2025 - Short Trips: 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.