First night setup - this was going to be the routine
trail riders ( along with several National Championship winners ( read has beens ), a paramedic and most being mechanics made for a team of survivors , even if some were close to their Best Before date . The flights were a nightmare . Lost luggage , missed transfer buses , closed check-ins and unbelievably non-existent service at the hotel reception ( I mean no one was there at all ). Overcoming those obstacles became insignificant once we got on the bikes and headed out of the HQ . Bike allocation was random and it was first , in best dressed at Cape York Adventures HQ .
DAY ONE We were introduced to our guides and bikes and within an hour or so we were out on the road and into the hinterland of Queensland with semitropical forests , dirt roads and some minor trails . First night camping on the trail was introduction time as many of the crew knew of each other even if they ’ d not actually met . Reputations had been spread , so putting a face to the people was quite an eye-opener for some . Old mate Pete was making a comeback after 40 years and young gun Rowan , at 23 , had to prove his inclusion in the team . Setting up the Stretcher Tents was a little challenging , but dinner and Shane ’ s firecooked cake was delicious - for which he ’ d been collecting oranges and poppies along the way . As our main guide , Shane was so impressed with our combined riding abilities on day one that he decided to send his sweep rider home knowing we could take care of ourselves . In fact , Paramedic Craig took over as sweep as he had a bag full of drugs that most of us were looking forward to at the start of the third and fourth days . And we all wanted him and his croc and snake remedies at the back – just in case .
DAY TWO A nice clear morning with heavy dew , we had to miss the famous Daintree tropical forest as the previous rainy season had washed out much of the trail making it impassable . We were initially disappointed until after a big breakfast when Shane told us we would be tackling the Old Coach Road instead . Not every tour does the Old Coach Road as it is infamously difficult , but Shane had decided we were up for it . This route is further inland amongst the mountains , and turned out to be a road in name only . It ’ s more of a mountain pass . How the hell the gold prospectors got their horse and carts into the gold field on this ‘ road ’ is unbelievable . Apparently , it sometimes took two or three days just to get up each of the climbs . And the climbs seemed endless , the gullies deep
38 KIWI RIDER