Woodford Adventure

"Riding" through the swamp
I was stunned when 32 people turned up for our group Mountain Biking ride from Beerburrum, through the forests of the Glasshouse Mountains, to Woodford and back. This is the largest social ride that I’ve been a part of, and I was amazed how smoothly it went, despite several crashes and a few equipment failures.

This ride was a combined effort between the online Mountain Biking community at MTBDirt.com.au and the Bushrangers Mountain Biking Club from the Sunshine Coast. Because there were so many people on the ride, I took a lot of photos, and have included a lot of thumbnails in this post to make it easier for anyone who was on the ride to take copies of any photos they want.

Adrian
Off We GoOff We GoDerekOff We Go

We started from Matthew Flinders Rest Area at Beerburrum. This is the site where, in 1799, the English explorer Matthew Flinders camped for the night before climbing Mount Beerburrum. He had originally planned to climb the taller (and steeper) Mount Tibrogargan, but found the sheer cliffs on the eastern face too intimidating, so opted for the easier scramble up Mount Beerburrum instead. Every year in July the local school celebrates the event with a commemorative climb up the hill to re-enact Flinders’ efforts.

Hill Climbing Madness
Hill Climbing MadnessHill Climbing MadnessHill Climbing Madness"I Think I Can"
But we engaged in a dfifferent sort of “Mountain Climbing” on our ride. The track behind the Glasshouse Mountains lookout is particularly steep. Everyone attempted to ride up it, but everyone (except one) couldn’t quite make it over one nasty little hump. Matthew Flinders would have been proud 🙂

Glasshouse Mountains Lookout
Glasshouse Mountains LookoutGlasshouse Mountains LookoutGlasshouse Mountains Lookout
After a final steep grind, we eventually made it to the lookout where we enjoyed the panorama and a quick rest.

Hennessey Hil
Hennessey HilHennessey HilHennessey HilHennessey Hil
Hennessey HilHennessey HilHennessey HilHennessey Hil
One of the best things about going UP a hill is the being able to go DOWN it afterwards. We had a ball riding the Hennessey Hill downhill track. It’s a purpose-built track for riding downhill really quickly. There are enough jumps, banked corners and rock gardens to keep even the gnarliest downhiller happy. More importantly, each challenging section has a “B-Line” to allow less skilled riders to go around the features that they don’t want to ride.

Follow Me!
Follow Me!Follow Me!Follow Me!Follow Me!
Follow Me!Follow Me!
There’s a maze-like network of tracks in this part of the forest. We decided to try out some single-tracks instead of following the dirt roads. This meant everyone had to ride single-file, which caused a bit of a traffic-jam whenever we encountered obstacle like fallen trees.

Another Hill
"Mind the Gap"
"Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap"
"Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap"
"Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap""Mind the Gap"

After the fun of Hennessey Hill, we thought we’d do it all over again with another hill… A little bit of hard work to get to the top, then another exhillarating flight down a steep and bumpy track while trying to avoid the deep ruts.

Trail Through the Forest
Trail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the Forest
Trail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the Forest
Trail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the ForestTrail Through the Forest
Trail Through the ForestTrail Through the Forest

When given a choice between dirt roads and single-tracks, most mountain bikers will chose single-tracks. The quiet trails make it easier to enjoy the surroundings without having to worry about Four-Wheel-Drives and motor bikes whizzing past. So where possible, our route kept to the quieter tracks through the forest.

Eric The Invincible
Refuelling
Simon"This is serious"
We were all glad to arrive at Woodford for a rest and a bite to eat. Because there were so many of us, we split up and ate at different cafes to keep the queues short. Eric gave us a demonstration of hard-core relaxation 🙂

"Riding" through the swamp
"Riding" through the swamp"Riding" through the swamp"Riding" through the swamp"Riding" through the swamp
"Riding" through the swamp"Riding" through the swamp
What cross-country adventure would be complete without a swamp?

