Discover Ipswich Magazine 2021

ADVENTURE

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IN IPSWICH Helicopter mountain biking

By Jessica Wilson Journalist, RACQ Publishing Racqliving.com.au

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“Highly recommend the whole experience” Review of Pterodactyl Helicopters by a Tripadvisor Traveler 22 November 2020

Willowbank MX is a recreational ride park for motocross enthusiasts open seven days a week. Grab your bike and test out the seven professionally designed tracks for beginners all the way to advanced riders. Bookings essential.

We rode along a fire trail to get used to the bike’s electric features – the greatest invention in biking: going uphill is just as much fun as going downhill – before tackling one of the 'easy' 10km single tracks. Getting out into the bush was a lovely experience and we encountered huge kangaroos, wallabies and some stubborn cows who weren’t keen on moving off the trail. There was even the decaying skeleton of a light plane, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, which we stopped to explore. We completed the 10km circuit in about an hour. Then we headed to Spicers Hidden Vale , next to the Adventure Park, for a well-earned beer, burger and chips at the recently reopened Homage restaurant bar before our return flight to Archerfield. ■

Before this adventure I had never been in a helicopter before and could not remember the last time I rode a bike, let alone on single- track mountain biking trails, and I’m not sure which I was more nervous about. Luckily, our pilot Brett from Pterodactyl Helicopters, Archerfield, was both a fantastic flyer and an accomplished mountain biker who filled us in on some of the finer points of off-road biking as we flew towards Hidden Vale Adventure Park , Grandchester. Any nerves I had vanished as soon as we left the helipad and I took in the stunning views from the cockpit. If you think the view from a plane is great – the uninterrupted view from a helicopter is next level! Brett provided us with a map of the park’s trails and recommended a few that would be suitable for our riding skills.

OTHER IPSWICH MOUNTAIN BIKING LOCATIONS

Castle Hill, Blackstone Reserve. Located in the Ipswich CBD is 15km of International Mountain Biking Association rated trails. White Rock-Spring Mountain Conservation Estate. The estate covers 2,500 hectares of bushland, so you’ll find a trail to have some fun on. Access is off School Rd, Redbank Plains. Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate. There’s over 2,000 hectares of estate to explore, located between the Flinders Plum picnic area and Hardings Paddock campground.

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Donate now 0417 727 532 admin@pterodactyl.com.au

404 Wirraway Avenue, Archerfield QLD 4108 www.pterodactylhelicopters.com.au

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