Hi ya, have a good trip up. If the weather dries out a bit, you are in for a treat. Hit up the RideCairns website and app. That has trail maps for the main parks, Smithfield, Davies Creek and Atherton. Atherton has a lot of black soil, it gets wet really quick and will be closed quickly to prevent damage. smithy is clay and dries quickly after rain. Most times a day of breeze or sun and it will be good to go. Davies Creek is granite sand and holds up well...obviously if it's been bucketing, we all like riders to stay away to prevent lots of damage. A lot of trails and only a handful of trail fairies...
From the Esplanade out to Smithfield is about 17kms pretty flat road ride (about 40minutes) and the trail head is well mapped at the western end of McGregor Rd, near AJ Hackett Bungy jump. There is a bike lane the whole way, a couple of dodgy roundabouts so be careful and watch out for all the tourist drivers. It's also a 100km zone most of the way. Alternatively you can ride out via Aeroglen, Stratford, Freshwater, and Redlynch and then the Western Arterial Rd to Smithfield. This will add about 4 Kim's but is more scenic. just one pinch being the Barron River Bridge. The rest of the way is pretty good, wide bike lane and 80km zone! with a bike path about a km past the Barron river bridge. Palmers is a good fun little trail with a pinchy climb of about 10-15 Mins and about 4 different downhill lines to choose after, each 1.5 to 2.5m long...it's probably a 20 minute ride from town. Opposite Freshwater Christian College, in the water reserve park. Should be a few riders still on holidays at that time - I'm back at work a week before.
