Adventure riders assemble for the annual Christmas in July 2022

The ride to Einasleigh was more than an adventure riders right of passage, it was a test of endurance. I was wet and cold. My helmet visor was fogging up with every breath I exhaled. When I lifted it to wipe the water off, the rain penetrated my eyes like pins and needles.

But that wasn’t my biggest concern. The mud was about six inches deep and all I cold see was two kilometres of flat muddy road ahead. The thought of corkscrewing off at speed sent panic waves through my body.

Usually the Einasleigh to Lynd Junction road is a well maintained dirt track about 78 kilometres long. It joins Einasleigh to the Gregory Development road. Today, it was more creek than road, with deep pits of mud. But I’ve gotten ahead of myself, I need to take you back a couple of days to when it all started.

Christmas in July

The annual Christmas in July event is organised through the North Queensland Adventure riders group on Facebook. It’s usually a nice ride through the great dividing range from the coast and then along a well maintained dirt road to Einasleigh in the Gulf Country.

The event provides an opportunity for adventure riders in North Queensland to come together, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. This year because of the rain I estimate about 28 attended. However, in previous years there have been upwards of 70 adventure riders.

1200 kilometres for a beer and a steak

My journey started in Townsville, I rode over the Great Dividing Range via the Harvey Range crossing. I rode west to Bluewater Creek. At Bluewater Creek it had started to rain, by the time I got to the Greenvale Roadhouse it was pissing down.

This lady came up to me and asked if I was going out to Einasleigh for the bike meeting. I said I was and she explained she was taking the ute out as a support vehicle. I would have joined her on the trip out but I wanted to explore the short cut road from Mount Surprise.

Adventure riders assemble

At Mount Surprise it had stopped raining and I met up with theTownsville and Cairns adventure riders. We started our ride as a group, but it wasn’t long before the BMW and the KTM riders were out in front. I sat at the back as I usually do on 105 kilometres per hour for most of the 25 kilometres to the turn off to Einasleigh.

The mud starts here

The “Short Cut” was a wide dirt road with corrugations and long deep cambered corners. Perfect for adventure riders. There were pockets of muddy track throughout the trip that seemed to get deeper and longer the more we moved into the valley.

This was the first time I had ridden mud tracks with my new suspension. Even though the suspension was significantly better than the stock gear, I still felt my anxiety increased as the mud got deeper and the sections of mud on the road got longer.

Had this been my old suspension, it would have dived when coming into the mud causing the front to try and corkscrew, there would have been a lot more movement and a lot less direct drive to the rear wheel.

However, with the new set up I was able to average about 100 kph on the flat areas, floating into the corners and accelerating out with ease. In the mud I dropped down a gear and cruised at about 50 or 60 kph. The fear associated with getting thrown off in the mud was almost paralysing.

Rain and more rain

I caught up with two riders, Nardeen from Einsaleigh and Dave from Cairns on a GS1200. As Nardeen was fairly new to adventure riding, I assumed Dave was providing coaching. He would lead her through the mud and point out the best line to take. I followed, doing exactly what they did and it wasn’t long before my riding improved and my confidence started to build.

It became an enjoyable experience, to the point where I was intentionally power sliding out of the corners. Emu was responding beautifully to an improved technique and he was effortlessly pulling out of the mud patches like a pro.

My anxiety started to disappear. We rode over the bridge into Einsaleigh as a group, it was an amazing feeling having conquered one of my fears. But I was still concerned about how we were going to get home. It looked like rain was going to set in and I knew I would have to contend with a lot more mud on the way out. Especially if I was riding home down the Lynd Junction road. 

The view of the Copperfield Gorge from the road bridge is spectacular with the famous rail bridge in the foreground.

Copperfield Gorge Lodge

Nardeen and the BMW rider rode off to Nardeen’s house to join the other adventure riders from Cairns, while I made my way to my booked accommodation at the lodge. I was there a day early but there seemed to be plenty of camping spots available for an extra night. It was very wet but best described by one rider as the Copperfield Waterpark. I parked Emu near the homestead and tried to find a solid bit of ground. Emu sank into the soil straight away. There was a piece of rock nearby, holding the handle bars while stretching for the rock must have looked comical.

The thought of camping with more rain on the way was a little discomforting. The manager, Fran was one of those country women you meet who is not only supremely competent in all things practical, but quite friendly and interesting to boot. We talked about the lodge and how it was originally set up to provide accommodation for miners and how she worked for the mining company.

We sloshed through the mud looking for the best camping site, eventually she suggested that I pitch my tent in one of the causeways between the little units. This sounded like a much better plan.

Country hospitality

Fran eventually found a spare room with not water or air-conditioning and offered it to me at a good rate. Looking at the drizzle which had now settled in and then at the comfortable bed in the unit. I found hard to reconcile the cognitive dissonance between not pitching a tent and the fact I had ridden all this way with my camping gear. It took micro seconds to overcome this mental anquish.

After unpacking and spreading my wet gear on every hook and high place I could find and after putting Emu’s cover over him. I got changed into some warm clothes and headed to the pub for a beer and catch up with some of the Townsville team.

