Straddie Sojourn

We stayed the Saturday night at the Puffers Inn Logan Motel, less than 5kms from Dan’s house who was hosting Abundance IX, a super fun night of live music and DJs. 

With just two days before our return flight, we decided we had enough time to visit North Stradbroke Island.  It was about a 35km cycle to the ferry port in Cleveland, with much of it on cycle ways, winding through scenic reserves.   

Bicycles were free on the Stradbroke Flyer Gold Cat, and the trip took just under 30 minutes.  The weather was cloudy on our arrival and it was apparent that there had been recent rain as we took the only sealed road out of Dunwich.  A misty rain started falling as we stopped to explore Myora Springs and wheeled our bikes along the short boardwalk but it didn’t last.  

 It was a very undulating ride to Point Lookout and we were relieved to finally reach our Airbnb accommodation near Main Beach.  After a quick shower, we detoured via the grocery store for breakfast supplies, then took the coastal walk, stopping at the Whale watching platform overlooking Frenchmans Beach. This part of the coastline is often referred to as the humpback highway and we could see plenty of whale traffic.  

The Minjerribah Panorama Coastal walk provided more good views. We passed the Eugarie (pipi) shells which marked the commencement of the North Gorge walk.  This 1.2km route followed rocky headlands towards Main Beach, with stunning views of the gorge. 

At the end of the walk we headed back into town for a delicious dinner at the Six Beaches Fish Grill and Bar – the only restaurant open within easy walking distance.   

The next morning, we were up early to retrace the Gorge walk from the opposite direction, this time detouring via the “Blow Hole” so called as the rock formation is similar to that of a humpback whale.   

We had time for a leisurely coffee on the deck of the Blue Room café, before heading back to our accommodation.  It was an easier ride back to Dunwich and we bought some wraps from the bakery before catching the Stradbroke Flyer back to Cleveland. We had to sprint to catch the next train to Southbank station and we made it with a few minutes to spare. The route to the Brisbane GPO took us across the Goodwill bridge and through the Botanical Gardens.   

It felt safe cycling through the city centre with well-marked bike paths and we collected our bike bags from the post office before retracing our route to the Royal on the Park hotel.  We were able to pack the bikes in the courtyard near the pool and there was plenty of space to keep them in our room.  We then headed out to meet Dan and Lisa for a nice dinner and a drink at the casino with impressive views over the city.    

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