Looking South to
Caloundra from Point Cartwright
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Special 2013 Tour Launch
Bushranger Bikes Southeast Queensland 'Whale Trail'TM
|
 TM |
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Fantastic Tours -
Winter 2013
July - August Booking
Now! |
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2013 Whale
Trail
TM
Tours:
Exclusive to Bushranger
Bikes
- please note
that these tours and dates are what is proposed for 2013 at this stage:
Tweed Coast to the
Sunshine Coast - Cycle the
Whale Trail
TM
- 14 to 20 July 2013
Tweed Coast to the
Sunshine Coast - Cycle the
Whale Trail
TM
- 25 to 31 August 2013
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Bookings are being taken now! Be one of the
first cyclists to ride this amazing coastal
trail.............
What's It About
The Whales
Some Details
Itinerary
Cost
Bookings
Cycle
The Humpback - Exclusive to Bushranger Bikes
 |
The Southeast Queensland
'Whale Trail'TM |
Brisbane Sunrise
Beaches -
Sun - Sand - Cycling - and those Awesome Whales
What's it all about?
It's
about dreaming..............
We all dream and, if you
are a cyclist, it might be about a brilliant cycling
holiday - quiet, meandering backroads; easy, relaxed
pace; perfect scenery...As we dream a little deeper,
there are possibly vineyards, lazy old canals...Yes,
this is European cycle touring and something we all
dream about but, for those of us who live in the
southern hemisphere, the sleep becomes a little
disturbed as we battle long distance transfers, queuing
at busy airports, lots of people and driving and
language challenges. Those of us lucky enough to live
in countries "down under", fondly remember lazy family
holidays by the water - big beaches, rolling surf, golden sand, fishing, surfing, beach cricket,
perfect weather, long days exploring, meeting and making
friends, and probably early romances - yes, ours is a
beach and coast culture!
And
why wouldn't it be? In Australia we have arguably
the best beaches in the world. Swimming, surfing
and fishing are not only some of our favourite
recreational pursuits - they define us.
Australia's climate is magic - mild at worst, sub
tropical in Southeast Queensland and easily summed up in
one word - brilliant! And winter is the pick of
seasons in the 'southeast' - low rainfall, perfect days
and nice cycling temperatures. It really doesn't
get much better.
For
the last couple of years Bushranger Bikes has been
running cycling trips up and down the beautiful Tweed,
Gold & Sunshine Coasts - checking out various sections
of the meandering coastline trails and getting feedback from our
friends and fellow cyclists. The aim was to develop a world class
adventure cycling trail that very much connected with
and show cased our culture, and right here in our backyard -
Southeast Queensland.
And
now we have - it reads like a 'wheres where' of iconic
beach locations - Pottsville, Hastings Point, Cabarita,
Kingscliff, Fingal, Point Danger, Currumbin, Burleigh
Heads, Miami Beach, Mermaid Beach, Surfers Paradise,
Manly Harbour, Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Scarborough,
Caloundra, Mooloolabah, Maroochydore, Coolum Beach,
Peregian Beach, and ......of course - Noosa Heads. Plus along
the way - many smaller but just as beautiful beaches and
seaside communities.
And if that's not enough
to get the dreaming re-aligned, we have the hinterland -
small, intermit, maybe boutique - settlements that sit on
the high ranges overlooking the coast where the
communities are funky, arty, relaxed and cool - yes the
temperatures up there are noticeably a little lower than
at sea level, and the pace even more relaxed. The
vegetation is tropical, the cafes, food and shopping
fantastic and the views.........
To the
cycling - the bike paths and back roads are
safe and level, the coastal scenery is breath-taking,
and we have that laid back costal vibe. Being adjacent to the coast there's great food and accommodation
and all services are readily available. And then we have those awesome whales - the Humpback Whale to be
specific!
So
what's this trail called? We call it the
Humpback Whale Cycling Trail
TM
or the 'Whale Trail' TM
for short.
