Cape York Motorcycle Adventures by Outlook Publishing

CAPE YORK MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES

Riding the Last Frontier: A Journey Through Far North Queensland with Australia’s Off-Road Pioneers

There are places in Australia that you don’t just visit; you feel them in your bones. Cape York is one of those rare destinations. Raw, remote, and profoundly alive, it remains one of the final frontiers of Australian adventure. For more than 35 years, Cape York Motorcycle Adventures (CYMCA) has been guiding riders deep into this wild peninsula, revealing a side of Far North Queensland most people will never experience.

From rainforest to red dirt, from ancient Indigenous homelands to the northernmost tip of the continent, the region speaks to those who crave challenge,

connection, and the freedom of being far beyond the ordinary. This is not a trip you simply take; it is a rite of passage.

This year, the pioneering work of CYMCA was recognised in a remarkable way: on 14th November, the company received the Gold Award for Adventure Tourism at the Queensland Tourism Awards, a milestone achievement that cements its reputation as leaders in Australian adventure travel.

Where the Road Ends, The Adventure Begins

Based in Cairns, the pulsing, colourful gateway to Far North

Queensland, CYMCA has spent more than three decades pioneering off-road exploration in the region. Long before the Cape became known among international riders, CYMCA was carving tracks, building relationships with Traditional Owner groups, securing exclusive access, and mapping safe, sustainable routes through some of the most challenging terrain in the country.

“We’ve dedicated our lives to this place,” says founder Roy. “Cape York is in our blood. Every ridge, river, and rainforest track, we’ve ridden it, lived it, breathed it.”

This intimate knowledge is what sets CYMCA apart. Its tours are not simply a guided ride; they are the culmination of decades of trust, respect, community partnership, and environmental

© Grant Kitto

stewardship. In 2006, the organisation became the world’s first eco-certified motorcycle tour company, a title it continues to honour through sustainable practices and deep collaboration with local people.

The company’s relationship with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) further amplifies the region’s global visibility, showcasing Cape York as a must-ride destination for enthusiasts seeking authenticity and adrenaline in equal measure.

A Landscape Like Nowhere Else on Earth

Few places compress so many ecosystems into one ride:

• Wet tropics rainforest, alive with prehistoric ferns and crystal-clear waterfalls.

• Savana and bushland, home to wallabies, cockatoos, and wedge-tailed eagles.

• Iconic river crossings and the legendary Old Telegraph Track.

• Remote Aboriginal communities, rich with culture, stories, and connection.

• Endless beaches, where the ocean meets the edge of the continent.

• And finally, the Tip, that slender

© Grant Kitto, One of the Cape challenges to navigate.

point of rock where Australia meets the Torres Strait.

Whether you’re carving through winding single-track trails or splashing through freshwater creeks so clear you can count the stones beneath you, the Cape has a rhythm, a mood, a heartbeat entirely its own.

It is this diversity and the sheer sense of achievement that keep riders returning year after year.

Why People Ride: The Call of Something Bigger

Adventure riding is more than throttle and dirt. It is often a refuge, a reset, a return to

Our happy clients!

yourself. The Cape demands presence. It tests your focus and rewards your determination.

And for many solo travellers, or groups of mates, this is where transformation begins.

Roy shares one story that captures this spirit perfectly.

“A rider joined us after a rough chapter in his life, exhausted from self-employment, unsure of himself, and travelling solo to clear his mind. On the second day, he powered through one of our challenging creek crossings, pulled up on the bank, and just burst into laughter. Not relief… pure exhilaration.”

There is something about that moment, when your heart is pounding, when the earth is vibrating under the bike, when the rush of adrenaline pushes every worry aside, that strips life back to its simplest truth: you are alive, and you are capable.

The Cape does that. It wakes people up.

That rider finished the tour at the Tip of Australia with a renewed sense of confidence and friendships that will last a lifetime. Stories like his are not an exception. They are part of the fabric of what CYMCA has created.

