Brisbane to Gladstone

[velosapien]

Hi, I'm looking at doing a loop from Brisbane to Gladstone and back.

I would love any tips or recommended routes. Hills ok. I would also prefer to come back a different way (eg. further inland).

I am comfortable on either back roads or highways (did BNE - MEL last year using a combination) but know the Bruce Hwy is "special".

In particular I know bicycles are banned on the highway from Brisbane until somewhere around Nambour. Does anyone know precisely where? It's not a problem as I've ridden to Maroochydore before via Old Gympie Road, but it would be good to know regardless.

[RonK]

Hi, I'm looking at doing a loop from Brisbane to Gladstone and back.

I would love any tips or recommended routes. Hills ok. I would also prefer to come back a different way (eg. further inland).

I am comfortable on either back roads or highways (did BNE - MEL last year using a combination) but know the Bruce Hwy is "special".

In particular I know bicycles are banned on the highway from Brisbane until somewhere around Nambour. Does anyone know precisely where? It's not a problem as I've ridden to Maroochydore before via Old Gympie Road, but it would be good to know regardless.

I'm not sure where the restrictions start, but I don't think they are as far north as Nambour. You can see my route maps on the approaches to Brisbane here.

Personally I'd take a route through the South Burnett district and avoid the Bruce highway.

[Meditator]

Why would you want to ride on the highway anyway. Its got to be a most boring road. check out the trails around Noosa. A few locals told me that a really nice one is at the very top of it going up to kin kin. I think htey are called Noosa trails. If was riding in this area, i'd be riding along the coastal areas and definitely enjoying noosa. I was there recently.

[velosapien]

Thanks for that. I'd rather not use the Bruce but time may be a factor.

[Greentourer]

Why not take the Citytrain (leaves Roma Street about 9.30 am) to Gympie North, then ride up the Bruce Hi'Way a short distance, turn off to Kilkivan, then Gayndah, Monto, Bilioela,Gladstone.

Alternatively, train to Nambour, then Cooroy, Pomona, Kin Kin, Tin Can Bay Road, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg (at Burrum Heads you have to cross the Burrum River, ask around, a fisherman may take you across for a slab of Fourex, otherwise backtrack to join the Bruce Highway at Childers), Miriam Vale, the final stretch to Gladstone also on the Bruce.

The inland route on the Burnett Highway is the hilliest and more scenic than the coastal option.

Sunshine Coast area, especially between Noosa and the Tin Can Bay Road, is touring bicycle paradise. Roads are pretty quiet. The Noosa Trail is off road mostly, primarily for horse riders, possible on a mountain bike but not really suitable as part of a touring itinerary.

[Meditator]

Well when i was in the area, locals told me to do it and had things been different i would have ridden up to pomona with all my gear. As it was, i rode from Cooroy to Pomona and then back to cooroy. I found nice places to camp and had a great time in the forest. I think its worth doing. And the guys who talking up the pomona to kin kin route were not backing off my case either and they could see i had gear. However, i do understand its a rough track and you would have to get off and push a bit but given how nice were the tracks, i think it would be worth it and so much nicer than any road. Its pretty special to be able to ride through a forest on a track even if you have lots of gear making your bike heavier.

[velosapien]

I ended up taking the train to Caboolture (already ridden to/fro there a few times), tried Steve Irwin Way to Landsborough (stick to Old Gympie Road - the traffic was horrendous), up the hill to Mapleton for the night, down to Gympie via Kenilworth, Maryborough via Tin Can Bay Rd (as many semis as the Bruce) then Bundaberg via the Bruce and Goodwood Rd.