Refresh your dreams and start dreaming Southeast
Queensland. Come and join Bushranger Bikes cycling
the Humpback in 2013 and if you are from New Zealand or
Australia - reconnect with 'your culture' and perhaps
relive a little of the fun from your childhood.
If
you are from the Northern Hemisphere then we have
something very special in store for you - come and
connect with a little bit of 'down under' culture - we
promise you it's very different and you will love it!
And at
the finish of your holiday you will have some amazing
memories to put with those dreams...........
The Whales:
The Humpback (Megaptera
novaeangliae) migrate from the Antarctic to the
subtropical coastal waters of eastern Australia, and the
South
Pacific islands each year, travelling up and then back
down the east coast of Australia between late April and
November. This is where they mate in spring, and give
birth in winter. An estimated 14000 humpback
whales migrate approximately 6000 km to Australia’s east
coast each year.
Many pods (groups of
whales) stop for short periods in bays along the
Australian coastline. The waters of South East
Queensland play an important part in this migration and
as you travel along the coastline on your bike you can
sight whales at play in the warm waters off the beaches
- truly awesome!
The 'Superstar' of whales is Migaloo,
Australia’s most well-known humpback whale. When he was
first sighted (June 1991) he was the only known all white
whale in the world and up until September 2011 Migaloo was
thought to be the only all white Humpback Whale in the
world. Then amazing footage emerged of a 100% all white baby
humpback calf. This new white whale unofficially named MJ (Migaloo
Junior) has amazed & delighted people from around the world.
Migaloo is an adult male who we believe was born in 1986.
Because Migaloo is such a unique whale he has special
Queensland & Commonwealth Government legislation that is
enacted each year to protect him from harassment. For this
reason all vessels including Jet-skis are prohibited from
approaching Migaloo no closer than 500m and Aircraft no
lower then 2000 feet. The Fine for breaching this law is
$16,500.00!
For more Migaloo facts
click here.
Details of the Bushranger Bikes
Whale Trail TMTour.......
This exclusive Bushranger Bikes 7 days/6 nights tour itinerary has been designed to take
full advantage of arguably some of the best coastal cycling,
scenery and beaches in Australia with iconic locations such
as Fingal, the Gold Coast, Mooloolabah, and Noosa Heads.
Predominantly the riding will be on our fantastic coastal
bikeways with some short road sections, and in this regions
perfect cycling seasons - Autumn/Winter/Spring - expect
magic riding looking out over the coast with the added
attraction of some whale spotting. The ride over the
Brisbane River via the Gateway Bridge will be one of the many highlights.
The gradient is mainly flat so expect relaxed easy cycling, the ride distances each day aren’t massive but from experience I
know that groups will want plenty of time to stop and take
in the awesome coastal scenery, snap those special photos and enjoy the
great cafes and
food along the way, so each day will be a full day.
There are
also fantastic
'off the bike' adventures like Noosa Heads National Park,
the Glasshouse Mountains, Montville, Noosa shops & cafes, and Brisbane's CBD,
Southbank and gardens so this will be one very memorable
experience - make sure you are on board!
Category
is bike path/road.
The tour is a
Grade 2
- easy to intermediate.
Read on
for all the details and an overview of the itinerary.
The romance of the sub-tropics
What's
Included:
- 6 nights
quality accommodation; 6 breakfasts; 5 lunches; 6 dinners;
vehicle & guide support; transfers as outlined in the
itinerary; advice on packing and what to bring; advice on training and ride preparation;
great company and lots of fun!
- Approx
a total of 275KMs of easy riding plus some great short walks
at Noosa and in the Glasshouse
Mountains.
- Plenty
of 'off the bike' fun and activities.
What's
not included:
- morning &
afternoon teas, soft & alcoholic drinks, airfares, baggage (& excess baggage)
charges, travel insurance, other transfers and any additional costs.
