Gold Coast Hinterland, QLD

Self-Guided Adventure

AT A GLANCE
Type: Self-guided
Total distance: 140km
Estimated duration: 3.5 hours (with stops)

RIDING CONDITIONS
The loop it’s a favorite amongst enthusiasts on the weekend and there are sections where you may hit some tourist traffic, however, if you start early or have a mid-week RDO, it’s more often than not clear sailing with next to no contention for tarmac. There are plenty of cafe's, restaurants and incredible views to see. You’ll only find fuel on Tamborine mountain with a slight detour or Canungra, so be sure to fill up before things get spirited. The speed limit is 60-80km/h and is surprisingly quite enjoyable at this pace, especially given the tight and twisty nature of most of it.

RIDE OVERVIEW
If you’re starting and finishing in Nerang, You will have a short highway run before jumping straight into some brilliant 2nd and 3rd gear twisties that seemingly go on forever before reaching the summit of Springbrook. If you’re the hiking type, you can walk the Purlingbrook falls track as well which is one of the most incredible waterfalls of the Gold Coast area.

From here you will descend the other side of the mountain and hit the faster and more flowing Nerang Murwillumbah road - a fantastic ride in its own right. The road meanders through the valley for 15km where you will see the outer tributaries of the Hinze dam.

However, take care as this is a regularly patrolled road and very easy to let the revs climb. The next stage of the ride is back to the tight twisties on the ascent up to the top of Beechmont. You can make a quick stop at Lower Beechmont for an amazing view of Hinze dam as well. A popular stop is the flying bean café on Upper Beechmont and is usually packed on the weekends but there is plenty of room for enthusiasts and serves great food and drinks.

From here, descending Beechmont takes you into the Canungra township, which is another brilliant food and fuel stop. The final mountain pass will take you up and over Tamborine mountain which is the steepest climb and descent of the ride. It’s another completely different riding aspect as well with more switch backs and narrow sections. The uphill run from Canungra is only around 8km; another few kilometres across the top of the mountain and around the same distance for the run down. This section is best to do in one shot unless you detour across the mountain for more scenery or a food stop. Traffic is probably the heaviest on this road over the weekends, but the road quality is top notch and although short, it’s a well worth it.

The last cruise back to Nerang from the base of Tamborine Mountain isn’t anything special but great for a wind down and the best part of this loop is you can skip sections or do the ride in multiple directions and you’re still only a few kilometres from the next adrenaline burn!

RIDE MAP