I was up as light was beginning to break through the darkness. The stars that were above me were disappearing into the light that was approaching from the horizon. I had to just stop for amount and take in the dawning of a new day.
After coming to, I progressed with the packing up. Nearly everything was done the night before. It was as simple as just packing up my tent and bedding, getting dressed and loading the bike, and it was all done by 7:00 a.m.
With all my gear loaded first stop was Fernvale, breakfast and coffee...coffee big, strong and black. I headed out of the showgrounds with hardly a car in sight. This was Saturday so it was great to see a small cycling group gathering in the car park near the Lowood Station getting ready for their morning ride. This is something I used to do on a regular basis, my Oodies ride on a Saturday morning, getting together with a few friends, no race, no Strava, just chat and coffee back at the best cafe in town, Oodies.
Where was I, yes, as I rode through the car park a lady greeted me with a huge smile. She was probably the friendliest person I had encountered at Lowood...must be a bike thing....lol. After the smile she asked, "Are you joining us?". I replied, "I'd love to, but I'm going this way". We waved and laughed, and I continued on my merry way.
I moved south out of Lowood and a gentlemen was being towed along by his horse. Well it was really a dog, it was just so bloody big you could've mistaken it for a horse. After he was dragged across my path causing me to brake abruptly, he apologised and laughed in a kind of nervous laugh. I just laughed and waved, and implied that the dog was that big it could tow me all the way to Brisbane.
The trail was pretty flat and predictable along the section to Fernvale. I don't mean predictable in a bad way, the scenery was great, But the trail itself was relatively consistent with the exception of road crossings and barriers. The barriers aren't bad and usually you can ride through them, like a chicane. They're mainly in place to stop motorcycles and the like using the trail.
I pulled into Fernvale and found the bakery that was recommended to me by a friend. A couple of croissants and a sausage roll with a coffee perked me up and removed the final bit of sleep that had a hold on me. The coffee was good, the croissants and sausage roll...meh!
I don't know if it was just me, but I found Fernvale to be a little on the snobby side, a kind of Brisbane's Kenmore out in the west. Anyway I was only there to eat and caffeine up.
I mounted the Kona and crossed the main street to set back out on the trail. I only got a couple of hundred meters and had to negotiate a fete, or something, that blocked the trail completely. I had to squeeze in between some vehicles and bush in the rear to get past. Part of me wanted to ride through the middle of it, but that was the part that hadn't been hit by the caffeine yet.
I continued south out of town and the trail was like a well preserved dirt road, like a well groomed driveway. I thought to myself, "I hope its like this all the way", but I thought too soon...lol. It wasn't bad though but it began to variate like it had done for the past few days.
Not far out of Fernvale you come into Farney View, and it was here I said out load a great "Shit"... Nothing bad, but it was the perfect spot to free camp, you know the whole woulda, coulda, shoulda scenario. There were no properties around. It was off the road and a little way down from the road crossing and gate there was a lovely little shady spot that was well out of the sight of anybody. Ah well, you know hind sight and all that jazz.
Not five minutes down the track was another load "Shit"... No, not another great camping site, but a loud pffft from the rear tyre again. That made two punctures on the BVRT and one for the first day on the SBRT. Trails 3, Ian 0. It was kind of expected, you can't take a fully loaded touring bike over this kind of trail and not expect a pinch flat or two.
I changed the tube and set out on my way again. After Wanora, the next station site on the trail, you hit another couple of creek crossings. Nothing major, I think one by memory was a walker. After Wanora you continue through the old station sites of Borallon, Pine Mountain and Murlea. You just get in your stride still being caught up in the scenery then the beauty gives way to the Warrego Hwy Underpass. It was shame really, I had come all this way through relative seclusion and the fumes in the air began to take over my senses.
I lifted my bike across the barriers under the highway and was on my last five hundred meters of dirt. Then...from dirt to perfectly smooth concrete in the blink of an eye. I was now on the Brassall Bikeway heading for Wulkuraka. I really didn't know if I was going the right way, but after the days on dirt, I didn't really care...lol. But, it was long before I came across a sign that was pointing me in the right direction.
I followed the bike path all the way to station and was thoroughly impressed in the "Europeaness" of what the Ipswich Council had done. As an example, it was well signed and as the bike path crossed roadways and streets, there were give way signs. Not for the bike to give way to cars, but visa versa...wonderful. I wasn't in Kansas anymore Toto.
I found the station with little fuss and eventually worked out how to read the timetable and work the automatic ticket thingy, I'm so not a city slicker...lol. The train eventually came which I boarded and headed into Ipswich Central for the change over.
Getting off the train at Ipswich a friendly gentleman was helpful with getting my bike off the train and over to the city bound train. Now I was off to Milton...tooot, tooot.
Milton came, I got off the train and headed for the Riverside Bikeway. I hadn't ridden any of the bikeways around Brisbane and was very impressed. I had a bit of a mishap when coming off the Goodwill Bridge and onto the Kangaroo Point BW. I missed the turn onto the South East Freeway Bikeway. I so need to get myself a phone mount for my handlebars.
Anyway, after a u-turn I was quickly on the right path (pardon the pun) and heading for Stones Corner. I knew where I was now so the rest is history except, you just don't realise how hilly Coorparoo really is until you've ridden it on a bike...phew!
Well that was it, I had reached my final destination. I was hoping to go further but I had to return for a few days work. The girls came running out of my brother-in-law's house screaming, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy's here".
No more serenity, no more dirt roads, no more setting my tent up alongside the trail. It was just memories now, and a great sense of accomplishment. I had done it. I had ridden to Brisbane. Yes I know, it wasn't entirely from Bundaberg...but still. I had hit two trails that I wanted to ride. I had done a complete end to end of the BVRT, I had finished what I had set out to do.
Now, what's next...
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