Day 1 Kingscliff- Coffs Harbour 505 km



The first leg covered the subtropical rainforests of the Northern part of NSW - along twisting roads through crisp green bush land covered in morning mists where cockatoos fly and cows moo in the cool air. The rivers and creeks were all flowing with crystal clear water as the first rains of the year had fallen across the Queensland / New South Wales border area. Very early in the morning, a special crew had preceded the riders and marked out the 500 km route to Coffs
Harbour.I had noticed that part of the route was going to be the famous "Lions Road', which I had ridden 4 times between December and February. It was recommended as an optional route of 180 km. It was a pity that the misinformation about the condition of the road had stopped some people from
riding this circuit as the road was in good condition. Never boring, I was looking forward to it, as
this time it would be ridden in a counter clockwise direction. To be able to cover the 500 km and arrive around 4.30 to 5 pm in Coffs Harbour everyone had to be away between 7.30 and 8.30, as average speeds along the curved mountainous roads would be low.