Australia Day Ride

Australia Day dawned with the weather predicted to provide (1) rain and (2) heat, so we decided to jump on the motorbike and head to the hills early in the morning to avoid both.  While the sky was overcast and threatening rain, we managed to be out for 3 hours and not get wet or too hot. We headed to Dayboro first, such a pretty spot. Usually we stop at the Dayboro Deli Country Kitchen for a bite to eat but we were too early. I've got to do a plug for this cafe because we have always had great food here. We have been for breakfast several times and for dinner (special set menu) on St Patrick's Day; that meal in particular was fabulous with the green theme prevalent in food and service! I have also been there on a breakfast outing with Nat and Carol (the bird scarer). Thanks go to our friends Michael & Pip for loaning us Carol who loved the convertible, with the wind blowing over her feathers. The Dayboro Deli staff even brought Carol a "birdie chino" to enjoy while we had our breakfast - very accommodating I thought! Here's a few pics of Carol, Nat and our adventure.
Anyway, I digress. No Dayboro Deli for us this time so we headed the bike towards Samford and enjoyed being one of only a few vehicles/ cyclists on the road which was really surprising since it was a holiday - we must have been early!!  From Samford we headed up the hill to Mt Glorious.  This hill is massive and full of switch back turns which I hate as a pillion passenger (my thrill is speed) but it is a beautiful drive climbing rapidly up through the trees. Once you reach the, turn right and in no time you arrive at the Maiala Rainforest Teahouse at Mt Glorious.  This stop is made for cyclists and bikers. There is covered seating stretching out in front of the long low structure which fronts straight onto the road allowing great views of cycles and motorbikes passing, stopped and leaving. On this particular morning there was plenty of action with one side of the frontage filled with cyclists and the other with motorbikers.  If you want to see serious $$$ all lined up then this is the spot to go. You don't come to Maiala for the food experience, this stop is a fueling station for the next part of the ride however, the coffee surpassed expectations and the scrambled eggs on toast were well done if plain.

We would have expected a surcharge on this holiday weekend but instead there was a big sign at the door saying no surcharge for the holiday but all food would be served on plastic plates and we would have to come and pick up our order when our number was called.  I was perfectly happy with that arrangement and I doubt that anyone else there would have cared either.

Once we had finished breakfast we headed back home along the top of the mountain range, through Mt Nebo and down through The Gap. The view across the valley from the top of the range is breathtaking and if you have time it is well worth stopping for a while at Jolly's Lookout on Mt Nebo Road. Even though we haven't stopped there for ages, the Dr Red Vineyard, is worth having a look at. The views from the cellar door out of the valley are amazing and the wine is ok too.

This is a nice easy ride (not too bum numbing) though care needs to be taken on these roads which are narrow and shared with cyclists and cars, there is not always enough room for everyone plus the corners require a high care factor.  Coming home we saw someone gathering bits after a spill from his bike, thankfully he was ok.  It's always disappointing to drop down out of the cool of the mountain and back into the heat of the city but the pleasure of the ride usually outweighs the disappointment of the heat.