OzSTOC
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: spanner on June 11, 2015, 09:20:26 AM
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Has anyone recently ridden on the Bowen developmental dirt section of that road?
Just wondering what road surface conditions are like.
I am happy to ride on unsealed roads at the speed limit on my ST1100 but it just cant take the really rough roads....... lots of corrugations, huge amounts of pot holes etc so if anyone has any recent news on that section of road I would love to know.
Cheers
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Post up the question on FarRiders as well, as there should be some who have used that road
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done.
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The last time I was over that road which would have been 2012, it's very stony in places and sandy and loose in others I wouldn't ride a bike over it as the risk of puncture is very high and that part of the road is very remote as you've past the Newlands turn off for the mine traffic so it's only local traffic. It's Dirt or was Dirt at about 20k's south west of the Newlands turn off and then it's Dirt to the community of Mount Coolon about 40k's of dirt and then sealed to Belyando Crossing.
Mount Coolon has a Servo called the Koala Roadhouse (Its only small) and a Pub (Worth a Stop in)
If your looking to do a circuit then I'd go down to Hamden - Marian - Eton - Nebo - Mount Coolon - Belyando Crossing - Charters Towers - Townsville That'll keep you busy for a day. If your looking foa a route south then out to Charters Towers and down the Beef Road - Emerald - Biloela and the Burnett Highway
I hope that helps
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Thanks Sabie.
The remote traffic is a little bit of a concern if I break down.
Was looking at figuring out a 1600k route for an IBA attempt.
I think I'll look further north and go for Cooktown .... it seems that the road to Cooktown is sealed all the way ..... great news for the grey nomads and bikers.
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The Circuit I suggested is sealed all the way.
This route is 1700 K's it's dirt from Torrens Creek for 33 K's can be good can be bad depends on if it's rained and/or how long since it was last graded and the entire route has good traffic the rest of the route is sealed. On the link below go to emerald and then Clermont for some reason it's defaulting to the dirt road Alpha to Clermont.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Townsville+City+QLD/-21.6799872,148.69251/-23.554726,145.2888454/-20.7709515,145.0162716/Charters+Towers+QLD/Townsville+City+QLD/@-21.0681623,146.0474756,7z/data= (https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Townsville+City+QLD/-21.6799872,148.69251/-23.554726,145.2888454/-20.7709515,145.0162716/Charters+Towers+QLD/Townsville+City+QLD/@-21.0681623,146.0474756,7z/data=)!4m28!4m27!1m5!1m1!1s0x6bd5f8dbd573d1e7:0x500eef17f20feb0!2m2!1d146.8178787!2d-19.2576223!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d148.1352836!2d-23.578212!3s0x6bc8b3191baacfb7:0xee6654c2b0ceee66!1m0!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x6bd45ef960928d4f:0x400eef17f209470!2m2!1d146.2538153!2d-20.0504796!1m5!1m1!1s0x6bd5f8dbd573d1e7:0x500eef17f20feb0!2m2!1d146.8178787!2d-19.2576223!3e0
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looks good but I have also thought about a Northern trip up through the tablelands then up to Cooktown and back down and then an inland segment to conjuboy and then charters and back to tsv