Sydney to Bris... maybe Cairns - any advice?

[rexter]

Hi tourers

Have been reading lots of your touring posts lately - plenty of valuable info and lots of touring inspiration. Thanks!

I'm hatching a plan to ride from sydney to brisbane in May. After reading some of the previous posts here (and also a few lazy hours studying google maps) I've surprisingly crafted a route that avoids most of the pacific highway, which is sool.

If all goes well I may ride further north - potentially to Cairns. Wondering if anyone has ridden the east coast of QLD. My major concern is that it seems impossible to avoid a lot of the Bruce highway and I'm not keen on battling heaps of traffic. Also, is there much of a riding shoulder on the bruce? I could swing inland but I'm a bit of a coastal cat so prefer to be near the beach.

Maybe I'm being too ambitous.. but as they say reach for the stars and you'll get the moon!

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

Pirate Pete

[hartleymartin]

May I refer you to my BLOG in my signature

http://madmartysblog.blogspot.com

I have just posted something about online tools for planning trips

Use Google Maps and go to street view. This will help give you an idea of what the road is like and if there are any suitable verges to use.

[justD]

Hey Rexter,

Good luck with your trip. I'm planning to do Newcastle to Brisbane, which is 160Km short of your trip. At this stage I'm waiting to see it I can get fit enough for May or whether I should wait for August.

Any chance of sharing your route? Do you just sleep wherever you stop for the day, or do you try to aim for towns?

[rexter]

Sure more than happy to share my route. Will draft it on mapmyride and i'll let you know when finished.

Not exactly sure where I'll stay - have some friends and family to catch up with along the route otherwise i'll leave it open.

[elantra]

my major concern is that it seems impossible to avoid a lot of the bruce HWY and i'm not keen on battling heaps of traffic

Hi Pete your concerns are valid
It is possible to avoid the Bruce HWY until you get to Miriam Vale, which is about 500 km north of Bris.
To do this would require some inventive trip planning and you would also need to get someone to ferry you across the Burrum river between the towns of Burrum heads and Woodgate.
I suggest you contact someone at Fraser Coast BUG because i note they did a tour of this area and used a ferry to cross here
http://www.fcbug.org.au/photo%20gallery.html
This would be one possibility (? anybody got any better ideas)
Pedalling north out of Brisbane - The Gap- Samford-Dayboro -Mt Mee -Woodford -Maleny -Montville -Mapleton -Yandina -Coolum -Noosa - Tewantin -Cooroy -KinKin -Tin Can Bay - Tuena - Maryborough - Hervey Bay - Burrum heads - Woodgate -Bundaberg - Rosedale - Miriam Vale.
Lots of hills and some pretty but NARROW roads and you would be mad to go any further than this (by bicycle)

[rexter]

Hey thanks for the tip. Just checked out this route briefly and it looks OK. I'll email the bug you mentioned for more info on the the ferry.

As for heading further north - past gladstone - perhaps I'll have to head inland and search for quiter roads.

[neiljf]

Hi
I'm doing a charity bike ride from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane and back again, could you let me know the route you have devised missing out the Pacific Highway.

Thank you.

[BikingMarco]

...Lots of hills and some pretty but NARROW roads ...

...hills of the 'drive-your-car-up-in-first-gear'-type around Maleny, Montville, Mapleton. But breathtaking scenery!

[hartleymartin]

Advice: Relax - you're on a bicycle for heaven's sake!

- If you need to get off and walk a hill - do it.
- If you want to sit down and have a rest or take a nap - do it. (30 minute nap in the middle of the day does wonders for your afternoon energy levels)
- If you see something interesting - stop and look at it, or take pictures.
- Hills are mostly psychological - just crazy them out.
- Stop at least once a day and chat with a stranger
- There's no shame in taking a train for part of the trip if it means you'll get to see something interesting.

- HAVE FUN!