take me roughly in the right direction. And what a great ride this section was – hilly, twisty secondary roads through small settlements & National Parks. I didn’t get lost but then again, for much of this stint I couldn’t really tell ya where I was either! Passed a couple of groups of road bikes but otherwise not much traffic – tourism numbers are well down. Eventually I popped out on the D’Aguilar Highway and got to Kilcoy for my first work call. It was here that I realised that my camera was in someone’s golf bag so bought a cheap disposable. Hence only a few shite pics, the work calls ones being necessary for “tax purposes”.


From Kilcoy I aimed north for Murgon via the Jimna State Forest. This is an easy gravel route, well maintained for logging trucks with many side roads to explore. It reminded me of the Notown forestry near Greymouth, but like everything in Aussie, on a much bigger scale. The road surface was interesting - hard pack dirt with rocks mixed in, faster = smoother. No other traffic & big bike friendly. It eventually narrowed in & where shaded by bush it was a bit slippery in places.

[XF650]

Once out of the forest & bush land, the last bit of this leg took me through a diverse area of cropping, livestock, viticulture & past a massive terraced fish farm.
Business call in Murgon done & had a quick look around the town, which revealed a large Aborigine community. Then headed west via cotton growing countryside showing the scars of both forest fires and the January floods. I saw evidence of this many times during my trip, with some poor sods getting a double whammy of natural disasters in the same season. Floods reached silos in pic.


Digs that night was at the (bike friendly) Hivesville Pub. Publican Jane is a very convivial host & great cook. The barman (Mark) is a keen trail & adv rider, so much yarning to be had. $69 for dinner, beers & bed was good value too.
Tree in pic & I have a lot in common – short, fat & old.

[XF650]

Next morning was cold but clear so I left early with grip heaters on, heading north to Gayndah via what starts out as Stonelands Rd. This is that classic Aussie red dirt stuff that seemed to offer good traction, even where wet. For the most part it was unfenced which meant sharing the road with cattle & other critters. I got a bit complacent (i.e. too fast) & had to give the brakes a good test at one point when a big roo crossed the road just in front. I’m sure that without the ABS I would have hit him or dumped the bike. While sitting there waiting for my heart to slow down, I got another fright as a flash in the mirrors indicated another one jumped across just behind me. Needless to say I rode with a bit more caution after that & saw many more roo’s & cattle that morning. The males (roo’s that is) seemed to spend a lot of time scratching their balls but I wasn’t hanging around to see why! The road was quite soft & rutted at the northern end of this route with a lone grader doing repairs, but he was the only other vehicle I saw. I eventually popped out onto the Burnett Highway west of Gayndah, turned right & rode into the citrus capital of Australia.


Coffee for me, fuel the bike & a quick work call. Then I headed east for a short stretch, before turning south off the A3 into Brian Pastures Road. This easy gravel road took me through open country to where I wanted to check out the Brian Research Station. From there I rode through Ban Ban Station out to the Burnett highway at BanBan Springs. The story here was that this was a sacred bathing spring since ancient times for the Aborigine but the early drovers desecrated it by using it as a cattle watering hole. Now days the springs and BanBan Station are back in the hands of the indigenous people. Took pic of the concrete ford as warning to fellow newbie’s that they can be slippery as snot with slime.

[XF650]

From there I rode a quick return loop up the Isis Highway to check out the Coalstoun Lakes. Saw a snake that was severely prolapsed. On the way back I stopped at a peanut / sorghum farm & met AdvRider inmate & KLR650 rider “rustynt”.


Headed south again on the A3 but before Tansey I turned east up Boompa Rd, an irresistible dotted line I had seen on the map. This dirt road instantly reminded me of Maniototo gravel - light grit and fast. Once again I was enjoying big country with no other traffic, apart from cattle wandering across the road at leisure (again).

[XF650]

Passing turn-off tracks that weren’t on my map, I was starting to doubt my location, so I rode into Dove Dale Station to get advice. I had already noticed that this place had the best looking (improved) pastures in the area so was keen to see their operation. And what fantastic people they are, who promptly made me welcome with a brew. I chatted farming with the owner a while – a distinguished lady who bought this 17,000 acre property in 1954. On a cattle farm this size I was expecting to see a whole fleet of farm bikes but all the stock work was done on horses. To help koala survival they don’t have any dogs on the place and dingoes are shot on sight. Their major concern at the moment is the high levels of vegetation caused by the big rains. While it’s fantastic for stock production, it’s a double edged sword & going to be a nightmare for bush fire control in the summer, a common theme I heard over my whole trip.


On my way out of Dove Dale I stopped & yarned work stuff with their fencing contactor. Turned out he too is an AdvRider inmate who rides a DR650 & DT230. He was keen for me to try some “alterative routes” in the area but time was against me.
I eventually found my way down to Gympie for my last work call and then onto the congested Bruce Highway back to Noosa.

I was quite impressed with the wee GS. It was comfortable, handled well & the injected motor returned frugal fuel consumption. I had tested & really appreciated the ABS - even the weird looking screen worked well. Note I only covered about 800km’s in great weather & no real off road stuff - a very short easy ride by Aussie adv standards but enough to give me the bug to go back for some more……..

[unstuck]

Thanks for sharing that. Me and my brothers are planning to do a bit of riding over there at some time in the future and its great to read this kind of stuff. Cheers.

[Crim]

Good stuff Struan, you lucky bugger getting that sorted through work and it didn't sound like you had to much golf bag carrying duties either

[chasio]

Cool taster; thanks for the report

[XF650]

Good stuff Struan, you lucky bugger getting that sorted through work and it didn't sound like you had to much golf bag carrying duties either

I did one day driving the golf cart but got caught out with a few indescretions. Evidently the carts are not to be raced, it's not appropiate to laugh at duff shots and jandles are not acceptable footware in the Club house. Stupid game.

[jezzaNZ]

Nice tip Struan, hopefully next time the golf weekend will be in Victoria!!!!!!!!!
Jez

P.S is the 510 behaving itself?

[Eddieb]

Nice Struan

Care to let us know how much the rental cost, either online or offline?

Eddie

[NordieBoy]

I did one day driving the golf cart but got caught out with a few indescretions. Evidently the carts are not to be raced, it's not appropiate to laugh at duff shots and jandles are not acceptable footware in the Club house. Stupid game.

They can't handle the jandle?

[Padmei]

Good stuff Strudle
I'm going over to the Goldcoast end of July & thinking of hiring a bike for one day (24hrs). All I want to see is a bit of red road & nothingness.Do you reckon I'd see any if I left 1st lite & returned that nite?
What did bike hire cost?

[Crim]

Good stuff Strudle
I'm going over to the Goldcoast end of July & thinking of hiring a bike for one day (24hrs). All I want to see is a bit of red road & nothingness.Do you reckon I'd see any if I left 1st lite & returned that nite?
What did bike hire cost?

I am going over for a family holiday start of August and was thinking of doing the same - just got to work out an excuse to take the helmet and be away for a day now