November Newsletter
Improved maps, upcoming bikepacking routes, the proposed Paluma to Wallaman Falls trail, and the nearly restored PRB Track, all while emphasising environmental responsibility - follow "Leave No Trace" principles.
Exploring Our Great Outdoors
Hello Wanderers,
First off, we want to extend a heartfelt thanks to each of you for joining our Wanderstories community! Your enthusiasm and support fuel our mission to bring the best of Townsville and Cairns' great outdoors to you.
What's New & Exciting?
After extensive upgrading, we have had a few minor issues over the past few months due to bugs in our custom code and third-party providers changing API endpoints. That latter caused some maps to fail. However, we've updated the maps web app and added more layers during this time, resulting in a much better, more user-friendly version. Updating and improving each module that Wanderstories is built on is an ongoing process.
More Bikepacking Adventures
We're gearing up to bring you a series of new bikepacking routes! Stay tuned for more thrilling adventures on two wheels. Discover our existing bikepacking tales here.
Paluma to Wallaman Falls (P2WF)
It may take a few years, but prepare for an epic journey! The P2WF trail, roughly 127 km, is a budding hotspot for walking, trail running, and mountain biking. This 8-day adventure connects Paluma with Wallaman Falls, immersing you in the rich heritage of the Warrgamay and GuGu Badhun First Nations. Explore an ancient trading line and songline, rich with Dreamtime stories. Learn more about this captivating proposal here.
Connecting with the PRB Track
The P2WF trail complements the nearly restored PRB Track (Paluma, Rollingstone, Bluewater). Imagine starting your journey from Bluewater and traversing diverse landscapes to Wallaman Falls. Adventure seekers could then take the road less travelled northwest to Princess Hills, cross the Herbert River and visit Blencoe Falls before heading north to Koombooloomba Dam on Red Road or Culpa Road (currently overgrown). From there, You could let your imagination run wild on the Atherton Tablelands.
We would absolutely love to see a collaboration with the Townsville Rockwheelers Mountain Bike Club and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to extend the full PRB Track to mountain bike riders, as some of those hills are pretty steep!
Wet Season
We are moving into an El Niño cycle, which means that the summer season will likely be quite dry with a lot of droughts across the area, increased risk for bushfires and warming oceans, less cloud cover and less storm/rainy season. Even though it may be drier than usual, we believe many larger catchment rivers would still be paddable.
Preserving Our Trails
As we embrace these adventures, let's remember to tread lightly. Read our "Leave No Trace" principles to ensure our trails remain pristine for future explorers.
Daktech offers invaluable IT support to Wanderstories, enhancing our digital presence. It generously extends its expertise by hosting the website for the Townsville Bushwalking Club, fostering a connected outdoor community in Townsville.
We will be bikepacking New Zealand for the rest of the year, so email replies might be delayed.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here's to many more adventures together!
Happy Trails,
The Wanderstories Team
This article, and all other articles, are for entertainment purposes only and are not to be used as a guide. Please see our Disclaimer for more information.