The north-east track out of Woodford took us through some beautiful secluded woodland. Unfortunately, parts of the track were quite muddy, and we had to tip-toe around the edges to avoid getting wet.

"I could have bunny-hopped that log"
Eric Directs Traffic"I could have bunny-hopped that log""I could have bunny-hopped that log"Eric Directs Traffic
Eric Directs TrafficEric Directs TrafficEric Directs Traffic

At one point, we had to cart the bikes over a huge fallen log followed by a barbed wire fence. I’m really grafetul to Eric who helped keep people moving in the right direction. One of the things I love about mountain biking in a group is how everyone works together and helps each other out.

Crash Bangers 1/4
At the top of “Trig Hill” we encountered another white-knuckle descent which I like to call “The Giant Drop”. It’s steep, sandy, dusty and bumpy.

As I wached Neil (“Bangers”) ride down it, I was reminded of Banjo Patterson’s description of another rider on another hill in “The Man From Snowy River”:

But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head,
And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer,
And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed,
While the others stood and watched in very fear.

Crash Bangers 2/4Crash Bangers 3/4
Crash Bangers 4/4
Unfortunately, Neil was more “Bangers” than “Man from Snowy River” and had a bit of a crash on the way down. Nevertheless, “It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride.” 🙂

"I Think I'll Walk"Dartedevil Darb
Linda: "Will I, won't I?"The Giant DropDown We GoDerek
Thankfully, everyone made it down the hill in one piece – some walked, some rode (amazingly well).

Downhill MayhemPaul
"I Survived The Giant Drop"Tony

I’m definitely going back to Trig Hill and “The Giant Drop” again 🙂

Suzanne
Three AmigosThe Flying PiemanEric

Mount Beerwah
SuzannePaul
From there we made our way to the picnic area below the northern face of Mount Beerwah. The largest of the Glasshouse Mountains loomed over us for most of this part of the trip.

LindaAaronJason
PaulSimonPaul
"We Like to Ride"
Everyone got to the end of the ride safely – tired but happy.

Terry
One or two people had a crash. I tried my first aid skills on Terry. Unfortunately I couldn’t unroll the “Micropore” tape so resorted to taping him up with duct tape. Ah the myriad uses of duct tape – one of the reasons I always carry a roll in my pack.

Fixing a Hanger
Geoff broke the hanger on his bike. That’s the thing that connects the gear-changing mechanism to the frame of the bike. When it breaks, the chain can no longer go round, and you can’t change gears. Normally the solution is to break the chain, shorten it, remove the hanger, and complete the ride with no gears (not much fun). David showed us an ingenious bit of kit he brings on his rides – a temporary hanger you can screw into the skewer on your back wheel. The end result is gears that still work, and an enjoyable ride home.
GeoffTony
Yet Another Hill
Thanks to everyone who came on the ride today. I loved being able to share this adventure with so many great people.

63km, 3,500kcal, 1,200m of ascent, six and a half hours of riding including breaks. 32 people started this ride, 32 people finished. If you’re looking for a fun adventure, grab a few friends and give this one a try!

Total distance: 64.02 km
Total climbing: 1202 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 06:25:24
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What Goes Up…

Riding to the Top
Next week about a dozen of us are taking part in a group ride through the Glasshouse Mountains between Beerburrum and Woodford. I’ve been exploring this area recently, so Eric, Tony and I spent today checking the tracks in advance out to make sure everything goes as planned.

Nailing HillsNailing Hills
Not far from our starting point at Beerburrum we encountered our first little climb of the day up a rough and rutted track on the steep hills behind the lookout. It’s a challenging ride, but Eric and Tony made it look easy. None of us made it all the way to the top without pushing, but I hope at least one person next week can show us how it’s done 🙂

Hennessey Hill
It’s not far from the Lookout to the Hennessey Hill downhill mountainbiking track. This purpose-built black-diamond track has everything for white-knuckle downhill riding – jumps, berms, rock gardens. True to form – I took it pretty slowly. I’m not really a downhill daredevil, but I do occasionally ride with some daredevils, so I’ll include a few action shots in next week’s update. Stay tuned!

