CYCLING CLIFTON, QLD. AUS. -- Cambooya return via Nobby

 

 

   



I know I have stated this before, but this part of the Darling Downs in Queensland is truly a great place to ride. Why?......well, for a start it is only 2 hours drive from Brisbane and 40 minutes from Toowoomba if you strike serious mechanical problems with your bike. All of the rides could be classed as easy to moderate depending on your level of fitness. The road surfaces are mainly sealed but there are a few dirt roads which can cause you a little grief after rain. There are enough hills to get the pulse rate up but although long, the gradient would only vary between 2 and 4 percent. You can experience four seasons within the year but not to the extreme. At the height of summer you can experience some hot days and in winter early frosts and of course the dreaded westerlies in August. I am only an intermediate recreational cyclist and have experienced all of the above conditions from time to time but nothing that has caused me any real angst. When you ride through the varying panoramic vistas throughout the district the rest pales into insignificance. The routes will take you from east to west and north to south and it is just as easy to spend a week here as it is a day and the traffic is generally light.

 

 

 

 

Clifton to Cambooya.......55 km return

 

I wasn't aware of the potential of this ride until a friend pointed it out as being an alternate route to Toowoomba but with the fraction of the traffic one would encounter on the New England Highway. My wife and I decided to check it out  and I found to my delight that it would make an excellent ride that would be of interest to both the riders of road bikes and hybrids alike.

 

My brother in law and I decided to ride it on a beautiful morning over the Easter weekend. The ride to Cambooya was pleasant and we encountered very light traffic, possibly because it was a holiday. We took our time whilst admiring the many and differing rural views particularly as we were climbing the only hill on the route.

 

 

 

 

Cambooya is another small rural town servicing the many small crop farmers within it's district. We took the opportunity to take on fuel at a local cafe and admired the well known Bull and Barley Hotel which has the reputation of serving delicious meals (click on the blue print for a direct link).

 

 

 

 

 There are a couple of other roads between Cambooya and Clifton but, as we were both heading back home after the Easter break, we decided, due to time constraints, to backtrack along the same route.

 

 

Map courtesy of "Map my Ride"

 

 I find that Map my Ride maps are easy to use and due to incorporating the elevation are invaluable when planning an exploratory ride.

 

Cheers and safe riding,

 

 

Jimmy Bee