Dave and his Bike

Days 137, 138, 139 & 140.

Day 137.

I managed an early start again today, after a quick cup of tea with no interruptions from the kangaroos, although a few did come to visit before I left. I opted to ride the 40 kilometres of minor road back to the highway, then decide what to do from there.

The road was undulating immediately, with some short sharp climbs meaning that I had gained 210m in the first few kilometres. It was pretty flat from there on, but was hard work before I’d really got going. I stopped off to look at the remains of a Dakota aircraft which crashed in 1943 in a storm, which was also the site of the Queensland police horse breeding centre in the early 1900s.

The road wiggled on north and east, past many cattle, kangaroos, and a boar (a bit random), and over an inordinate number of cattle grids, some of which I was concerned could damage either me, my bike, or the van with Jane following an hour behind. Thankfully we all survived.

Once back on the highway, I picked up a bit of a tailwind so decided I could ride for another hour before it got too hot. With it still being a bit overcast the temperature was a pleasant 29°C at that time of day.

Jane met me at a handily placed junction after 63km, where the bike climbed into the van (it knows the routine) and we went a couple more kilometres down the road and made a coffee. I am well aware of my decrease in daily mileage, so I’m desperately hoping that the temperature drops a few degrees over the next week or so, and I can therefore ride for longer and get some proper miles in. Three hours is as much as I want to do at the moment, but I would really like to do more. Not sure why really. I’m still riding most days in Australia, so it’s not like I’m failing at something. The heat build up is also causing more saddle sore, which is peeing me off somewhat. Rant over.

Petrol was our next concern – the van isn’t particularly fuel efficient, and the distances between petrol pumps is something you need to consider. At Injune we pulled into the station to find the pump locked as it was broken. After a minor panic, we found that fortunately another place (a hundred metres away) had fuel, so we could relax for the rest of the day.

Lunch was at Roma where we joined the main road (sad junk food), and the decision was made to continue to Miles, as the A2 wasn’t much of a prospect for cycling on tomorrow. I think we will get back to the coast as soon as possible, then try to find some better routes.

The campsite is clean and cheap, but right next to the main road, so earplugs will definitely be required tonight. The other noise here is the parrots, parakeets and lorikeets at sunset. There are so many I couldn’t hear myself think. Beautiful to watch though. A light meal of cheese and biscuits finished the day off nicely. No red wine to accompany it – the off-licence was closed. Another time maybe.

Distance cycled so far: 7198km.

Day 138.

I woke up this morning to find Jane counting the number of road trains driving past the campsite. It was still only 0630hrs, and there were plenty of them. This instigated a slight change in tactics for the day’s ride. The A2 from Miles to Chinchilla was clearly busy, and very straight and flat – not a great cycling prospect – so by 0800 we had driven to Chinchilla, parked in a petrol station, and I was on my way leaving Jane to refuel and get a bit of shopping. The smaller road from there was far better, but still had its fair share of road trains to contend with. I was clearly a bit late starting, so anticipated that I was going to get hot later on. It did.

There were still plenty of long, straight stretches, and I found myself paying the price for the tailwind a couple of days ago. Heading back towards the coast (and slightly north) meant heading back into the wind. The benefit of it was that it didn’t feel quite so hot. Some parts of the landscape initially appeared quite European; green meadows turning brown in the heat, and deciduous trees along the roadside. The prevalence of cockatiels (very big ones), cactus, and road trains reminded me that it wasn’t.

I met up with Jane a couple of times for water replenishment, then for a coffee after about 60km near Jinghi. Despite it being a bit late (midday-ish), I pushed on a bit further and climbed off after 83km. Not quite the 100km I was hoping for, but the late start and the heat were against me a little.

Further van mileage got us to Durong for a lunch stop, and a lovely chat with a guy from Sunshine Coast who recommended a couple of places to visit in the Brisbane area. If we have time.

Our overnight stop is at the Barambah Bush Caravan & Camping Park. It is very much like parkland, and when we arrived we were delayed booking in as the warden was busy feeding the birds. Brilliant! I think the heat must have affected me today, as I found myself agreeing to book in to an air conditioned cabin, with the van plugged in to the electric outside. The odd night of luxury once a week or so is a nice way of breaking things up.

A very British cup of tea and a biscuit preceded a more typically Aussie beer, then (a bit later) home cooked Japanese beef burgers (with Aussie red wine, and under the watchful eye of a possum). We seem to have gone all international.

The South Burnett area seems to be a bit of a hidden gem. There appears to be lots to do here, including a wine trail and several winery visits. It would be nice to have more time to spend here. Next time…

Hopefully a similar day tomorrow – 80/90 km on the bike before a van hop to Noosa Heads (meaning I can avoid the M1).

Creek of the day goes to Dingo Creek. There had to be one somewhere!

Distance cycled so far: 7281km.

Day 139.

Awake at 0545hrs, which is becoming a bit of a routine at the moment. A cup of tea in bed, a few slices of toast, and a FaceTime call with Liv was a grand start to the day.

