Day 75 - Icing on the cake

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Ipswich - Lowood (Brisbane Valley Rail Trail) 41km

For travelling cyclists like us, the not so hardcore type, the prospect of kissing motorised traffic and busy roads goodbye for a few days and,  instead, pedal along a multi-recreational trail, mostly unsealed, is like the icing on a cake. 

Apparently famous...

When we push into the pedals at our luxurious (by our standards) overnight stay at the Cumquat House B&B in Ipswich, we didn't know that we would also get to actually taste it (the icing). 

We step into the breakfast room at 7:32am and host Peter sighs a breath of relief, "finally, here you are!" - we were expected for 7:30am. Around the table are a few more guests already (and silently) spreading marmalade on their toasts, under the watchful eyes of the landlords, an English couple in their late 60's, not as dysfunctional as Basil and Sybil in Fawlty Towers, but with similar comical elements. Amongst the guests is a young couple from Ipswich who is enjoying a weekend getaway in Ipswich! It's so refreshing to meet people who love where they live. They keep raving about their town, to them this city is not just the precursor to Brisbane, no, to them this is the Venice of Southeast Queensland. We feel like icebreakers, the mood and the laughter are lifting by the minute since we joined the breakfast ordeal, even Sybil is having fun listening, so much that she burns our toast.

Final preparations before take off


With a new bottom bracket in Louise's 'Faith' we seamlessly head out of Ipswich towards the trailhead of the highly anticipated Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (by us) this well promoted bicycleway will take us a 160km north over the next few days. The prospect delivers some piece of mind: no lengthy map studies and route planning and plenty of accommodation options (free camping at the showgrounds). Plus, a culinary highlight only 30km in (the Old Fernvale Bakery). Such a shame that we already have lunch sorted but there's always room for dessert. 

We get a good soaking from a few showers today, enough for Louise to refuse to be in a picture, worrying that readers might think she entered a wet t-shirt competition. But as soon as we pull the rain jackets out, the sun is back and baking off wet sensations. 

Trailhead smiles.


After a first few kilometres of bicycle highway, the trail turns into an entertaining off-road (gravel) experience, part single-track, part classic rail trail, even allowing a two abreast ride along. Just outside Fernvale we cross paths with a long-distance runner who looks like he could run the entire trail in one day. We attempt to give way, as we are being asked to by the regular reminders:

Cyclists are last in line

He is thankful for the respectful gesture and halts his run for a quick chat. The kind words exchanged are a morale booster (not that we desperately need one) and inject the warm fuzzy feeling you get, when you meet people on nature's common ground. We all agree that we are so lucky to be able to do what we do.

If that's not a good omen for 'happy trails ahead', I don't know what is. 








Location: Lowood QLD 4311, Australia

Comments

  1. FrancieApril 28, 2022 at 2:55 PM

    Hi Ladies have been offline staying at the Windmill Caravan Park in Ballarat. Three full days of visiting and Joe's Highlight. Two tough hours scraping sheep poo then bagging. 24 bags full. Connected with 14 people (luckily some together) over three dinners, two lunches and a morning tea! Lucky us - invited everywhere. I love reading these Blogs. We got our mail today with the book. Have heard of it but have not read. Thank you so much. Will hop into the next few days now.

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