The ride out to Woodford took us just over a couple of hours. After refuelling at one of the excellent cafe’s there, we made our way back into the western part of the state forest.
Enjoying the View
It’s not really an official “Lookout” but from this high vantage point west of Mount Beerwah, you can see for miles.

Are we going down that?
It’s also a long way down. In this photo, Tony is standing at the top of what felt like a sheer drop back down into the forest. We decided we’d give it a try, and survived.

Splash
The track eventually spat us out at the bottom of the hill, with smiles on our faces. When everything goes well, gravity is a wonderful thing.

Organ Pipes
We rode back under the northern face of Mount Beerwah, and stopped for a few minutes to admire “The Organ Pipes” – a spectacular rock formation near the summit of the mountain.

What goes up...What goes up...
The final descent for the day was down the Collies Road track. It’s a bit like a roller-coaster with plenty of water bars to launch from.

We rode 63km in five and a half hours including breaks. We climbed 1,100m of vertical ascent. I burned about 3,500 kcal. With the perfect weather we had today, this ride rates 7 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter. You’ll have to walk one or two bits if you’re mortal, but you’ll come home happy!

Total distance: 63.55 km
Total climbing: 1262 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 05:39:19
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Beerburrum to Woodford

Bora Ring
Today’s plan was to ride from Beerburrum in the Glasshouse Mountains to Woodford and back, a round trip of about 70km along mostly dirt tracks and gravel roads.
Bora Ring
My first stop was an old Bora Ring on Johnston Road. Boras (or “durns”) were important places used by Aborigines for business, dancing and ceremonies. They consisted of a large circular ring of earth connected to another smaller ring situated between 100 and 400 metres away. Only one ring remains of the Beerburrum Bora Grounds. It’s on the edge of a pineapple field, so presumably the second ring was demolished when the farm was built.
"Silent Now"Bora Ring
I’ve been lucky enough to see a few Bora rings, and am always overwhelmed by strong emotions when I imagine what it must have been like to witness such a colorful and powerrful event so long ago. Perhaps somewhere the echos of those songs and dances are still ringing.
TibrogarganBeerwah, Coonowrin, Ngungun
And with the imposing rocky visages of the mystical Glasshouse Mountains staring at me from across farm paddocks or from between gum trees, I made my way up to the lookout so I could enjoy the view.
Tibrogargan and Tiberoowuccum
I wasn’t disappointed. The air was so clear today I could see all the way past brooding Tibrogargan to the sand dunes on Moreton Island.

I’ve ridden to the lookout many times, and would normally head north at this point towards Beerwah. But today I kept going west through state forest and pine plantations towards Woodford.

"Woodfordia"
Woodford is famous for its annual folk festival at “Woodfordia”. It’s a colorful celebration of song, dance and culture that’s normally held in the Christmas – New Year period.
Archer Memorial
The first European settlers in the area were David, Thomas and John Archer (the Archer Brothers) who built Durundur Station in 1841 near the upper reaches of the Stanley River. As a mountain biker, I am grateful to them because they established the “Old North Road” between their farm at Durundur and Brisbane. I have a lot of fun riding my bike along some of the remnants of that road at Dunlop Lane and Smiths Road in Kurwongbah where it’s still a dirt track.
Woodford
Today the bustling town of Woodford was an ideal spot to stop for a bite to eat as the half-way point of my journey.
Bridge, Stanley RiverStanley River
As I rode north out of Woodford, I thought I’d stop and take a quick look at the Stanley River. It starts near Maleny up in the Blackall Range, and flows through Woodford before eventually joining the Brisbane River. Before the Archers built the Old North Road, the only way to Woodford from Brisbane was in a circuitous route west following the Brisbane River and then following the Stanley River north east.
Lace Monitor
This two metre long Goanna scurried across the track in front of me while I was riding. “Aren’t you gorgeous!!!” I yelled out as I stopped the bike and got the camera out. Unfortunately I think I must have scared him because as I tried to get closer to take the photo, he just climbed higher up the tree.
Orchard
The road I was following, Dunning Lane, came to an abrupt end near an orchard. My GPS told me to go straight ahead (into a thick clump of trees). I decided to disobey it, and decided to ride through the orchard instead. This took me a couple of km off course, but I was able to correct it by making my way towards a powerline easement on the other side of the orchard. Hopefully someone will be able to point out where I went wrong.
Mount Beerwah
The last part of the trip was around the back of Mount Beerwah under what locals call “The Organ Pipes”. The mountain looks impressive up close.