I set off with a deviation in mind, as I’d seen some waterfalls on the map which looked worthy of the extra 10 kilometres. The road was initially a bit busy with lorries, but after turning onto the 49 in Goomeri it quietened down. The minor road to Kinbombi Falls was even better, and even threw in a cheeky 8% climb for good measure.

The falls were somewhat underwhelming. To be fair, it hasn’t rained for a while, so the slimy green trickle into the stagnant green pool probably looks a lot more spectacular when it has. At least we got some exercise walking up and down the steps to the viewing platform. No wonder the car park was empty.

The ride in and out wasn’t wasted though. It was lovely to be on really small roads. Once back on the 49 the traffic gradually increased. We met up again after about 50km for a coffee in Kilkivan, a small village with a coffee shop and not much else. It was lovely. The coffee shop owner was great, and the banter started as soon as he heard our accents. He started the business three months ago as a way of meeting people, and said he didn’t need the money, or in his words – “I’m fackin’ rich. I’ve got fackin’ loads of money”. Brilliant. It is a bustling hive of activity in what otherwise appeared to be a quiet place. People coming and going all the time. One regular there, Lee, was particularly interested in our journey and sat chatting for ages. Really nice guy.

I set off on my bike, leaving Jane ordering a second cup of coffee and talking with the locals. The cake was good too.

The riding was harder today. The small undulations had grown a bit, and were now 5 & 6% climbs. Constantly. But then I was cycling between the Burnett and Amamore Ranges of hills. The traffic had also increased to a point where there were regularly road trains going both ways. The hard shoulder had also all but disappeared, meaning that there wasn’t enough room in the carriageway for a road train in each direction, and me. The net result meant I ended up on the grass verge three or four times, and was having to constantly look to see what was coming and how big it was. Some of these things have 15 axles. They are huge.

Sadly I abandoned my plans to do 90+ kilometres today as it wasn’t really very safe. Fortunately at the moment I have Jane in the van as a back up option, so may as well take the opportunity to use this whilst I can. So I did. 76km wasn’t too shabby. Our post-lunch drive took us to Noosa Heads, a destination Jane has been keen on for a while. Good (not cheap) campsite right next to the beach.

Some friends from France – Jane and Andrew – also happen to be in Noosa. A couple of messages later and we were walking with them to a bar/restaurant on the front. A couple of beers and a lovely meal ensued, along with non-stop conversation for a few hours. We were even treated to our meal and drinks – thank you Andrew. A great evening, which we will no doubt (hopefully) repeat once we are all back home.

We haven’t managed a swim in the sea yet, but we have two short days to get to Brisbane, so there should be ample opportunity tomorrow for us to meet up and swim somewhere.

Distance cycled so far: 7357km.

Day 140.

Today was very different. There are so many beautiful beaches on this part of the coast that Jane was very excited and wanted to visit them all. I’m in no position to argue, so that was the basis of today’s plan. In addition, we had been invited to stay the night at a relation of Jane’s (by marriage – her brother’s wife’s brother. Work it out), in Caloundra, which is not that far down the coast.

So I set off later than usual. Deliberately this time, having finally taken a dip in the sea (actually the estuary). The town of Noosa Heads is very smart, and appears affluent. There are lots of small inlet and harbour areas with rather nice looking boats moored up. To get to the town centre from the campsite there was a bit of a hill in the way – not ideal when I hadn’t really got going, but I ground up it and cruised down the other side. That set the tone for the day; lots of small climbs and descents along the coast between beaches. The cycle path was excellent. Some of the views even more so.

After a mere 23 kilometres we met up for our morning coffee stop at Peregian Beach. The café culture here is a big thing, and all of the cafés seem to be buzzing. The beach was beautiful and mostly empty, except near to the swimming surveillance areas. Even they weren’t too bad.

I carried on for a very short ride to our lunch stop at Yaroomba Beach. We found a viewpoint with some steps down onto the practically deserted sand and went for a dip. You couldn’t call it a swim because the breakers and undercurrent made it impossible and dangerous. Once out of the water and sitting on the beach we noticed the small bits of jellyfish dotted about. I think we were lucky to have got away without being stung. Jane lay in the sun for 20 minutes. She is now red. I did warn her.

Our initial target for the day had been Mooloolaba Beach and the adjacent campground. However a very kind offer of accommodation from Gary and Suzanne changed that for the better. I still rode to Mooloolaba, but then had a 20 minute drive to Caloundra and a fantastic evening ahead. I met our hosts for the first time, despite being married to Jane for over 30 years. I suppose it’s more difficult to meet family members who live on the other side of the planet.

Their lovely apartment is on the 14th floor of the tallest building in town. The views are absolutely spectacular. After only my second G&T since September (the first one being in Raffles), we met some of their neighbours at a Friday evening soirée. A great idea, and lovely people. Gary cooked. We drank wine. Then a bit more wine. Then crawled into bed.

Excellent day, despite the cycling part of it being the equivalent of a gentle stroll down the promenade.

Distance cycled so far: 7404km.