Day 5: Sun 13 Apr - Wooroolin to Home, drive: 207km; total driven: 415km

17 (Wooroolin) - 25 (Home) deg C; cold and drizzly at Wooroolin, to clouds, some rain, then brilliant sunshine at home

Ride: 0km

We awoke to a rather morose morning, so got up, completed the morning routine and had breakfast. We were packed up and on the road at 7:55am and stopped once beside the road on a pull-out for a pit stop. The highways were very busy and reminded us of why we don’t usually go away during school holidays. However, in the main, most drivers were very good.

We arrived home at 10:30am and had a coffee and hot cross bun before we did anything else. The van contents were unpacked and repacked into the house just before lunch. The van was put to bed after lunch as we had to allow the awning to dry out. Cleaning will be done prior to the next outing as it always gets dusty sitting in the shed. 

We had a really great 5 days/4 nights with five other like-minded people. We proved that our solar panels and batteries can easily re-charge our e-bikes, even with only a little bit of sun. The countryside around Wooroolin, Tingoora and Memerambi is beautiful - rolling hills; yes, it looks more spectacular now as it is green, however, we believe even if it was not so green, it would still look good.

Thank you again to Glen and Carmel for inviting us, and to Greg, Karen and Mark for making it a great team.

A male King parrot with two Rainbow lorikeets at the HF feeding station

Turmeric flower

Day 4: Sat 12 Apr - Wooroolin - Wooroolin Loops

17-23 deg C, wet and miserable for most of the day; there were a few patches of sunshine

Wendy ride: 58km; total: 141km

Greg ride: 58km; total: 205km

We awoke this morning to the sound of markets being set up in the carpark of the free camp. A modest little affair with lots of bric-a-brac, homemade cakes and jam.  After breakfast, we set off on the West Wooroolin Loop, and it was a tad lumpier than we had anticipated. 13km later we were almost back at Wooroolin where we immediately started on the East Wooroolin Loop. There was the mother of all hills - not very steep, but a long and slow rise. The downhill after was good. We didn't quite finish the whole loop as we missed a sign indicating a left-hand turn; we turned right! It was only a few hundred metres shorter though.

Back to Wooroolin and the markets where we had a lovely cup of tea with cake/scone from the QCWA. Back to the van where we decided that because we had only ridden 23km, we should take a ride to Kingaroy for lunch. The BOM said it was going to rain, but we left at 10;30am anyway. About 5km south at Memerambi, we took cover from a passing shower under the picnic shelter for about 10 minutes before continuing to Kingaroy. 

We had a pie and drink then just as we decided to leave, the heavens opened again. Rain jackets on, we rode out of Kingaroy heading for home. It was not long before we had to stop to remove the rain jackets as the sun had come out and and it felt quite tropical.

Back at the vans, we had a little rest before taking the awning in and packing up stuff we will not need again. We had a surprise arrival - Sue decided to surprise Mark. She surprised us all, and it was good to see her again.

We set off for the Tinny Pub - Tingoora Hotel for dinner about 5:30pm, and arrived not long after. Dinner was only served after 6pm, so we ordered drinks and perused the menu. We were able to order before 6pm, and it was just as well we did as the pub was full (just as well Wendy had made a booking as well). We got our meals between 6:30-6:45pm, and they were all large and very tasty. Wendy came home with a doggy bag of sirloin steak and sweet potato chips.

Not the best weather to end the trip, however, we got to do all the rides we wanted to, and a few more. These last four days have been amazing and the riding even better. Thank you to Carmel and Glen for telling us about it and inviting us along. We wonder how many other towns have these Loops that we no nothing about?

A lovely green tunnel on the Wooroolin West Loop

West Wooroolin Loop

Mornos at QCWA Wooroolin

On the way to Kingaroy

This is one big mural in a Kingaroy laneway, but had to be photographed in sections

Kingaroy Peanut silos

Some old cars outside Grand Hotel Wooroolin

Wendy's meal

Day 3: Fri 11 Apr - Wooroolin - Tingoora East and West Loops

15 - 26 deg C, foggy and fresh to start the day, to fine and sunny, then patchy clouds

Wendy Ride: 41km; total: 83km

Greg Ride: 75km; total: 147km

We set off at our agreed time of 8am, heading north to Tingoora. After a quick'ish 6km we were at the Tingoora crossroads and selected the East Loop to do first. We weren't quite prepared for the climbing we had to do, however, the downhills were exhilarating. 11km later (felt like more), we were back at Tingoora and stopped for a drink and snack before continuing to to the West Loop of 18km.