Solo Travellers, United by Adventure

Although many riders begin their journey alone, no one stays that way for long. CYMCA tours are designed to foster camaraderie, courage, and genuine connection. The shared challenges and triumphs of navigating the Cape’s unpredictable terrain create instant community.

Campfire conversations, shared tools, swapping riding tips, laughing about the day’s near misses, these moments are what transform a group of strangers into a team.

And because CYMCA handles everything - flights, accommodation, meals, permits, safety, logistics, and brand-new motorcycles - riders are free to focus on the adventure rather than the logistics.

Care, Safety, and Expertise: The CYMCA Difference

When you embark on a journey as wild as Cape York, expertise matters. Every tour is supported by:

• National Park permits

• Fully accredited, Remote Area First Aid-certified guides

• A purpose-built support vehicle

• Brand-new, high-performance motorcycles maintained to exacting standards

• Exclusive access to beachfront cabins and wilderness sites

• Written safety procedures and training programmes

These are not just features; they are promises, born from decades of experience, refinement, and deep respect for the environment and the riders who trust them.

It is this commitment to excellence that led to the company’s Gold Adventure Tourism Award

win, an honour that validates its contribution to Queensland’s tourism landscape and highlights the importance of safe, ethical, high-quality adventure travel.

A Region Worth Travelling To Far North Queensland is a worldclass destination, and CYMCA tours weave through its most spectacular regions. Working alongside Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the company helps visitors discover not only the thrill of off-road riding but also the extraordinary tourism offerings of the region.

In Cairns alone, riders can enjoy:

• Great Barrier Reef snorkelling and diving

• The ancient Daintree Rainforest

• Indigenous cultural experiences

• Luxury resorts and rainforest retreats

• World-class dining showcasing fresh tropical produce

The ride north from Cairns reveals a landscape that evolves with every kilometre, a rare experience that blends culture, nature, and pure adventure.

For many visitors, this trip becomes the highlight of their entire Australian journey.

© Grant Kitto, Serenity, camping by the support vehicle.

2025 QTA 260 – Renae Kunda accepts the Gold Adventure Tourism Award on 14th November 2025.

The Heart of It All: Respect for Country

Cape York Motorcycle Adventures understands that its tours take place on ancient lands woven with stories and cultural significance. Respect for Traditional Owners is central to operations.

Through ongoing consultation, community support, and education of their riders, CYMCA ensures that every journey honours the custodians of the land. The company’s ecocertification represents more than a badge; it is proof of a philosophy grounded in stewardship, sustainability, and gratitude.

A Journey Worth Planning

The Cape York riding season runs from May to October, when the dry weather opens the tracks and the landscapes are at their most accessible. Tours often book out months, sometimes years, in advance, especially for peakseason departures.

Riders are encouraged to secure their spot early and begin preparing for what many describe as the greatest ride of their lives.

Why Now Is the Time to Ride

For riders dreaming of something bigger, a challenge, a reset, an unforgettable story, there has

never been a better moment to experience Cape York.

CYMCA’s Gold Award win has placed them firmly in the national spotlight. The region is thriving. Tourism Tropical North Queensland is investing in sustainability and innovation, showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the state’s Far North.

And the Cape itself?

It is as rugged, breathtaking, and transformative as ever.

Your Call to Adventure

If your heart races at the thought

of dirt tracks, clear-water river crossings, and waking up in a beachside cabin miles from the nearest town…

If you’re looking for a place to strip life back to its essentials, push your limits, and reconnect with something powerful inside yourself…

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, the right challenge, the right company…

This is it.

This is your sign.

This is your ride.

CYMCA invites you to claim your place in the story of Australia’s ultimate frontier.

Ready to Ride?

Visit: www.capeyorkmotorcycles.com.au

Follow the journey: https:// www.facebook.com/ CapeYorkMotorcycleAdventures or https://www.instagram.com/ capeyorkmotorcycleadventures/