Cycling Far North Queensland

Resting up beneath palm trees near The Daintree rainforest

I love riding my bike, and I love travel, so I decided to go on at cycle tour. It had to be inexpensive & short, as I was leaving the 2 kids & husband (or I could say, 3 kids), behind. I soon discovered that all states of Australia (& probably most countries) have a bicycle club. They all have inexpensive annual tours, except for NSW. I joined the Bicycle Queensland annual tour https://cycleqld.com.au/ (this year it was in The Daintree, and Atherton Tablelands in tropical far north). It wasn’t too expensive, I think about $600 for just over a week from memory, all meals were included + camp ground fees. I met lots of cyclists and most nights we would be in remote campgrounds, with local bands playing, or fancy dress evenings. I would recommend a tour like this for anyone looking to get into cycle travel. We showered in shower trucks, and it was quite basic, but I soon learnt that I could cycle out of the campground & usually find quieter public amenities somewhere, especially on the coast & at Port Douglas. There was also the option to book hotels. There were many older cyclists (I’d say average age was about 60), and plenty of eligible men – if you any of you ladies out there are in need of one!

Oh it’s hard being this stylish. This is moi after climbing the highest road in Queensland, on my first ever cycle tour.

Because this was my first ever cycle tour in a group, it helped to stand out. People would recognise me for my socks, and it stopped me having to wear so much sun cream.

Link to super trendy rainbow socks:

Bienvenu Rainbow Stripe Fingerless Gloves Arm Warmer Knee Thigh High Socks,Rainbow Set

I also customised Lucille (my bike) with these jaunty wall decal stickers:

4×4 Set of 48 Polka Dot Circles Vinyl Lettering Decal Home Decor Wall Art Saying (Pink)

I got my local bike shop to change my handlebars to these super comfy German grips, where it makes it easy to change posture, & to sit up high. I’ve had a back operation, so I don’t need the ones that make me curl down low over the bike.

Ergon GP3 Grips, Large

It helped to have these arm warmers to keep the sun off

Uriah Cycling Arm Warmers Sun Protection Covers Knight Black Size M

And cycle gloves

RIVBOS Bike Gloves Cycling Gloves Fingerless for Men Women with Foam Padding Breathable Mesh Fashion Design for Mountain Bicycle Motorcycle Riding Driving Sports Outdoors Exercise CHG001 （Black M）

Lastly, one thing I discovered to be necessary along the way – is the fishing buff! This is a lightweight cloth that covers the back of the neck & front of the face. I did get the nickname Darth Vader, but I didn’t care. Beats being burnt. This one can be worn as a sweat headband too, which is handy

ERAN8 12-Pack or 9-Pack Seamless Sports Bandanas, Hair Buff, Wide Headbands for Women and Men, Workout, Yoga, Running, Fishing, Helmet Liner, Face Mask, Hair Scarf, Plain Colors 2, 19″x 9.5″

A quick watercolour sketch of the long hot road out of the Daintree

The sweet burnt sugar smell from the mill in the sugar mining town of Gordonvale, last stop before Cairns. I had just ridden my bike through the local ‘bottlo’ and had an ice cold Asahi beer in my front pannier.

Cycling past the spy and camera museum

Home sweet home

I borrowed this 3 man tent off a friend. It was excellent as it folds into a disk that slid easily into my bike box, then popped right up in the evening. Instant shade! Excellent when you’re all tuckered out after a day of cycling.

I also had an excellent mattress
Sea to Summit Comfort Light Sleeping Mat with Inflation Pump, Large (79×25)