Crankworx Cairns 2024

7 days & 3500km - A roadtrip to remember with Samuel Fraser.

Whenever I receive a phone call from Sam I know something great is about to happen, so when he asked to jump aboard & photograph the Cairns leg of the Crankworx World Tour there’s no way I could resist.

The busy schedule was cleared & a camera bag was reloaded from wedding kit to mountain biking kit; digital & film bodies, a variety of lenses & two rolls of Portra 400 remaining from the prior weekend’s wedding festivities.

Departing in the early hours of a chilly Tuesday morning we set course for Cape Hillsborough, a place that blends the geological features of a classic North Queensland landscape & an rugged New Zealand coastline.

An absolute marvel to roam about with a couple of tasty beers, top-notch sunset views & takeaway Thai food from the local town that made camping feel like even more of a treat.

Up early again we drove two hours North & made it to an epic Bowen beach for sunrise, Horseshoe Bay is highly recommended if you’re ever passing through this part of Australia. After a stroll we were straight into the cafe for breakfast burgers & a couple of coffees to keep us charged up another long day on the road with Little Crystal Creek in our sights.

Sam & I first met in primary school around 2003, we rode our pushbikes over sketchy jumps during the weekend & over the years accrued many great missions together driving 4x4s, scaling waterfalls, surfing, snowboarding & often time with a wide-angle lens putting myself in precarious spots as he jumps some sort of bike over my head.

Despite not living close by in over a decade we’ve been through life together & conversations rarely stopped while we drove to our North Queensland destination, with Boost Juice an essential recharge of course.

Arriving late afternoon in Cairns at the DHarco team house we reunited with a bunch of absolute legends who kept the energy vibrant & made us feel right at home. Shoutout to Mathieu & the crew for putting so much energy into the event with early rises daily and lively late night dancefloors!

I’m so stoked to share some of my best photographs from the trip, with categories including the Jam Session, Downhill, Dual Slalom, Whip Off, Speed & Style, Slopestyle. Plus a bunch of in between moments capturing the essence of what this epic event truly is.