On the weekends sometimes we like to throw our bikes on the back of our car and drive somewhere where we can go for a bike ride. On the Gold Coast we are lucky to have plenty of places to do so. A good one to do is cycling from Salt to Cabarita just over the Qld/NSW border.
If you enjoy a coastal ride on a nice smooth pathway then I highly recommend a cycle from the very picturesque Salt Village along Casuarina to another gorgeous little beachside village – Cabarita Beach. At around 20 kms return trip it is an easy cycle with barely an ant hill to scale on a wide pathway that is shared with walkers and joggers.
Bike at the entrance to Salt Beach
Salt Village is located 19 kms south of the Qld/NSW border, with the coastal village of Kingscliff being nearby. Salt Village and Casuarina are recently developed beachside living residential communities that comprise of contemporary homes that have redefined beach architecture. These beach homes alone are a visual experience that are appealing to the eye and all maintain a coastal beachfront theme with the environment uppermost in mind.
Beautiful Salt Beach
We commenced our ride at the Salt Surf Life Saving Club near Salt Village shopping centre and Salt Beachbar. The wide white sandy beach here is patrolled by lifeguards and is a great place for a swim or surf.
Salt Beachbar
Heading south the path starts off with a smooth concrete surface and traces the coastline along between grand beach homes, landscaped natural parkland and the coastal vegetation on the sand dunes of the beach.
Salt to Casuarina Pathway
There are beach access paths, quirky beach showers, some sculptures, bench seats, timber bridges across little creeks, timber boardwalks and thick overhanging trees in patches which makes for a nicely shaded ride.
Casuarina Beach Sculpture
At the end of the Casuarina development you take a right hand turn and ride about 200m to the pathway that runs adjacent to Tweed Coast Road. It is then only a few kilometres to the beachside holiday village of Cabarita Beach.
Cabarita Beach
Cabarita Beach is a quiet, relaxed holiday village where the main activities are surfing (with a long right hand point break), swimming, beach and estuary fishing and canoeing.
Ride through the small shopping centre past the Cabarita Surf Club and up a hill to the headland that is a great place to take a break looking northwards towards Cabarita Beach.
Views to the south from Cabarita Headland
After a little rest take the walk up the timber stairs to the Cabarita Headland where there is theatre style seating to take in the breathtaking views out to sea and to the south and north. On this particular day there were heaps of humpback whales performing aerobatics just off the headland.
Whale Watching from Cabarita Headland
On the walk up to the headland check out the Aboriginal Midden Site. A Midden is an occupation site where Aboriginal people left the remains of their meals, which in this case were large amounts of shellfish.
Cabarita Historical Aboriginal Site
Returning to Salt Village you can either terminate your bike ride here or keep riding along the pathway south to Kingscliff, a distance of approximately 5 kms.
Kingscliff is a vibrant beach holiday destination which has retained its wonderful local identity. It offers the best of both worlds with creek and beach access and is extremely popular for all types of water activities, like fishing, kayaking, surfing and swimming. It also offers a wide selection of cafes and restaurants, the newly renovated Kingscliff Pub, boutique style shopping and two caravan parks.
Kingscliff Beach
The Tweed Coast strip is a favourite place of mine to escape on the weekends and riding a bicycle is a great way of seeing the coastal villages up close and personal.
Where do you like to go for a walk or cycle on the weekends?
Linking up with Travel Photo Thursday
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Faye
October 14, 2016such a wonderful salt beach perfect for reminiscing. Looks like your backyard is quite pleasing. Thanks for sharing this glimpse. Love to read more about it.
Kathy
October 14, 2016Salt Beach is one of the magical beaches on the Far North Coast of NSW, just across the border from where I live in Qld. I really enjoy visiting this area on the weekend and there is no better way than cycling along the beachfront. :)
Johanna
October 14, 2016The Tweed Coast is somewhere I very much want to visit and I was particularly interested today because we love cycling too so this coastal route would be wonderful for us to try. The beaches look amazing, and the villages sound interesting too – can’t wait for more info about bike trails as you do them :)
Kathy
October 14, 2016We love cycling and walking. My husband recently bought a brand new mountain bike so is enjoying his riding. We are planning a few cycling trips around our area, so stay tuned for more! It is such a great way of exploring the great outdoors. :)
Life Images by Jill
October 14, 2016I really need to buy a push-bike and learn to ride all over again. It looks like a great way to explore further afield and keep fit at the same time. Have a fabulous weekend Kathy.
Kathy
October 14, 2016Cycling is a great way to explore our backyards. The Tweed Coast is a wonderful coastal area that is cycle-friendly with smooth pathways and no hills, so very easy for beginners!
budgettraveltalk
October 14, 2016I have a love/hate relationship with bicycles. Maybe I need to buy a really good bike that suits me. When we’re travelling I like going on day bicycle tours, probably because they are so interesting I don’t actually concentrate on the bicycle riding part of it, plus they are fun with a new people doing it with me. When I’m home however, I’m not enthusiastic. It looks like a lovely ride though. :)
Kathy
October 14, 2016I can tell you that I sometimes get a very sore backside from riding on bikes! The seats never seem soft enough. When we were in Queenstown, NZ I did a very long ride one day and it took me days to recover. I do enjoy cycling and it is a great way of seeing your surrounds. I often ride on the weekend rather than driving my car as the traffic can be chaotic here. :)
Ruth
October 15, 2016I would enjoy riding along this area. The beaches are beautiful. Seems like Cabarita is gaining popularity since I have read about it in several travel magazines.
Kathy
October 15, 2016I think everyone would enjoy cycling or walking along this stretch of coastline. Cabarita is a gorgeous little holiday village. I hope is stays this way. :)
Marcelle Simone Heller
October 16, 2016You are certainly not short on beautiful beaches in Australia! It would be a dream to travel slow along that stunning coastline of Kingscliff!
Kathy
October 16, 2016Yes we are blessed with some gorgeous coastlines in Australia. A cycle along this stretch is one of life’s pleasures! :)
Jim ~ ReflectionsEnroute
October 16, 2016Such a beautiful ride along some gorgeous beaches. I like the idea of not even an anthill to climb! Someday we’ll get to Australia with loads of time to travel slowly around the country.
Kathy
October 16, 2016I hope you do get to come to my beautiful country one day Jim. There is so much on offer. You will not be disappointed. :)
Nancie
October 16, 2016I’m not a big biker. Although, I did enjoy it when i was a kid. Maybe when I get back to Nova Scotia next summer I’ll think about getting back on and cycling around rural Nova Scotia. These beaches are beautiful. I love a long beach to walk any time of the year. Thanks for linking up this week. #TPThursday
Kathy
October 17, 2016You are never too old to get back on a bike! Cycling is a great way of getting out and about exploring the great outdoors. This ride was very scenic along the coastline, with plenty of long stretches of beach for a stroll. :)