The Einasleigh Hotel

The Einasleigh Hotel is the biggest building in Einasleigh. It is a two story mansion compared to the other buildings in town. Built in 1908, it is located on the eastern side of the town, directly in front of the Copperfield Gorge, the pub takes centre stage in many activities. It was once called the Central Hotel and it’s hard to believe it now, but back then there were five hotels in the town. The Einasleigh Hotel was the last one standing, when the mineral rush died out after the Great War. Interestingly, and according to Wikipedia all five hotels were owned by women.

Jamie, Dale, and Dom had come through the Valley of Lagoons from Cardwell and were sitting with a group of other riders that had come down from Mount Surprise. They espoused their apparent enjoyment of the ride over slippery near vertical roads and deep greasy clay pans. They were now regaling us with the virtues of KTM 890’s and siting drinking beer. Paul Wright who had joined the team from Mount Isa and was siting next to Dom’s wife.

This was the lady I met at Greenvale and who had the sense to drive the 4*4 and stay warm and dry. She was politely listening to the near death experiences of her husband and co-riders. My wife would have wandered off by now and would probably be looking at the plants in the garden.

Time for a beer

It was getting late in the afternoon and it was definitely beer o’clock, I soon found a good bottle of red and had a few glasses before diner was served. There wasn’t much choice from the menu, it was either fish and chips battered or fish and chips crumbed. So I chose the fish and chips battered. It’s been a long time since I have had fish and chips served in a hotel wrapped in a newspaper. But I guess when in Rome……you know the saying.

It had started to rain heavy and I felt lucky that I had my wet weather jacket on. I wondered back to the lodge at about 9pm, checked that Emu’s cover was in place and he wasn’t going to sink into the mud, then jumped into bed and quickly feel asleep.

Early morning exploration

The next morning (Saturday) was quiet, I walked around town taking some photos of interesting things and capturing photos of flocks of Galahs.There are some interesting sights in Einasleigh if you look closely, I’m not sure of the back story of the teddy bears at the railway station. If someone knows can they leave a comment to explain it.

When I knew everybody was awake, I went over to Nardeen’s place and introduced myself to the Cairns crew who had arrived the day before. After a couple of hours, I went back to the lodge and got Emu out of bed.

We went for a ride to pass some time, I passed the pub and could see the Townsville group were siting on the hotel veranda. I made my way up the inside stair case. It was curious how this would have passed any modern housing inspection, for some reason it’s only 4’6″ high where it turns up to the next level. You have to duck, lest you hit your head. May be it was designed for miners and they were shorter in the day.

Ghosts at the Einasleigh Hotel

Most old Queensland pubs have ghosts. It’s almost mandatory, especially in a mining town. Why not Einasleigh? Ben mentioned there was some sort of hatch door in the room, he checked it was closed and locked before going to bed. It looked like it hadn’t opened for years and they had painted over the latch. The hatch would not budge. The next morning it was unlocked and open.

When this was mentioned the next morning, Dale and Dom said they had heard foot steps going backward and forward along the veranda during the night. This could have been another guest in a room on the other side of the veranda. The problem was that when you walk across the veranda the old boards flex and creak, at no time did any of them hear a creaking noise. Is there a ghost at the Einsaleigh Hotel?………..you be the judge. If you know of any other paranormal occurrences let me know in the comments.

Copperfield Gorge

There are seven well known tourist gorges in Queensland, from Lawn Hill to Carnarvon. Copperfield Gorge is rated as one of the easiest of the seven to access. That is, once you get to Einasleigh. It is spectacular in many ways and was formed during the volcanic activity that shaped the landscape in this region, including the famous Undara Lava Tubes. This gorge is carved out of basalt and has an almost moon like landscape.

When it’s wet there’s a great waterfall cascading in at the southern end that fills the gorge with bluey green water. At the other end of the gorge there is a big sandy beach. Luen Warneke has done a small expose on it and you can read about it at the following web page: https://wanderstories.space/copperfield-gorge/

The patch of golden sand beach makes this gorge an ideal spot for a swim and a kayak (albeit a short kayak).

More adventure riders arrive

After my morning walk and exploration of Copperfield Gorge I went back to the lodge for lunch. It wasn’t long before I heard the tell tale exhaust note from the bikes of more adventure riders pulling into the Copperfield Waterpark. First to arrive was Bob on his trusty modified KLR650, closely followed by Barry on his Triumph Tiger, Steve on his Versey 300, Jeff on his CB500X and Dean on his DR650. Everybody went about doing introductions to new people and greetings to old friends.

It wasn’t long before more bikes arrived and the units were filling up with adventure riders, it was a constant battle to find sticks or rocks to put under the side stands in order to prevent the bikes from falling into the mud. Eventually, camping gear was set up, units claimed and bikes put away for the night, just as the rain started to fall again.

Bush BBQ

For most of the late afternoon we sat around talking about bikes, bike adventures, bike accidents and bike modifications. Soon it was time to go to the pub for the much anticipated BBQ. We caught up with other bikers and regaled each other with road conditions, bike conditions, bike accidents, bike adventures and the possibility of separating North Queensland from the rest of Australia in a bloodless political ku de ta.

