Australia 6 : FLAXTON TILL MOUNT MORGAN

FLAXTON TILL MOUNT MORGAN

Flaxton – Mapleton – Kenilworth – Imbil – Amamoor 71
Amamoor – Gympie – Widgee – Woologa 77
Woologa (250) – Biggenden (350) 83
Biggenden – Mount Perry (700) 78
Mt Perry – roads 12 and A3 – Mildilgie 83
Mildilgie – Monto – Kalpowar 51
Kalpowar – Meany Peaks – Nagoorin – Calliope-20 80
Calliiope-20- Calliope – hgw 1 – Bajool+25 125
Bajool+25 – Mogilno road – Boulercombe – Mount Morgan 50Flaxton – Mapleton – Kenilworth – Imbil – Amamoor – Gympie
I stay 1 day in Diana and Tony home, very busy, but yet they find time to listen me and drive me around. I can too repair the bicycle, very useful.
I take the road to Mapleton, 8 km of steep hills. And I turn left to Obi obi road, till Kenilworth. There are 5 km of dangerous steep gravel road down hills, and then mostly flat till Kenilworth, through fields and forest. There are a picnic area 10 km after Mapleton on right before a creek, and other just at the cross before Kenilworth, 30 km. Kenilworth is a little town, all services.
Just before it, I turn right to Gympie, road 51. That starts by 6 km climbing with lookout on the Mary river valley, then a short flat and then hills, through fields and forest. There is a community house in Brooloo km 44 just after Pariri street.
On km 47 I turn left to Imbi, little village with a store, and a show ground behind the school. I turn right before the store, Kandanga road, 9 km hilly till Kandanga, store and sport ground on right. I turn right Amamoor road, yet hilly. At the end is the community house where I could camp. But I choose to go till the forest. So I turn left in Busby street, which is the main street, cross the railway, and continue 5 km ahead till the nice picnic area, where I camp. Crossing Amamoor, I see a steam train. All that is rather nice, through fields and forest, with looks on valleys rounded by hills with forest.
Then it is 2 km from Amamoor village till the main road 51, and 22 km till Gympie, hilly. Gympie is a town crossed by the hgw. Every shops are closed on Sunday, except a grocery downtown. In fact on the hgw, just before the gasoline station, there is a little park on right. I turn at this cross on right, and at the first traffic light on left, the grocery is up hill. Then I come back at the hgw, at the same cross, and I turn left before the gasoline station, way to the show ground. It is 2 km ahead.
Gympie – Widgee – Woologa
Well I don’t stop in the show ground. But this is the way to Widgee, little road which avoid me the hgw. I turn right at the show ground and continue through forest and steep hills for 26 km. In Glastonburry, km 17, there is a community house, and in Widgee a nice pony club.
Then I turn right to Woologa. The road flatters through fields but becomes gravel road, for 14 km till the hgw. Then I turn left for 4 km and right for 3 km to Woologa, village with a convenience store and a picnic area. I meet here Richard, a new Zealand cyclist, who gives me good advices to travel in USA.
Woologa – Biggenden
The road is slowly climbing and gently hilly for 65 km, but windy too, till the railway crossing. Then it stop climbing, but it is yet hilly. The first part is through young forest, then through large and unfenced fields without houses, rather wild, till the cross to Brooweena, and then forest again. I see only 2 houses, just before that cross. There is a beautiful lookout before Biggenden, on the cliff of the mount Walsh, which looks like a castle with walls and towers.
Biggenden is a village with a grocery , tap water at the fire house, and picnic area at the entrance, where I camp. A woman stops for a while and we talk together.
Biggenden – Byrnes town – Mount Perry
That is the third day climbing. It is mostly gentle and regular today, barely hilly. 2 climbs are valourous, one before the cross to mount Perry, km 20 to km 30, and the other after the Burnet river, km 47 to km 61, both on gravel and rought road.
The first 10 km are through the forest, and the last 20 km too. The other part is through fields.
To get out of Biggenden, I take straight, following the railway, and the road follows the railway for 32 km.
There is a private campsite on km 46, just along the Burnet river, very quiet. In Mount Perry I go straight, till the memorial park, behind the little climb, where I camp on right. In front, behind the city hall, there are toilets and hot shower. And just before is a store. Petrol is on the way to Monto, on left. And show ground is too on the way to Monto, 2 km ahead.
