Descents, dirt and dining

Weeeee - what a day of riding. More downhills than up on our 86km ride from Stanthorpe to Killarney.

My favorite downhill today was right near the end of the ride. Bicycle Qld had put a sign at the top of a fast descent - WWCD (what would Cadel do?) - so I tucked my head down and opened up the brakes - nothing compares to the thrill of 63.2 km/HR on a bike!

We had a few good downhills today, but easily the scariest was part of 8km of dirt road that we rode on today. While it was a well graded road, there were still plenty of loose pockets to watch out for. The first time my front tyre slid out, my heart stopped just a little, before reflexes kicked in and I corrected the slide. Now I know I have some mountain biking friends who do this all of the time, but I've got to ask - do you do it on slick road tyres?

Managed to avoid punctures though, with the worst damage some loose water bottle cages at the end of the dirt section, which were easily reaffixed with my trusty bike tool.

My only disappointment of the day was the showers at the end of the ride. Now I know I've described the procedure to follow, and that was no different today. What was different however was that right after I had soaped up my hair with shampoo and was covered in soap suds, the hot water ran out. Then the cold water ran out. After about five minutes of cold water kicking in and out, I was finally clean enough to finish the shower procedure and call it a day. Thank goodness today's temp rose to 22 degrees here in Killarney - cos there was no way I would have survived that at 15 degrees in Stanthorpe!

So now thoroughly refreshed, I headed into Killarney for a spot of shopping (lollies) and a chance to stretch some tired leg muscles. Finished the afternoon with a Hawaiian massage and it's time for dinner.

Now I have mentioned they feed us well. Here's how the day goes:

Breakfast 6amish - so far (and this is not a selection but the list of things that they have served us so far)- porridge or cereal, hash browns, scrambled egg, French toast, baked beans, ham and cheese croissants.

Morning tea - usually a stall run locally - lollies, biscuits, cakes, sandwiches

Lunch - some sort of roll, a sweet snack - choc muffin, giant snake, crackers with cheese, fruit, fruit juice

Afternoon tea - see morning tea

Canteen on arrival at campsite - run locally, lots of BBQ options

Dinner - chicken penne pasta, lamb stir fry with hokkien noodles, spag bol, beef casserole - all served with veges and salads

Dessert - sticky date pudding, choc mud cake, cheesecake, bread and butter pudding, fruit salad

So as you can see, I will not be losing weight after this week's adventures - they feed us way too well!

Tomorrow we are off to Woodenbong NSW - the first time Cycle Qld has crossed the border and the site of the inaugural State of Origin cricket match. It's an easy 54km ride, but with a few challenges. So until tomorrow, I bid you adieu! Looking forward to a warmer night tonight - 5 degrees will feel positively balmy after last night's -0.5 degrees!