Day 22: Archers Creek to Yungaburra

May 25, 2024

It was sunny when we woke up but only briefly and not enough to dry the tents. Another camper came over to tell us that we were lucky and branch hadn’t fallen on us and that climate change wasn’t real but he did at least give us a couple of mandarins. We decided we would have a light breakfast (muesli bars) and stop in Ravenshoe for proper breakfast.

Unfortunately there were many hills. I don’t know where my ride with gps route went but it didn’t seem like the hills up to the gold club were as steep as they looked on the profile. But we were still quite slow getting to Millstream falls.

We also went for a walk around what little remains of the WWII camp that was here. Then we pushed up the hill to Ravenshoe and found eggs on toast for what was really brunch by then.

There’s a boil water alert in Ravenshoe as well so we bought a bottle which I swapped for one of my old ones.

We had not really planned a route. I looked it up on google maps and Gabby looked it up on Apple Maps and the results were very different. They both started on the Tumoulin road though so out we headed.

I was convinced my (google) route was better, and would take us past the highest road in qld. But then I started to doubt myself and google and decided maybe I should be adventurous so we turned off the sealed road onto the dirt following Gabby’s (apple) route.

It was smooth but downhill to start with

Then we entered Tumoulin national park there was a very scenic, long, slow hill.

Eventually we got to a junction, and Gabby’s apple route said we were about 10% (maybe a bit more) of the way through the forest. Gabby’s suggestion was to turn around and ride back down the same way and continue on the original road. He tried to convince me accepting mistakes was part of being an adult but I still didn’t want to back track. I ate my quite nice Ravenshoe bakery apple turnover and then we turned right to cut out of the forest. It didn’t look like far on the map but it was very muddy and took a while although it wasn’t uphill any longer. We passed a guy with a dog walking, from where we never found out. Eventually we crossed a grid and emerged into dairy country.

It hadn’t been raining while we were in the forest but it started then as we rolled down the hill onto the highway what felt like three hours and TEN KILOMETRES from Ravenshoe. At least we could pick up speed a bit even if it was cold and windy and foggy. And we didn’t even get to quite the highest road in Qld, although we were close at around 1100m.

My google route went on some questionable roads after we finally reached the Tumoulin road intersection. We rode up a short hill to see the road quality and it was basically muddy wheel tracks across a field so staying on the highway seemed like the best option. I was pretty cranky cause I remembered the next section of the highway as being brutal, only worth it for the Mt Hypipamee crater which we would be too cold/wet/time pressed to stop at.

We ate some peanut butter on crackers, called our booking agent (Linda) to find us some accommodation in Yungaburra then had to tackle the road. Luckily, I had done it the other way which was quite brutal but the way we went was much more descent and only a manageable ascent out of the crater.

Celebratory valley view at the end of our highway section

Then we turned onto an amazing road where we mostly just cruised downhill through dairy paddocks. I have a feeling I also rode that road last time in the opposite direction. I remember being very tired when I got to Herberton that night and I can see why. We followed some even smaller but all bitumen roads and only stopped once.

We stopped at the platypus viewing platform but saw nothing, then at the pub to book for dinner. While there it started raining so it made sense to stay for a beer before riding out to the lakeside caravan park.

on the way to the caravan park, we saw the hotel courtesy bus pick people up so after we had set up our damp tents in the drizzle, we called for a lift to the pub. It is huge and was heaving as it had been market day that day. There was live music and a spit roast although we opted for pizza and pasta instead. They also had a craft beer bar with local breweries in the old ladies lounge so I got a tasting paddle and decided I liked the ginger beer and xpa best. What a way to end the great northern reign!

Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 1,570 km (975 miles)

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