Mount Perry – road 12- road A3 – Mulgildie – Monto
In mount Perry I come back to the cross and turn right, way to Monto, road 12. After the show ground there are 2 km climbing at 10%. Then there 20 km of steep hills, but the way goes down so it is easy. Then comes 20 km of hills, but the way goes up now, so I go slowly. And that finish by 15 km hilly and 5 km flat, to join the road A3. The first 30km are sealed, and the next 30km are rought gravel road. It goes mostly through open forest with some cactus trees. It is a hard day.
Then the road A3 is gently hilly, sealed, during 22 km, going slowly up, through fields, and rather unbusy. The first village is Milgildie, with grocery, community hall with toilets and tap water, and pony club at the end of the community hall street, where I camp.
Then it is yet 14 km of the road A3 till Monto, which have a pony club at the entrance, and all services on the main road, 300m ahead.
Monto – Kalpowar – Many Peaks – Nagoorin – Calliope
Well here it is hard to choose the road. Or I take the A3 till Bilolea and then the A60 till Mount Morgqan, which is not very interesting, or I take the road till Calliope, but then I have to take the hgw for 75 km, which is boring. I decide to go by Calliope.
The road goes along the railway, by gentle hills through fields till Kalpowar, 50 km, where I camp near the community house. I am tired by yesterday road. A neighbours gives me mandarins from his garden.
Then comes 23 km gravel road till many peaks village, 6 km hilly, 2 km of very dangerous steep down, beware ther is a grid in the middle, and 16 km of gentle hills. All that is through the forest. Many peaks is a village, some houses and an hotel. It is possible to camp, but I recommend to continue 2 km till the next village, which have a nice picnic area, km 27.
The road enters in a large valley with fields, bordered by 2 lanes of hills covered by forest, and flatters. On km 45 there is a village with a picnic area and convenience store, and km 50, Nagoorin is a village with a community house.
Then the road continues flat for 10 km, the valley narrows and the river takes all the wide of the valley, and the road enters in the hills and becomes gentle hilly. On km 80 on the left, just before the bridge and just after a railway crossing, there is a picnic area where I camp. It is also possible to camp for free 15 km before on right, following the sign camp in the bush.
15 km more of flat road drives me to the cross with the main road, I turn right, and I do 6 km more to find the supermarket and Calliope. The sport fields are before on left. There the newspaper seller tells me there is no way to go to Mount Morgan by back roads, as the last flow destroyed the bridges, and the last climbing is abandoned.
Calliope – Pajool – Boulercombe - Mount Morgan
So I have to take the hgw 1 for 75 km. Surprisingly, it is not so busy, but yet noisy and a beat dangerous. It is 2 lanes and not always a shoulder. It is mostly through the forest, nothing to look at, boring. In Bajool I decide to get off and turn left. I make a 20km tour in ground trails, but a farmer tells me there is no way to try to climb straight to Mount Morgan, very steep, stones and weeds, and dangerous during the night, by the snakes and dingos and wild dogs. He drives me to a recreation reserve, Ulam road, where I camp.
The next day I forget the climbing, and continue the trail till the hgw 1, 10 km ahead. Well at least it was a nice detour, and a quiet safe place to camp. I turn left on the hgw, and 3 km after, before Midgee creek, in Mogilno road, gravel. I follow it till the end, 7 km, and I turn on right, 4 km more to join Boulercombe holtel, where I drink a fresh beer.
Then I take the main road to Mount Morgan, road 60. It is flat for 6 km, and then climbs for 8 km, with great views on the large plain of Rockampton. There is a basic picnic area at the top of the hill. But I continue 2 km more till the center of Mount Morgan, and stay 3 days in Pete and Sue home, a very funny and nice couple, who lodges me in a caravan, my own little home, I very appreciate it. If some needs to camp in Mt Morgan, just before the bridge, in front the railway station sign, turn right, and 2 km flat ahead is the dam, with a confortable picnic area.

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