Left the garage at six-thirty with the sun barely cracking the horizon. There’s something about those early starts — the cold air biting through your jacket, the streets completely empty, just you and the low rumble bouncing off the houses. Headed south on the M1, peeled off at Oxenford and pointed the bike towards Tamborine Mountain Road.
The climb up through the rainforest is what it’s all about. Tight switchbacks through a canopy so thick it blocks the sunrise, the smell of eucalyptus mixing with damp earth. The Harley’s low-end torque made light work of the steep bits — just roll on the throttle and let it pull. No need to thrash it. That’s the beauty of a big twin on these roads.
Stopped at Cedar Creek Estate for a flat white and watched the fog roll through the valley below. The cafe was empty except for a couple of other riders and one bloke walking his dog. Perfect. Sat there for a good twenty minutes just taking it in before pushing on through Eagle Heights and down the other side towards Canungra.
Lunch at the Canungra Hotel — a proper country pub with cold schooners and a parmi that hangs off the plate. Sat on the verandah watching bikes roll through town. The ride home was the long way, through Beaudesert and up the Mount Lindesay Highway. 142 clicks all up. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.