The familiar wobbly feeling of a fully loaded bicycle, wind and sun in my face and a seemingly endless road-stretch in open landscape gave me chills from helmet to pedals when leaving Cairns a week ago. I’m free on two wheels again! I address you from the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, where a local café is my office for a few hours. In eight days I’ve cycled 450 beautifully diverse kilometers in Queensland. I initially headed north to Cape Tribulation and then turned south and inland through the stunning Tablelands around Mareeba and Atherton. Yesterday I left the highlands and returned to coast and ocean. Just off the beach in Flying Fish Point I found a great camp spot where I spent the night. The nature in northeast Queensland offers fantastic contrasts for the eye. Intact rainforests rich in life, dry outback, clear lakes, crocodile creeks, lush green farmland, waterfalls, empty beaches and a reef-rich blue ocean.
Photo above: A sunset country road ride outside Atherton!
Photo above: Tropical farmland in Queensland.
Photo above: Miila Miila Falls, Queensland.
Photos above: From local farms I’ve picked up fresh tomatoes, ripe avocados and delicious passionfruit.
I’ve had very intense and eventful months in Sweden, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore before coming to Australia. The past week on the bicycle has been solo therapy and I’ve slowly started sorting my head out. A few sunset rides and nights of solitude under the stars can solve many issues. A bicycle, tent and the outdoors, what else do you really need?
Photos above: In Mareeba I stayed two nights with Konrad, Ester, Anton and their pet rats. They are hosts through Warm Showers. Konrad had a day off work and showed me Mareeba and it’s beautiful surroundings. We had good local coffee and went for a hike to a nearby waterfall.
Photos above: My camp in Flying Fish Point last night. This morning I had dolphins with my coffee.
More photos in the GALLERY, make sure to follow THE ESCAPE on Instagram (@theescape) and Facebook!
/Erik
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