Brisbane to Mackay — and home
The trip was built around the 2026 Queensland State H.O.G. Rally in Mackay. After the first day to Rockhampton, Day 2 included morning tea at Lotus Creek and lunch at Kickstart Saloon before the chapter reached Mackay.
Saturday’s sightseeing ride took us through roads I had never travelled before, following the tropical coastline to Bowen and Airlie Beach. Stops included the Big Mango for a H.O.G. ABCs photo, coffee on the Bowen shoreline, a coastal lookout and lunch at the pub in Airlie Beach.
Sunday’s Thunder Run was the main highlight. Hundreds of bikes left Mackay Showgrounds together, with plenty of locals lining the route to watch us ride past. We returned to the showgrounds for lunch, the Show and Shine, Chapter games and burnouts before beginning the two-day ride home through Bundaberg.
Six-day structure
The trip follows the confirmed six-day itinerary. Days 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are reconstructed from supplied Google Maps itineraries, while Day 4 uses the timestamped Thunder Run GPX recording.