The hills on the West Loop seemed to go on forever. For those on ebikes, it was not an issue, although we did feel it when we faced a headwind as well. For those on manual bikes, we salute you! All the ebikers agreed that we would have struggled.

Greg decided to head back to Wooroolin via the East Loop, while the rest of us came home the way we went. While it was all uphill, we did have a slight tailwind and we were soon at Dusty Daisy coffee for a late mornos.

Back to the vans for a clean up and a rest before lunch and a real rest. Greg then went for a ride to Kingaroy while Wendy did some pers admin and email catch-ups.

Pre-dinner drinks were had at Greg and Karen's site, before dinner in our own vans. Homemade Pizza was on our menu. We ended up with no leftovers, which is very unusual for us. All those hills certainly sharpened our appetites. 

East Tingoora Loop

Mark looks like an Alien!

View from the top of the hill on Weckers Road

Waiting to turn right from Weckers Road onto Transmitter Road

                                            Does anyone know where we are? Nope!

West Tingoora Loop

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Tingoora

Tingoora Public Hall

Amazing how nature takes over

Lovely red soil

                                                       

One of the roads of the West Tingoora Loop

Duboisia processing plant, Tingoora

Duboisia bush, which is grown for the pharmaceutical industry

                                        

Anglican Church Kingaroy

I can see a rainbow, see a rainbow ..... not a very good one, but still a rainbow

Day 2: Thu 10 Apr - Wooroolin - Memerambi East loop and Gordonbrook Dam route

13-23 deg C, a very fresh breeze this morning (someone turned the heater off in the sky), to intermittent sun and clouds

Wendy ride: 36km; total: 42km

Av speed: 17.5 km/h' highest speed: 60 km/h 

Greg ride: 66km; total: 72km

After breakfast we changed into our lycra ready for today's activities. Our great mate Phil arrived on time, from Sippy Downs to join us for the ride. We were riding away a little later than scheduled, but it didn't matter as we are all on 'holiday'!

We rode to Gordonbrook Dam, that was built in 1942 as a water source for the residents of Kingaroy and for the RAAF personnel based at Tabinga. It is currently closed due to a blue-green algae outbreak. The route was undulating, but mostly downhill. Poor G&C are the only two without ebikes but they used the downhills to get some of the way up the next rise. It was 8km each way. We found a great picnic shelter at Memerambi so stopped for a drink and snack before attacking the East Loop. The first 2.5km were uphill but on smooth bitumen so no real problem. However, the next 2.5km was on a farm-like road that was a bit rough in itself. Due to the constant rain over the last month, African Love Grass had taken over - it grows in clumps and is therefore VERY rough to ride over (it had been recently mowed though, that didn't help at all). Even the ebikers found it challenging. The next 5km were all down hill and this is where we got to high speeds, and more than made up for the challenging 2.5km grassy section.

Back to the Wooroolin Cafe and Takeaway across the road for coffee and more treats. Even though the sun was shining brightly it was still a bit cool. We put the bikes on charge, one at a time, and they both charged. We used our portable panel to supplement the one on the van and the battery level didn't move down at all, in fact we were still putting more killer wasps in than we were taking out.

After a late'ish lunch, we had a little snooze, then Greg went out with three others to ride to Wondai - unfortunately the art gallery that we went to see was closed. Not to worry, downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back.

Dinner was had at The Grand Hotel Wooroolin and although they took a while to come out, all meals were very edible.

Sunrise over the Wooroolin Wetlands

Gordonbrook Dam

Greg W, Greg McB, Mark, Karen, Wendy, Phil, Glen, Carmel

All the different mountain bike trails

Mornos stop

The largest flock of Corellas we have ever seen

Views from the top of the hill after the horrible grassy rough bit

The first of the down hills

Ride route

After-ride coffee and snacks

Cotton bales

Wooroolin Memorial Hall

Our favourite coffee shop

Grand Hotel Wooroolin by day and night