I got lost a second time in Luttons State Forest – the small forest between Mount Beerwah and Old Gympie Road. There are a number of really steep descents there, and I was unsure of which one to take. The track I eventually rode down was so steep and had such large drop-offs that I had to walk the bike down the hill in some spots. For the rest, I just hung my backside out as far over the rear wheel as I could and hoped for the best. It’s amazing how stable the bike feels when you do that 🙂

Coonowrin
On the way back to the car I stopped for one last look at Coonowrin. For the first time he looked almost life-like – a rocky giant looking down at me over his right shoulder. It made me wonder whether the dreamtime legends aren’t just legends and perhaps these mystical mountains are titans made of stone.

I rode 71km in four and a half hours (excluding breaks) with just over 1,000m of ascent, and burned about 3,500kcal.

This one rates 7 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter. There are a few steep-ish hills, but nothing that would prove too difficulte for the average rider. Just take it easy going downhill in Luttons forest!

Total distance: 72.69 km
Total climbing: 1133 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 06:00:49
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Mount Glorious

Mt Glorious Cafe
On a glorious winters day like today, the destination picked itself: Mount Glorious. It’s days like today that I understand why it has that name.

Paul, Wayne and I started the ride from the bottom of the Goat Track and rode up to the trail head on Dundas Road. From there we enjoyed the long steep knuckle whitening descent to England Creek before beginning the long climb up Joyners Ridge Road.
Joyners Ridge Road
I’ve often wondered how the road came to be named “Joyners Ridge Road”. I asked my friend, local historian Leith Barter, who told me that in the 1870’s Henry Plantaginet Somerset (what a name!) made a three day journey on horseback from Cressbrook Station in the Brisbane Valley via Kilcoy and Caboolture to get to the property of William Charles Joyner at Samsonvale. Somerset wanted to arrange the purchase cattle from Joyner. Somerset didn’t want to go back via such a circuitous route and William Joyner showed him a ridge that might be a useful starting point for an ascent of the D’Aguilar Range.

Somerset became the first European to cross the range on horseback, but had to travel further north than he planned (probably near Mount Glorious) before he was able to find his way through a thick belt of rainforest.

It’s possible that “Joyners Ridge” is named after this historic route although historians point out that Joyner himself had not climbed the range, so he wouldn’t have known about the terrain on the western side.

The ironic thing is what took Somerset 3 days can now be done on a mountain bike in about 4 or 5 hours. Isn’t that amazing?
Joyners Ridge RoadJoyners Ridge Road

Our climb up Joyners Ridge Road took us about 70 minutes. It’s hard work, but the gradient is moderate enough so that most reasonably fit mountain bikers can do the climb if you keep a reasonable pace and don’t push yourself too hard.
Mt Glorious Cafe
Mt Glorious CafeMt Glorious Cafe
By the time we got to the top we were pretty hungry, so we stopped in at the Mt Glorious Cafe for a bite to eat and a chance to enjoy the view.

