GOOMBURRA STATE FOREST RESERVE CAMP / CYCLE TRIP

Goomburra State Forest Reserve is situated 175km south-west of Brisbane (35km from the highway). 

HOW TO GET THERE

Take the Cunningham Highway towards Warwick, through Cunningham’s Gap.  Just after the Gladfield “driver reviver” site there is a sign to Goomburra.  Turn right to Goomburra.  It doesn’t matter if you miss this one because about 5km further on, at Clintonvale, you get another opportunity.  Goomburra is very small, just a collection of houses and a community hall.  Turn right at the Goomburra T-junction and head for Inverramsay.  Inverramsay is an area/locality only, not a proper town.  The road from Goomburra through Inverramsay to the Goomburra Sate Forest Reserve follows Dalrymple Creek.  With about 6km left to travel, the sealed road becomes a dirt road but nothing that a road bike can’t handle.  This road leads directly into, and ends in, the camping ground.

Camping fees, $4.00 per person per night, are payable by a self-registration system at the camping ground. 

Allora Heritage Weekend is held on the Australia Day Weekend.  Allora markets - first Saturday of the month; and third Sunday every second month. 

If we self-cater for dinner on Friday night, perhaps a bar-be-que and salad followed by a bonfire would be pleasant. 

Suggested rides are “there and back the same way”, not circuits.  Saturday’s ride is suitable for road bike.  Sunday’s ride requires a mountain bike.

SATURDAY

Breakfast in the camp as usual.  Ride to Allora, “the best little town on the Downs”, which is approximately 40km west of the Forest, along undulating roads, suitable for road bikes.  The first 6km is unsealed but OK for road bikes.  For lunch we could try a famous Goomburra pie from the Allora Central Coffee Shop located in the hardware store.  Alternatively, the pub does lunch Tuesday - Saturday 12.00noon-2.00pm.  The ride back to camp follows the same route as in the morning.  Dinner could be back in Allora at the Railway Hotel, served 6.00pm-8.00pm.

SUNDAY

Breakfast in the camp as usual.  Mountain Bike Ride – 5km of up and down hills on unsealed road with two 500m walks to lookouts on the escarpment.  Then comes an “unrehearsed” ride along the escarpment, reputed to be 12km in length.  Laurie has walked 2km of it and describes it as an overgrown fire access road.  Self cater lunch at some scenic spot.  Return to camp the same way.

Time permitting we could do the cascade walk before returning to Brisbane.  It takes about two hours.