I thought I’d try another A to B ride where we rode between two points, and caught the train back. This let me cover more distance, and allowed me to scout out some new trails that I might take some friends on in future. Today my long-suffering friend Simon came with me.
We started from Caboolture and headed north-east through the pine plantations. This area is criss-crossed with numerous trails that go for miles.
Eventually we came to one of those barbed-wire gate things where you have to twist the metal to unhook the barbed wire to open the “gate”. Although I’ve come this way many times before, today the paddock was full of cattle, so I just rode slowly through, talking in a moderately loud voice to make sure they kept out of my way, and dodged the cow-pats at the same time.
We eventually reached Beerburrum and headed north-west through the national park along some rocky tracks towards Mount Tibrogargan. It’s challenging and fun to ride because of the baby-head-sized rocks, slick rock, and steep pinch climbs.
After an hour or so in the pine plantations, it was nice to actually get back into some native eucalyptus forest. The area around Mount Beerburrum is full of open eucalypt forest like this.
From Beerburrum we headed west up to the Lookout. The views are great, but it’s hard work getting to the top.
It’s a pretty tough climb up the bitumen to the trail head at the Coonowrin section of the national park….
…But it’s fun riding some of the downhill tracks.
From Beerwah we headed through more pine plantations until we reached the southern end of the Dullarcha National Park.
The Dullarcha Railtrail is built on the remnants of an old railway line that runs through the rainforest. The railway line has gone, but the tunnel and the old rail corridor is still there – and it makes a fun way to get through the national park between Landsborough and Mooloolah.
From Mooloolah it was a quick 40 minute train trip back to Caboolture where we’d started four and a half hours earlier.
All up 70km, 850m of vertical ascent, and 3,500kcal in 4 hours 45 minutes. On the tough-o-meter I’d give it 7.5 out of 10.
I’d like to add a bit more variety to this route before inviting friends on it. There was a bit too much pine plantation!
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