From there it was a very fast roll down the mountain back to our cars at the bottom of the Goat Track.

Overall this ride was 35km, with 1390m of ascent and 3200 kcal. With todays cool weather and the social pace, this one rates 7.5 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter.

Total distance: 36.2 km
Total climbing: 1421 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 04:09:56
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Taylors Break

Branch Creek
I’ve ridden Taylors Break in D’Aguilar National Park a couple of times. My friend Rob kindly organized another ride here, so I jumped at the chance to check it out again.

PaulAaronRob
I met with Paul, Aaron and Rob at the bottom of the Goat Track, and we rode up to the start of this fun descent near the corner Hammermeister Road and Forestry Road at Mount Nebo.
Taylors Break
The track starts with a gentle gradient near Mount Nebo. A bulldozer has cleared it recently, so the ride near the top of the hill is quite pleasant.

The steepness increases as you get further down the mountain…
Taylors BreakTaylors Break
Towards the bottom, the gradient is very intense, and there are lots of loose rocks, so it’s advisable to walk it if you’re not 100% confident. Rob showed us how you can “get air” even when you’re walking the bike 🙂

Taylors Break
You can ride the descent if you keep your wits about you, and get your weight as far back on the bike as possible.

Branch Creek
Branch Creek
The prettiest part of the ride is Branch Creek at the bottom of the descent. The shaded pools would make a great swimming spot in summer – but today we were content to enjoy the view and take pictures.


We also decided to have a bit of a break because this point was the start of the long climb up Cabbage Tree Range Road – a one hour uphill ride which rises about 500 metres in 7km.

This ride was 27km long, and we completed it in about three and a half hours. We did about 1,200m of vertical ascent and I burned about 2,500 kcal. Despite the relatively short distance, it’s still a challenging and enjoyable ride. I’m rating 7.5 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter. We enjoyed it more because it was a cool day, we kept an easy pace, and stopped lots.

If you do this ride, take it easy at the bottom of Taylors Break. It’s very steep and loose. If you’re unsure of a section, play it safe and walk it.

Total distance: 27.33 km
Total climbing: 1192 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 03:26:58
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From the Mountains to the Sea

Camp Mountain Lookout
Brisbane is a wonderful city. I got to see a lot of it today in a nice big loop which covered the mountainous D’Aguilar National Park & Brisbabe Forest Park in the West, the CBD, and the Wetlands in the East. I took my time, which was enjoyable until the sun went down, and I realized I’d have to finish the last bit of my journey with lights.
"Mini Van"Chilling
I started by exploring a few trails at Bunyaville that I don’t ride too much – “Zigzag”, “Minivan” and “Darkside”. They’ve got wierd names. Someone tells me there’s the rusting wreck of a Mini Van somewhere in there, but I didn’t see it. All I saw was lots of winding flowing tracks.

After that I took a few back streets to Samford Forest where I stopped for a quick snack.
"Estate Break" Samford Forest"Estate Break" Samford Forest
While I was relaxing, a couple of new faces showed up so I took their photos while they sped off down “Estate Break” – one of the steeper, more challenging fire trails in Samford Forest.
Three-Ways. Samford Forest
The “Three Ways” is a fun little intersection in the middle of Samford Forest with trails going off everywhere. The fun thing about it is this nice little dirt hill in the middle that you can ride over. You can’t do that at a bitumen three-ways 🙂

Camp Mountain Lookout
From there I rode over to Camp Mountain and did the tough short-climb to the summit. The climb is exhausting, which makes it easy to stop for a while at the top and enjoy the view.

Flinders Peak & Teviot Range
It took me about an hour to ride from there down (and up) Centre Road to South Boundary Road. It was fun to look to the mountains of the Teviot Range, including Flinders Peak and recall that I’d ridden there only a few weeks ago. At that time I managed to get a photo of Brisbane as I looked north. This time I grabbed a shot of Flinders Peak as I looked south.

