Looks can be deceiving...

Ok so the 50km ride to Esk didn't eventuate this morning. After the best night of sleep I've had since January, Stef and I agreed that:
1 it was bloody cold and;
2 it was bloody early

So we decided to do the shorter ride back to Fernvale to get a coffee and a pie for breakfast.
This was based on the fact that we woke up thinking maybe we wouldn't ride at all, so 25km was better than no ride at all. Now that would have been great, but it wasn't til we got to Fernvale that we realized it was a 40km, hilly round trip!

We took off from the camp site, only to be greeted by a large mob of kangaroos - just sitting by the side of the road. I think we both wanted to be that cute little joey snuggled up in his mum's pouch. That could be because it was 8 degrees and we were riding!

There were some lovely gentle rises along the way, all good preparation for the Texas to Stanthorpe leg of Cycle Qld. The views were worth the effort - driving along over the dam spillway was breath taking as the sun made its way over the horizon.

And if that wasn't reward enough, the wagyu pie with mushy peas from Fernvale bakery was absolutely delicious.

After a short break to enjoy said pie, we turned and retraced our tracks back to camp. This is where the deception crept in. Those gentle downhill runs on the way became long uphill climbs on the way home. Every time Stef said it was the last hill, there was another one after it.

Decided to challenge myself by maintaining a 20k speed on the uphills, however had to revise that to 19.6k! Once again though there were some great rewards. Looking ahead we thought there was a dog on the road. Turns out, it was in fact, a koala. Tried to take a pic but he very craftily scaled a tree and moved to the other side so I couldn't get a clear shot.

Back at camp, we did a quick pack up and headed back to Brisbane - once again, via Fernvale Bakery.

We've vowed to return to Wivenhoe, but next time with our daughters for a girls only weekend. Now to set a date...