Old Bum On A Bike: Getting Away...Finally...Part 3!

Day three was much cooler. A south easterly change brought cooler weather with it. Along with the cool change it also supplied a hefty headwind. Headwinds are something you grow accustomed to cycling around Bundaberg.

Leaving the motel I headed back into town before leaving. I wanted to find a coffee shop, cafe or the ilk. Unable to do so, I had to call into a particular family restaurant that I visited the previous afternoon. Yes, the Golden Arches. It was much quieter now, just the local running and walking groups that were out early of a morning.

Breakfast had, coffee downed it was time to hit the road. Today's ride was to Yarraman and camp at Yarraman Weir at the head of The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. The day's ride was an unofficial connection route between the South Burnett and the Brisbane Valley Rail Trails. It had been mapped, and it was also the way I had travelled before.

Oddly enough, this is one of my favourite parts of the ride. Lovely quiet roads, a mixture of bitumen, gravel and forestry, and so much serenity. You are unlikely to catch up with another soul on this section, although it does pass by homes and farms. I did, however, get a wave from the local Garbo doing the rounds.

One has to be prepared along the connection route. There is nothing between Kingaroy and Yarraman, no shops and no parks. There is nowhere for water or supplies if any are needed. Make sure, which ever way you are travelling that you are stocked up on the essentials. Although, mobile service is pretty well covered all through the route.

I headed out via the aerodrome and Kingaroy Observatory. Along here there is the Kingaroy Vintage Machinery Society. I think I have that right. In their grounds is a museum of machinery ranging from ploughs to tractors, Well worth the stop.

Continuing out along Peterson Drive the heart rate started to get a work out, it's not long before some decent hills appear. It is on top of these hills you can look back over your shoulder and see an amazing view of Kingaroy and surrounding area. The Peanut Factory and silos are a constant sight around Kingaroy. But the scenery all around is spectacular to say the least. The mixture of grazing land, crops and rolling hills, and of red and black soils make a checker board of beauty as I heaved the bike over the top.

The landscape continued to change as I moved away from Kingaroy towards the back of Tarong. Grazing land become more prevalent, and the squeak and rattle of rusting windmills accompanied my somewhat heavy breathing and pedal stroke. Listening to them, it was though they were speaking to me in some weird and wonderful language. Either that, or they were declaring my arrival to the lazing cattle that populated the surrounding fields.

Tarong is also home of The Torong Power Station. I caught glimpses of it as I rose up and down the more than undulating land. Snippets of the steam stacks rose above like a modern equivalent of a medieval castle. Coupled with the black landscape from the surrounding coal mines, it had a resemblance to scenes straight out of Lord of the Rings. Seeing the machinery drive around from the distance reminded me of Morgoth's minions readying for war in the battle over Middle Earth.

Switching between bitumen and gravel roads, up hills and down hills the ride never gets boring. The roads remain quiet and extremely safe for riding. Tucked in between Maidenwell, Nanago and Yarraman the bitumen roads eventually disappear and I entered the State Forest, that will in time open up into Yarramn's small township.

Now in the forest the sound of Bellbirds replace the eerie sounds of the windmills that once echoed out. Shade was more common helping cool me down. Also the persistent headwind was now blocked by the towering hoop pines. It was now lunch time, the legs were feeling heavy and the stomach empty. I was reminded on day one how not eating would effect me, so I had made it a point to stop regularly to eat and drink.

I eventually found a narrow forestry road that lead to nowhere. It was the ideal location to travel a few hundred meters off the main road, not that the main road was anything much more. Nestled in under the pines, out of the wind and in the shade, lunch was brought out and the billy put on.

I had made good time and didn't have that far to go. The wind through the tree tops and the sounds of the forest was rather hypnotising. I was in no hurry so I laid out my seating pad, and laid down on a soft bed of pine needles. It wasn't long before I nodded off for a short time. This is what bicycle touring is all about, just taking it slow. So far the trip was working out just fine.

After my midday siesta, it was time to drag myself from the quiet and tranquillity of the State Forest. The worst was behind me with the two hills I have dubbed, "The Heartbreak Hills" now being at my back. These two hills start off credible. But not far into them they climb up at a decent rate. Now, I'm not suggesting that they are unrideable. but being loaded, and not overly fit, walking was the only option for me. The worst thing about them is that are reasonably close together. You think one is over, start to decline and...BANG...onto number two.

The Heartbreaks gone it was now just a steady two percent upward run. I'd had plenty of practice of this over the past few days. Not long now, my memory kept reminding me. The problem was, that my memory wasn't all that accurate.

Now near the end, this is probably my favourite section of any of the ride I had embarked on. It is a down hill run through towering pines onto the Burnett Highway just north of Yarraman's township. It is like a tunnel made of trees, no sun, and almost needing a headlight. One push on the pedals and it is a coast, all the way down to the road.

Now on the Burnett Hwy, it is a downhill run into town. It is only a short distance from leaving the forest's enclosure to the caravan park at the top of town, that has very little shoulder to ride on. But then it opens out and there is more than ample room.

Once in town I first visited the local supermarket. I just wanted to stock up on some canned food items, flatbread and some juice for the following days. After the store I rode down to the park and filled all my water bottle, hydration pack, and water filter bladder. This was to give me enough water for the night's camp and following day into Blackbutt.

Water topped up, food stuffed into my bag temporarily I was off to the night's campsite. It was only a six minute trip out of town by bike. Arriving at Yarraman Weir was quite surprising. The weir has just been renovated into park lands and a free campsite for those using the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. I have to say, it is one of the best campsites I have camped in. It is clean, well maintained with toilets and has a large amount of grassed area. It also has horse yards for those traversing the trail on horseback.

One thing it doesn't have, and this is by far it's best feature, is a lot of room for caravans. It is fantastic to see a campsite that focuses on campers rather caravans. It doesn't happen enough.

The weir is the site of the very first pulp mill that operated in Queensland. Remnants of the old steam engine that was used to pump water from the river to the mill is still standing. The weir is also a home to a menagerie of bird life, and over time will be a display of a variety of water flora.

I was the only one there, and had pick of the park. I chose the middle at the only covered table and quickly got set up. It was handy. there was enough room under the covered area to set up my tent as well as park the bike and spread my gear out. It was also only a stone's throw to the toilet, which actually had a tap. Nestled in amongst the river gums there was plenty of shade to kick back and enjoy the evening's sunset.

What an exceptionally peaceful way to end a beautiful day's ride, the sun setting, the stars appearing and a cool breeze reminiscent of the air conditioning I was pampered by the night before. Again it was just wonderful to lay in the tent with no fly and watch the millions of stars wander slowly across our southern sky.

Cheers guys.