The Maroochy River
An Overview of the Itinerary*:
Day 1
– Meet or pick up from Brisbane (airport or designated
point) or the Gold Coast Airport in the morning and transfer
to the Tweed Coast, Northern NSW. In the afternoon we ride
south - Fingal to Pottsville (lunch at Salt/Mantra Resort
precinct, Gelato at Kingscliffe) & accommodation
will be in Pottsville or Hastings Point area. Tour welcome dinner
at a great restaurant in Pottsville. Ride distance approx.
30KMs (Meals – L, D).
Day 2
– relocate and ride the Gold Coast - ride Point Danger to
Southport – 40KMs. Accommodation on Brisbane’s south coast –
fantastic waterfront location. (Meals – B, L, D)
Day 3
– Ride Brisbane’s south coast to Brisbane City – via the
awesome Gateway Bridge – approx. 32KMs. Shopping and free
time to explore the city in the afternoon – accommodation
will be at a location close to the city that night. Evening/night ride around the river –
approx. additional 15KMs. (Meals – B, L, D)
Day 4
– Ride from the city to Nudgee Beach (morning tea stop) and then
through the Boondall Wetlands, past Shorncliffe, Sandgate
and Brighton Beaches, on over the new Ted Smout Bridge to Woody Point
for lunch. After lunch we continue north along the beaches
to Redcliffe/Scarborough – approx. 65KMs. We will stay
in fantastic
beachfront
accommodation. (Meals – B, L, D)
Day 5
– Relocate (there maybe time for a short walk up Wild Horse
Mountain to the lookout for great coastal views) and ride
Caloundra to Point Cartwright – approx. 25KMs (lunch).
After a quick relocation to Mooloolabah we will ride to
Coolum Beach – approx. 30kms. Usually we would
load up here and drive to our brilliant Ecco accommodation
at Noosa.
Alternatively, depending on how we are travelling we could
continue riding to Noosa – approx. a further 25KMs,.
Total ride distance would be approx. 55 - 80kms with options.
A short walk
on the beautiful coastal track to first point at the
headlands in Noosa National Park
is part of the afternoon/evening plan - brilliant! (Meals – B, L, D)
Day 6
– An early spin this morning out to Tewantin Harbour
for a great breakfast right on the waters edge then if we
didn't complete the coastal ride the previous day we will
ride from Noosa back to Coolum.
Alternatively if we didn't fit in the Noosa Headlands
National Park walk the previous day then we will stroll out
to First Point and back, have
a quick look around Noosa,
then
load up for some 'off the bike' adventures.
First up a
drive to Montville (a magic hinterland village) – coffee, shops, lunch and
sightseeing. In the afternoon it's time for a short
walk/climb in the Glasshouse Mountains. Our accommodation is
fantastic and right in the Glasshouse area. (Meals – B, D)
Day 7
– Return to Brisbane via rural Woodford (morning tea), Mount Mee
and Samford Valley - Airport drops can be organised if
required – timing would need to be discussed. Normally we
would be back in Brisbane early to mid afternoon. (Meals – B).
Bushranger
can provide advice on options to stay longer in Brisbane or
Southeast Queensland and assist with the organisation of
additional bookings etc.
* the itinerary is subject to
change as a result of weather, safety issues, timing and
group size.
Point Cartwright from Alexandra Beach
What’s It Going To Cost?
Cost:
AU$1995* per person - includes meals, accommodations and
transfers as outlined above plus bike and equipment
hire. GST is included.
A deposit of
AU$500 per person will be
required at the time of booking.
#
All costs are in Australian dollars.
*
Prices are subject to change and can be impacted by rising fuel
costs and seasonal rates. A single supplement of AU$225 may
apply.
What do I need to do to book my place on the tour?
Places on this tour are usually limited to six people. Please
contact Bushranger Bikes (info@bushrangerbikes.com.au)
or phone +61 (0)7 3139 1402 to arrange for a booking form to be
sent to you.
Want to
know more, have some questions -
please contact me - E-mail
info@bushrangerbikes.com.au
