The Great Northern Cycle Trail

I had the good fortune to ride the Great Northern Cycle Trail in September over a period of five and a half days. You can find all the information you need on the Facebook site inclding the GPX file which is a must. Kathy, who is the founder of the route, kindly picked me up from the bus stop in Atherton, let me assemble my bike at her house and then stored my bags while I was off riding. The first couple of days were wet but not cold as I travelled through the rainforest and waterfalls of the eastern tablelands.

Curtain Fig Tree

Lake Eacham

Millaa Millaa Falls

Lookout after Millaa Millaa

Tricky bridge crossing

Dodging cattle on Glen Gordon

A nice looking fella

Camping at Woodleigh Station

As I travelled further west the country became dryer and the climate was ideal for cycle touring. The route traversed cattle stations, rail trails and towns with few inhabitants, relics from the mining days when they were established. A highlight was a tin dredge on Woodleigh station which is a massive steel structure once used for the extraction of alluvial tin. Now it rusts away in silence and you are free to explore its multiple levels.

Tin dredge on Woodleigh Station

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nettle_Creek_Tin_Dredge for more information

Wurruma swamp

Lappa Rail Trail - not a car for hours!

Creek crossing

Lappa railway station

Petford - not a one horse town!

Middle of nowhere library

Boonmoo Station

Irvinebank - population 125

Herberton - Atherton railway

Rolling down to the finish

Logistics

Unless you're a local you will probably be arriving in Cairns via plane. From Cairns it is possible to get a Transnorth bus to Atherton with your bike although the bus doesn't go from the airport. Nor does the bus take credit cards so make sure you have cash on hand. However on the return journey you can get dropped at the airport which works well with an afternoon flight.

Thanks to Kathy & Steve for making this trip possible.