Dough's Big Day Out

So I had a long day in the saddle yesterday. The map Is in the link but I could not work out how to get it to show as a map.... but it is there!

I left home at about ten, after taking boy child to school and settle smallest girl child to have a sleep. I placated SWMBO with a pre-made dinner and I was off.

I left Peregian Springs and headed for Eumundi, the clouds were threatening but roads were dry. This is a nice 5 minute warm up with some nice flowing turns through green rolling pastures... a good start.

After filling up at Eumundi (this is where our illustious PM went to primary school) I pointed the Duc toward Kenilworth, more good scenery and not a,lot of traffic except one tractor towing a seeder that covered the whole road. He did have an escort so I can't complain too much. Followed him for about ten kays and then he freed me to scoot ahead. The closer I got to Kenilworth the better the roads became. Nice and wide, to see any wildlife venturing my way and the bitumen is hot mix so smooth as a babies tush. As I entered Kenilworth a couple of spots of rain appeared upon the visor, as the sky was still dark I thought better to be dry so on with the wets, by the time I got back onto the bike it was teaming down.

Just outside Kenilworth I entered riding nirvana, the roads were now the equivalent of a three lane each way freeway, hot mix and empty with long flowing bends through hilly terrain.... I was in heaven so I had to turn around and do it again... added about 15 kays to the trip but on the return journey the rain had stopped so it was even more enjoyable. I did however leave the wets on as the sky was still an angry shade of dark.

From Kenilworth I headed towards Maleny, this country was made for motorcycles. (I am trying to find the words so you can understand what I am trying to say, somehow as I read this back to myself it just does not sound all there). Beautiful empty roads, wide and flowing, awesome scenery - I just wanted to pull over and lookout across the green rolling hills to absorb it all in but I had more to see and traverse.

In Maleny I found a lookout that shows some of the country I was about to head through. It seems a nice quaint sort of town but I have to say the few people I did speak to made me think I was parked in Nimbin... very relaxed with a kind of hippy feel. Mary Cairncross Park is a great place to stop with lots of undercover seating and bbq's everywhere. I headed out of Maleny towards Peachester just out of town I noticed a Tourist Information Centre, so I figure why not stop and get some advice. Turns out the bloke that runs it lived in Higgins for 35 years! .... and only two streets from where I lived. Small world. So this bloke and I chat and discuss my proposed route. It has an alteration.

I was going to go from Maleny to Peachester on the 'main road' between them, WRONG! The new route, that I missed and had to backtrack to pick up, was down a road called Bald Knob Rd. I think this would be one of Leens type of roads, or maybe an Avartie special. It was steep and twisty, I did not get out of second gear for the whole road! The Duc torque shone through, there was so much to see and such small windows of opportunity to take your eyes off the road. This detour actually caused me to miss Peachester itself but it was really worth it. I am definitely riding that road again!

After a quick blat along the Scenic Mountain Drive (and it was) through Cedarton, blink and you will miss it, down the Kilcoy-Beerwah Rd, left onto the D'Aguilar Hwy (read BORING) I arrive at Woodford. Remove the wets that were now dry and to have a look around. What a lovely town, more likely a village. I had some lunch here... a burger that rivalled any I have ever had, or made. Into the local bike shop I go just to have a wander and add some money to the local economy. As soon as I walked in it reminded me of the old style bike shops that are very few and far between. It had wooden floorboards, pics up everywhere of racers from the seventies and out walks a bloke of about 60 i spose. Great fella had a great yarn, turns out he used to race side cars throughout Australia and NZ. He gave it away in the late 70's after being in an accident that nearly took his life. Fair enough I say.

Anyway I digress.

From Woodford it is an easy run to Mt Mee and more glorious roads. There was little to no traffic and the weather was on the improve, there was evenb some sun! Apart from a short stretch of road works it was clear and flowing all the way. Mt Mee is a lot like the Clyde only BETTER and times it by ten! This is just awesome, I wish I had company but then again it is cool to go at my own pace. Off the top of Mt Mee down into Dayboro was a series of twisties that by the end made my forearms feel like Popeye! It was great, although I should add that at EVERY turn there is a cross with pics and flowers so it obviously catches many riders out. It was a sombre feel as I pulled into the servo at Dayboro.

Fill up and grab some red frogs for that sugar hit we all need from time to time. Heading out of Dayboro towards Samford Village did not stop here as I knew time was getting away from me. Head out past the Caltex and aim for Mt Glorious, these roads are tight twists with some sharp inclines thrown in for good measure. So I got to the Mt Nebo-Mt Glorious 'T' intersection. This was not on my map so I literally tossed a coin and it fell Mt Glorious' way. After some pics I swung the leg over and rode on. Nice roads, albeit covered in leaf litter that made the treacherously slippery, that wound up and up and up to a small village on the top as I entered I thought crap it is a 60 zone! Looked down and I was only doing 40 so I had it covered..