Happy MTB'ers
While I was admiring the view, a few more happy Mountain Bikers road by. It must be something about riding a mountain bike in the bush. It just makes you smile! It happened several times in the forest today – unlike in the city and on the bike paths. It must be something in the air 🙂

Highwood Road
This time, when I got to the end of South Boundary Road, I followed “Goanna Trail” to the bottom, then climbed up Highwood Road. I have a love / hate relationship with this hill. I’ve climbed it several times, always after having ridden 50km through the national park, with tired legs. It’s a tough climb, especially with tired legs. But I’m always delighted when I make it to the top.

Bicentennial Bikeway, BrisbaneSouthbank, Brisbane
I then made the short ride from the top of Mount Coot-tha down “Powerful Owl” trail into the CBD and South Bank via the riverside Bicentennial Bikeway.

Brisbane City Cat.
I think I prefer riding along the southern bank of the river. There always seems to be a lot going on, and I enjoy the view of the city across the river. When I’ve ridden on the northern bank, I think I was too close to the city to enjoy the view.

Rock ClimbingRock Climbing
There was lots of activity by the river, including these rock climbers at the Kangaroo Point cliffs.

Pacific Dawn
On the way out of Brisbane along Kingsford Smith drive I was lucky enough to get a great view of P&O “Pacific Dawn” leaving port for a week in the Pacific. She blew her horn while I was watching, which sounded loud – even from over a kilometre away. In the past I’ve always felt envious watching a ship leaving port, wishing I was on board. This time I felt much happier riding my bike. If they’d stopped the ship and asked if I’d have liked to hop on for a cruise, I would have graciously declined.

I’m content to ride my bike in the bush.

Today’s ride was 110km and took me almost 8 hours excluding breaks. I climbed almost 2,000 metres of vertical ascent and burned 6,000 kcal (about 11 Big Macs). This one rates 8 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter.

Total distance: 110.3 km
Total climbing: 2088 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 09:30:28
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The “Super W”

My friends have named a tough ride in D’Aguilar National Park the “Super-V” because of the tough elevation profile you get when you ride it: A loooooong way down, then an equally long way up. I walked the “Super-V” just over a year ago with my son, Lachlan.

Today I thought I’d mix it up a bit and add an extra climb to make it a “Super-W” 🙂

Giant Fig
I started from the Goat Track and made my way up the bitumen to Mount Glorious, then set off down Lawton Road. This is a special place in the rainforest with Piccabean Palms and wonderful Giant Figs. I just had to stop and get a few pictures.

Dave and KellyNeil
I enjoyed the roll down Lawton Road which is a fun steep descent near the top… until I met up with Kelly and Dave. They were riding their bikes back up the track because they were unable to get past one of the landslides: A huge gulf has opened on the road with nowhere to go above it, and nowhere below. All that remains is a 10cm wide precipice which is hard work to carry a bike over. I suggested that between the three of us we might be able to help each other get the bikes across and continue with the ride.

DaveKelly
We rode together up the steep climb to Northbrook Mountain and then parted ways. They were headed down Kipper Creek Road towards Wivenhoe Dam. I was headed back towards England Creek. I love meeting new people on the trail 🙂

England Creek Road
The ride down England Creek from Northbrook is amazing. It just descends for what feels like ages. I lost 500m of altitude in about 7km, and I’m glad I rode down it, instead of UP it like my friend Flyboy (Dave).
England CreekEngland Creek
Eventually I reached the bottom, and the delightful bush camp at the England Creek Crossing. I wasn’t staying the night this time, so I just devoured a banana and took a few pics of the beautiful creek.

