Gillies Highway Qld (from Cairns)

mazmad · Postby **mazmad** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 7:34 am

So I am in Cairns for the weekend. Took the opportunity to visit friends who are living in Yungaburra not far from Atherton on the tablelands.

There is a 19km stretch of road on the 80 odd kms trip from Cairns which is simply an epic bit of road. Perfectly maintained so wonderfully smooth, and I imagine in a 5 - unless you were really willing to take the risk of hanging a wheel off and a pretty decent slide/fall down the mountain of rock your are climbing - just an endless series of second gear corners. Some sections are s's on s's on s's - closest thing to snowboarding on wheels I have found

Fair to say the gearbox of the mighty Avis Mitsu ASX I was driving was being rowed along fairly briskly. :shock:

Saw an STI headed back down for some fun no doubt.

Gladiator · Postby **Gladiator** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:00 am

I lived in Cairns in the '80s, and have often since thought about that road and an MX5.

mazmad · Postby **mazmad** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:10 am

It must have been resealed relatively recently too so is in perfect condition. Beautiful area too.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:54 am

I loved going up the Gillies then down the Karanda Range in the 80's on my motorbike in the one day (the girlfiend's father at the time owned Mareeba Honda/Kawasaki). There was a pub where we would all meet at the bottom of the Gillies (and no drinking).

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:53 pm

It is a truely glorious road. Even in my Getz rental car

mazmad · Postby **mazmad** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:59 am

That's for sure. You check out the lakes at the top? Apparently so deep they haven't determined how deep yet, can't get the testing gear in there on the roads. :shock: