Mt Cleveland loop - Trip Report
A superb Mt Cleveland circuit with steep climbs, granite slabs, ridgeline traversing, shaded lunch beneath a huge rock, and sweeping views across Cape Cleveland, Cleveland Bay, and the surrounding peaks - an epic off-track day in Bowling Green Bay country.
Date: Sunday, 18 Aug 2019
Leader: Luen
Luen led the group on an excellent loop around Mt Cleveland, choosing a smart line through the country that made a tough day feel more manageable and enjoyable. Wilfred and Keith came along to make sure Luen was doing a good job leading. Mount Cleveland is the highest point on Cape Cleveland, rising to about 558 m, and this circuit showed off exactly why the area is such a standout for off-track bushwalking - granite, ridgelines, coastal views, and rewarding vantage points in almost every direction.
The day began with a steep climb to the first knoll, a false peak that gave an early taste of the terrain to come. From there, the group contoured around before making the final ascent to the true summit of Mount Cleveland. The route was rough, rocky, and beautifully scenic, with plenty of granite slabs and open outcrops breaking up the scrub and offering constant excuses to stop and take in the view. The summit itself is more enclosed, with she-oaks around the top, although that did not stop one walker from climbing a tree to get an even better look out over the Cape and coast.
After the summit, the group continued along the ridgeline towards the south-west ridge, making the most of the open country and stopping along the way at the central ridge and several impressive granite slabs that provided magnificent lookouts. Mt Cleveland is well known for giving views to both the Townsville side and the Chunda Bay side of the cape, and this loop made the most of both. The inland side reveals a maze of rocky outcrops and ridges, while the coastal side opens out towards Cleveland Bay, salt flats, and the sea.
A large rock in the shade made the perfect lunch spot, with an amazing outlook and just enough shelter to properly relax for a while before the descent. It was one of those classic North Queensland bushwalking moments - perched on warm granite, packs dropped, lunch in hand, and an enormous landscape spread out below. Joy brought out her amazing treats for the group, as per usual.
From there, the route dropped steeply back towards the cars by the side of the road, rounding out a memorable circuit. It was a great ridge, an epic line through the mountain, and one of those days where the scenery just kept delivering. Grass trees, granite slabs, open bushland, coastal views, and rugged summit country all combined to make this a standout walk. More than one person commented that the route felt so good that it could make an epic day-walking track in its own right.
- Luen