From there it was a bit of a climb up to the intersection at the bottom of Joyners Ridge Road. Normally if you were doing the “Super-V” you’d turn left into Joyners Ridge Road and make your way back up the hill to Mount Glorious. But today I was going a bit further, so I kept going straight ahead down again towards another crossing on England Creek.
England CreekEngland Creek
England Creek is spectacular. The water is crystal clear. There’s no sound at all except bellbirds, wind in the Eucalypts, and water babbling over the pebbles. I don’t know what cosmic lottery I won to be able to enjoy these simple pleasures, but I’m continually grateful.

From this point, the hard work begain in earnest. I had to make the slow steep climb up Goodes Road. This is a cruel climb, rising almost 500m in 5km. It’s very steep, and after the long ride I’d done it was really difficult to turn the pedals and get up the hill.

I repeatedly yelled to myself in U.S. Army Marching style:

IF. IT. IS to BE
IT. IS. UP to ME!

If anyone would have caught me yelling out like a madman, I’m sure I would have been sectioned and locked up.

By some minor miracle, I made it to the top without passing out. I didn’t walk – I’m really proud that I was able to ride the whole way.

From there, I followed Dundas Road back to Mount Nebo and civilization, and enjoyed the fast roll down the bitumen back to the Goat Track.
Goat Track
After a tough ride, I love the quick drop back down the Goat Track. It was cold, and I had my plastic vest on, but it was enjoyable.


Can you see the “W” in there?

This ride was just under 45km, and took me almost 4 and a half hours. I burned about 4,500 kcal (about 8 big macs) and climbed about 1,700m. This one rates 8.5 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter. If you do it in summer, I’d rate it 9 out of 10.

Total distance: 44.55 km
Total climbing: 1753 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 05:34:22
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Centre Road

It rained most of last week, so I used my opportunity today to catch up on missed rides.

I think I over-did it a bit.

I started from home in Lawnton and made my way via Clear Mountain and Samford to Mount Nebo which took me a couple of hours.
Moreton Bay
Due to the clean air after the rain, I had some great views from The Goat Track east to Moreton Bay.

From Mount Nebo I turned onto South Boundary Road – a wonderful fire trail which runs through most of the southern section of D’Aguilar National Park. Today, that meant an enjoyable 15km descent (with a few short climbs) from Mount Nebo down to the creek crossing at the bottom of Centre Road.
Open Eucalyptus ForestCentre Road
The fascinating thing about this long descent is that you start in wet rainforest, but the vegetation slowly changes until you’re riding through breezy open Eucalyptus meadows. Some of the downhill sections are too quick to look around at the trees for very long, so it was worthwhile stopping every now and then to take it all in 🙂

Enoggera Creek
Eventually the descent came to an end at the Enoggera Creek crossing on Centre Road. Enoggera Creek is pretty significant for a couple of reasons. It was dammed in 1866 to form Enoggera Reservoir – Brisbane’s first (and Australia’s second ever) dam. It’s purpose was to supply drinking water for the burgeoning new colony. Waterworks Road in the Gap, Ashgrove and Red Hill is named after this reservoir. From the dam wall, Enoggera Creek runs through the Brisbane suburbs of The Gap, Ashgrove and Newmarket before eventually becoming Breakfast Creek and emptying into the Brisbane River.

Thousands of people see Enoggera Creek from their cars every day as they pass along Ashgrove Avenue or Kelvin Grove Road, but I bet you’d only get a handful of people each week who see it this far upstream.

Enoggera Creek
As with all good descents on a bike, you have to pay for it at some stage with a long climb up a hill. So from the creek, I pushed up Centre Road for a couple of km and finished my ride via Bellbird Grove, Camp Mountain, Ironbark Gully and Bunyaville.

All up this took me almost 6 hours (excluding stops). I rode a total of 85km, with just over 1,900m of vertical ascent, and burned about 4,900 kcal (10 Big Macs). I think this one rates about 8.5 out of 10 on the tough-o-meter. That final big hill riding back through Ironbark / Lomandra was pretty painful!

Total distance: 85.75 km
Total climbing: 2009 m
Average temperature: NAN
Total time: 06:50:52
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