I did not stop even though there was half a dozen bikes at a little cafe in the village, I plan to stop in future - given time. down the northern side of Glorious was a special thing. Leaf litter, branches from overhanging trees and snakes! I don't know what sort they were suffice to say I did not have that the stick I was slipping past was not a stick! Damn thing stood up on the back third of its tail and looked me in the eye as I slipped past it. That was a heart starter if ever there was one. Further down as I travel I came across Wivenhoe Dam lookout. Now I have waterskied on this many moons ago. So I stop and have a stretch and a look. Well it is the Wivenhoe Dam and it is a long way away but damn it is big!

This next stretch I was expecting more tight twisties going down hill as opposed to up. I could not have been more wrong. These are steep short straights with hairpins at either end! The vertical drop in the hairpins was almost enough to take the breath out of you lungs. Second gear and drag the rear brake just a little to settle the rear end. This went on for what felt like 30 kays but as I reached the bottom I checked the speedo and I had only travelled 9 kays! Wow I need to do them in both directions... another time. Now off the mountain and into some riverflat country. Smooth flat and awesome. One issue I had though was at the first tight bend I went to apply some front and back brake and the back brake did not exist!

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A whole handful of front and no rear brake makes Dough little nervous! Pull over and check for a broken line or evidence of a leakage... nothing, and I would have thought I could tell if I had a leak by the back end wanting to swap with the front under braking. Anyway since I stopped I gathered my thoughts and had an action plan. No rear brake means no end to the trip! Stop over night in the nearest town and get it looked at in the morning.

Back on I climb and gingerly set off for Kilcoy. Now these roads are not boring by any means but compared to the two Mt's I have just done they were a tad .... ummm....ordinaire.The land is good for cropping or running stock, undulating, sweeping corners and very little to get in the way of just riding and enjoying it.. (except of course the rear brake that comes and goes.

I hit Somerset Dam and took it as a photo op. Aparently Somerset is directly upstream from Wivenhoe which makes sence considering their vicinity. Looking at the dam wall it is just another dam wall until you read the small print about when it was commisioned. Ride on towards Kilcoy and rest, I am noticing the rear brake has not gone off again... it seems to have decided to work again... the only thing I can put it down to is that is was hot and became spongey... this however seemed to be non-existant so I continue to 'check' for rear brake before arriving at a corner without it.

Somerset Dam takes a good half hour to pass... a big stretch of water indeed. I took a photo of a boat out on the other side towing a skiier, it looked like an average boat from that distance but when it got to shore it was anything but.... think miami vice big ass drug money funded off shore power boat kind of boat!

Somerset to Kilcoy showed the rear brake was back to stay... interesting... any thoughts? I decided to push on and get home. Kilcoy is a typical cattle town. Stock yards in the centre of town, main street lined with pubs and take aways. Big wide street with many semi's and a few B-doubles too. Out of Kilcoy and I am losing light. Not a good feeling never ridden a road and about to see it in darkness.

Kilcoy to Woodford along the D'Aguilar Hwy , boring road but at least I am chewing some kays. As I pull into Woodford I think to myself that I dont know the rest of the road so I backtrack to the Kilcoy Beerwah road and shoot up there.... much traffic in my way so it is slow going. No worries it is dark and relatively unfamiliar road so I am just cruising. One by one the cars turn off and I am alone on this road. All good I decide to head straight through Peachester and to Beerwah. Bad move ... out of Peachester it gets bloody steep and bloody twisty, now that would be ok but for the oncoming traffic lights blinding me every 30 seconds. I have been caught by a car so I pulled over and let them past, pull back out and follow them. Much easier with a leader.

At Beerwah the car goes right at a 'T' set of lights and I go left to Sunshine coast along the Steve Irwin Way. The lights are red so the cars window slides down and the passenger asked if I was new to the road... I have no qualms in admitting when I need to step back and that is what I needed to do in order to get home in one peice. Off I scoot past Australia Zoo, so I waved at Bindi as I did. Through Landsboroough and onto the Bruce Hwy to slab it home.

...Ok so you have stuck with me for this epic journey.

To finish off I will say.... Great day... awesome roads. Plans are afoot to do another tour deleting some of this route and including stuff I discovered on the way. This was by no means a fast day, I probably averaged ten kays under the limit but with damp roads and not knowing them I was not about to bin it. It was a long day left home at ten and returned to the door at seven on the dot.