Our three-day Finch Hatton getaway

Jock Chaffey and his mates spent three days exploring Finch Hatton MTB and surrounds. Read on to see what they got upto.

Cambo, Johnny, and Steve and I (Jock) decided to escape Brisbane and head to Mackay and Finch Hatton, for a (we think well-deserved) mountain bike getaway. Here’s a recap of our three-day trip, filled with rides, stunning landscapes, a few froths and plenty of laughs.

Day 1: Arrival and First Rides

We begin with an early morning flight from Brisbane to Mackay. Once we land, we picked up our hire car and hit the road. The drive to Finch Hatton was about an hour but felt like less. The trip is classic country Queensland. Sugar cane fields and lush, tropical mountain scenery. The boys were pumped as we got closer.

We arrive in town and pass the trail head and spot the kids on the pump track. A short drive up the road and we check into The Criterion Hotel, our base for the trip. The rooms were basic but had everything we needed. Plus, the location was perfect for accessing the trails and post-ride beers. We dump our bags, say a quick g’day to some of the locals and we’re out the door.

We head straight to Corry Cycles Finch Hatton, where we meet  Caitlin. She hooked us up with some e-bikes for the two days, ensuring we had everything we needed. The bikes were top-notch, and Caitlin gave us some local tips for the trails. She also pointed us in the direction of Rob from Off Camber, the shuttle service for the trails. Her tip – book some rides up in the arvo – what a great tip, we were buggered!

Over the road and we waste no time. There’s a heap of different trails, but we stick with Caitlin’s tip and hit Tasty Fig for our first run. If this one trail is anything to go by, this is going to be a sick weekend riding.

We hit a mix of green and blue trails. Pando’s Alright was another favourite while Cambo insisted on a few runs of black trail Chuck a Sickie until he had a little stack. He carried on a bit but was fine. Time to take a break!

We are STARVING! Knowing we will spend plenty of time at the pub later on we hit the Finch Hatton General Store and it was just what we needed to fill the belly and get ready for more action. Fish burgers and wedges, yes please. While we waited, we jumped on our phones (there’s hardly any reception at Finch Hatton btw!) and were able to jag the last available shuttle runs for the afternoon with Off Camber.

Fuelled and refreshed, we’re back at the trail head to meet Rob from Off Camber. We told him about our morning and the trails we’d hit. Rob gave us the low-down of some of the other trails and where we could progress our runs on some of our favoured trails. We spent the afternoon testing our skills and following Rob’s advice. He definitely steered us in the right direction. What a legend of a bloke.

We stroll back into the Criterion, sweaty, dirty, stinking, but satisfied. We enjoy a cold bevvy before hitting the showers. The smell of the bistro as we come down the stairs has the tummy rumbling again. Bob behind the bar suggests the homemade lamb pie, peas, mash and gravy. Three lamb pies it is.

We recount the day over a few beers and chat to some locals. Day one done. We won’t be needing any rocking tonight.

Day 2:

Legs are weary. Let’s give them a rest. We started our second day with an early morning trip to Broken River. The locals at the pub said you’re unlucky if you don’t see a platypus but said the earlier we get there the better. True to their word after standing silently for a few minutes one cruised right past us. We snapped some blurry pics. Way better IRL. Awesome stuff.

Platypus spotted, we start heading back taking in the stunning views over the valley. It’s crazy to think that the mountains surrounding the valley will soon be snaked with trails.

Keen to get back to the trails we downed an early lunch from the Eungella Chalet. Delicious steak sambo’s all round. Back in Finch Hatton and we’re back on the trails. We were all a little bit more confident this day, pushing our limits and enjoying every moment. After a few hours of riding, we cooled off with a refreshing dip in the river at the back of the pub, a perfect way to end the day.

Day 3:

Our last day started with a visit to Finch Hatton Gorge. We hiked through the lush forest and reached the beautiful swimming spots. Firewheel was like nothing we’d seen before, and we were the only ones there which was awesome. We could have spent ages here, but had to start our journey back to Mackay. With a bit of time up our sleeve, we made a stop at Red Dog Brewery for a quick refreshment because it would be rude not to try the local brew, right?

As we board our afternoon flight back to Brisbane, we were already talking about our next adventure in Finch Hatton. Getting another leave pass from the family is another story!