Crows Nest is known for its national parks , hearty pies and Aboriginal tracker Jimmy Crow , but it could soon be known as a prime destination for motorcyclists .
A group of social riders who live by the motto ‘ grow old disgracefully ’ have declared their beloved town of Crows Nest as 100 % Motorcycle Friendly and they want you to jump on board . With its services and facilities , Crows Nest is a wellplaced town to fill this role and already a number of businesses are supporting the idea .
We caught up with Graham Moore ( pictured below third from right ), a motorcycle enthusiast and a man of many talents , to find out just where his passion for motorcycling originates from .
How long have you been riding for ?
I first learnt to ride when I was 17 , so I started really early . I ’ ve been riding ever since and have been fortunate enough to have toured all across Australia including a spectacular bike tour to Tasmania and Kangaroo Island – memories I ’ ll never forget .
Where did the idea for promoting Crows Nest as a motorcycle friendly destination come from ?
About a year ago , a group of bikelovers got together to talk about the idea of promoting Crows Nest as a motorcycle-friendly destination because it ’ s such a great place to travel to and explore . The town has really jumped on board and recently over 70 motorcyclists travelled to the area and stayed at the local hotel . The hotel put on a BBQ for all the riders in celebration . We also set up a Facebook page ( Crows Nest Qld Motorcycle Friendly Town ) and already we have over 300 followers – we ’ re pretty chuffed !
We are so lucky in Crows Nest we have such a variety of tours surrounding the town . And within a day ’ s ride we have the Sunshine Coast , Bunya Mountains , the sweeping roads of the Darling Downs and the South Burnett . We ’ ve developed four or five maps of different routes and they are available on the local Crows Nest website , www . crowsnest . info
Which is your favourite ride ?
Wow , do I have to pick one ? My local favourite is only about 150km from Crows Nest , past some of the best scenic lookouts in the area and goes around the edge of Toowoomba , down over Toowoomba to Helidon and then back to Murphy ’ s Creek . It ’ s not a long or difficult ride but the scenery is something to really experience .
I hear you ’ re not only a biker but also a Tai Chi instructor ?
Haha , don ’ t worry , a lot of people have trouble reconciling those two things but in lots of ways there are great similarities between the two . For instance , Tai Chi is about doing things for yourself , riding a motorcycle is also very similar , once you start riding it is very much about yourself and of course the beautiful open road .
For more info about things to do in the Toowoomba Region , visit our Events Register at www . tr . qld . gov . au / events or call us on 131 872 .
BOLD . www . tr . qld . gov . au / bold
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