It was a great opportunity to meet socially with adventure riders that you are rarely able to catch up with in person during the year. Different adventure riders, ride at differing times and have completely different ideas on what makes a suitable riding destination.

Dinner consisted of steak, sausages, rissoles and at least three salads. To participate you simply purchased a paper plate for $25 at the bar and went outside to fill it up.

The journey home

The next day we all packed up eagerly anticipating the final stage of our adventure bike weekend. Packing the bikes and ensuring everything was in its rightful place took the usual time, then it was time for breakfast on the water parks veranda. Fran and her friend provided the usual country hospitality and big breakfast, definitely a bargain at $10.00. Once packed we went to the pub to get the obligatory bike photo outside.

Unfortunately, not all the bikes were there so it was just those that were at the lodge and the hotel. At that point we had made our minds up to ride the Lynd Junction Road, after all it was an adventure ride….right:) Jaime and Dale were continuing on from Lynd Junction and out through the valley of lagoons, Paluma and then to Townsville. The rest of us agreed to ride down the highway and back through the Harvey Range road.

Oh no! Mud

It was inevitable that we would come across some patches of mud. But as soon as we turned right onto the Lynd Junction Road we hit it. Not just patches we could avoid, but mud right across the road. I was riding in the middle of the group. Determined to ride faster than I felt comfortable riding, I would trust Emu to perform as needed.

However, I wasn’t ready for that much mud and not so soon into the return trip. It took me a little by surprise and I instinctively slowed down. Just as I did Jeff and Steve flew past me. Waking me up to my promise to speed up and ride aggressively.

By accelerating and standing on the pegs I allowed Emu to show me how good an investment my “Moab” shock, heavy duty springs and shock dampers were. He was performing brilliantly, it was just me that needed to step up.

We had just caught up with Jeff and Steve when they hit what was actually the deepest section of mud on the whole road. It looked like the council had fixed their pot holes with dirt rather than road base and the dirt had turned to deep slushy mud. I think it was Jeff on his CB500X that cork screwed first, although I was later informed that it was Steve on the Versey. Either way it was an impressive off and had it been on film would have been in contention for best adventure riding fall of the year. If such an award was on offer.

Quick get the photo

Dean, who was riding behind me on his DR650 pulled up as quickly as he could and grabbed his phone for the most important photo opportunity of the weekend. Jeff was quick to pull himself out of the mud to help Steve and I got off my bike to get his out of the mud. Dean was already helping Jeff and Steve by the time I got the CB500X secured on the road. Then I got my phone out for the important after shot.

Just so you know, if you fall off your bike, it is a given and accepted practice in the adventure riding community that before medical treatment is administered you will be photographed. This is not only to show the effect of your off for further training (bragging) opportunities but to post the event to social media. It also helps the Coroner should they require evidence with a later investigation.

Bravery

This accident would have shaken both Jeff and Steve, but if it did they didn’t show it. I followed them the full length of the road and for almost all of it they were riding to the limits of their bikes. There is no doubt that both these guys are good riders (much better than I am). They were taking every good line and powering through every mud pit, most of the time I was following their line. The Versey and the CBX are more road orientated bikes, but you wouldn’t know it the way these guys were riding them.

In my previous blog about the “Blue Tree” I talked about bravery. Adventure riding sometimes requires this when shit happens. This is the type of thing I was referring to in that blog, you have a choice slow down to the point where it’s safe, but not really. Or bite the proverbial bullet and speed up. Something clicked in my mind right then. If I was going to get down this road, I would have to ride counterintuitively. In other words I would have to do what I thought was counter to my own safety, I would have to ride as fast as I could.

How fast is fast?

My average speed was around 75 kilometres per hour in the really muddy areas, down to second gear and 55 kph on the muddy corners and then closer to 95 along the straights. I was riding down one of the more challenging straights when two orange blurrs passed me on the right side. No sooner had I registered them than they were gone. Dale and Jaime passed me doing about 120 kph on their KTM890’s.

Dean stayed behind me for most of the ride out, which was very much appreciated. I’m sure he would like to have ridden faster. I had just caught up to Jeff and Steve again as I got to the tar at the Lynd Roadhouse. It was closed due to not having staff, so we decided to meet again for fuel and food at the Greenvale Roadhouse, just 50 kilometres south.

Lunch and the journey home

We filled up our tanks at the road house paying $2.59 per litre and had a pie and coffee before kicking the bikes into gear and heading down the highway. After an hour and a half we reached a monument to the Harvey Range Road. It was cold and wet and while the heavy rain had passed it was still a cold bone shaking experience.

I took the opportunity to put on a spare pair of bike jeans and my wet weather jacket. It was only 100 kilometres to Townsville so we said our good byes and headed home. The only sad news was that Bob broke a chain link on his KLR and had to wait for help in the cold rainy weather. Luckily Dean and Barry were behind and stayed with him until it arrived. There’s a lesson for the rest of us in this, the ride is not over until everybody is home safe.

I hope you enjoyed this adventure, it was a fantastic time and great to catch up with awesome adventure riders at a great pub. Thanks to Fran for looking after us at the lodge, I’ll be going back next year. Safe riding:)