The Quartz Bikepacking Route - Trip Report

Date: Saturday, 30th May to Sunday, 31st May 2026
Leader: Luen and Geoff
Participants: 7

On Saturday, 30 May 2026, Luen and Geoff led the Club's Quartz Bikepacking Route, an adventurous two-day ride from Mingela to Nome via Ravenswood, Clare, the Haughton River, and Woodstock. The full ride covered about 185 km over two days, with a mix of quiet bitumen, gravel roads, sandy crossings, grassy double track, cane-field navigation, rough road parcels, and a few spicy sections where the "road" was more of a suggestion than a reality.

Day 1 - Mingela to the Haughton River

Total distance: 117 km
Elapsed duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

Day 1 began with a complex plan involving several meeting points and the pickup of people along the way. Arriving at Mingela around 10:40 am, the group took the obligatory photo at the Mingela sign, complete with the slightly unsettling human doll head mounted on the signpost. From there, the riders rolled out towards Ravenswood with the plan of reaching the pub for lunch. Mark and Jodie set an enthusiastic pace early on, seemingly riding at enough watts to power a small town, before easing back slightly after a gentle reminder from those further back in the bunch.

The ride to Ravenswood was peaceful and mostly quiet, with very little traffic. The group reached the Ravenswood pub, where we met Ash, Geoff, and Maya for lunch and a few beers. We later discovered that the ride into town had earned us a top-10 on a Strava segment.

After lunch, Geoff and Maya joined the ride, and the group took the back roads out to White Blow, the large quartz outcrop that gives the route much of its character. Bikes were left at the bottom while everyone walked up onto the massive white rock for views over the surrounding country. Ash didn't get the memo to meet us here, so he continued on driving past us.

The afternoon continued via Doug Haigh Lookout, where the group paused for photos before enjoying the short, steep descent off the range. After the descent, Geoff then turned around to retrieve the car a few kilometres on from the bottom, while the rest of the riders continued on. The roads had a few corrugations, but conditions were generally good. There were a couple of warning signs for emus and koalas, although the only wildlife actually seen were wallabies, birds of prey feeding on roadkill, and cattle that seemed deeply undecided about which side of the road they wanted to be on.

After looping around Woodhouse Mountain, the route entered cane country, and we navigated the maze around Clare. Eventually, the group reached the sandy banks of the Haughton River, where camp was set up on the riverbed. The site was apparently once used as an old coach and carriage crossing before the Bruce Highway bridge was built. Hillary, who had joined for the day ride on her mountain bike, continued on from the campsite, crossing the Haughton River and Major Creek before riding the rest of the way back to her car as the sun set.

Those staying overnight enjoyed a relaxed evening beside the river, with river birds, a shallow dip in the flowing water, a shared snack plate of melted cheese, crackers, and hummus, and a few drinks at sunset. The fire kept everyone warm on what was the last night of autumn, which was definitely on the chilly side. Geoff and Maya then cooked burgers for dinner, which was a very welcome finish to a long first day.

Day 2 - Haughton River to Nome

Total distance: 67 km
Elapsed duration: 3 hours

Day 2 started slowly and comfortably with Geoff and Maya cooking breakfast and making coffee for the group. There was no great rush to get moving. Maya, Geoff and Ash also drove home as the riders started their day at around 9:45 am, all disembarking at the same time. The riders' endpoint was Ash's place in Nome. Ash did the car shuttling for the main group over the weekend, and while he did not ride, his help made the logistics much easier.

Luen had warned the group that the day would include a few shortcuts, some unreconed sections, and a little bit of adventure. That warning turned out to be fairly accurate. The day began with wetting out feet straight away with a hike-a-bike crossing of the Haughton River, followed by a grassy, slightly overgrown double track and a crossing of Major Creek. Jodie's bike developed a squeaky brake early on, so there was a quick roadside stop to realign the rotor, pads, and calliper before continuing.

After a longer gravel section, the route joined some bitumen before turning back towards the Mount Elliot foothills. From there, the group followed a mix of gazetted roads, road parcels, grassy double track, and overgrown or barely existing tracks. Major Creek was crossed again, deer were spotted near the road and in the thick bush, and a black snake crossed in front of the group near a causeway. There was a bit of a hike-a-bike in places, but the adventurous sections gave the second day plenty of character and spice.

Once back on the more open road sections, Mark again became the group's unofficial engine, providing a very useful draft and windbreak. The group eventually made it around the mountain and took a final shortcut through a park in Nome to finish the ride. Somehow, despite the rougher sections, the group also posted another top-10 Strava result on day two.

A big thanks to Ash for helping with the car shuffle and hanging out over the weekend, to Geoff and Maya for the amazing food, coffee, support, and hospitality, and to Mark for the watts, draft, and windbreak. Thanks also to everyone who joined the ride and helped make it such a fun, social, and memorable Club adventure. The route had its quiet roads, outback scenery, Ravenswood history, quartz outcrops, remote camping, wildlife, river crossings, and a few rough edges, making the perfect adventure!

- Luen
Photos by Luen, Jodie, Ash, & Maya