Day 2 Minnow River to Quanby Corner Caravan Park 46.5km 28 December 2021
Overnight 10°C with a max 22.5 at Quanby Corner. 7.27am start took 3.23.58 riding time, 6 hours 54 min elapsed time, 46.5km, Ave 13.69 max 53.34km/h elevation 648m descent 902m
Woke up at 5.00am after a solid sleep. No cars went passed last night on Paradise Road or at least I didn’t hear them. The first car drove past at about 5.10am.
Two cups of tea to start with after having to take some Panadol due to headaches from lack of drinking fluids yesterday. I made a little too much porridge as I couldn’t finish it and boiled the water from the river again for another cupper before setting off at 7.30am. A bit slow to pack up, have breakfast and get the gear in the bags this morning as I took them all off, so I need to just get off the bike what I need next time.
From Minnow River main road you turn left onto Beulah Road 200m up the Paradise Road and into the Gog Ranges and forestry areas of logging. Some formidable hills got the better of me lots of times today so lots of pushing the bike up the hills. When I’m riding less than 5km/h I’m getting off to walk as I’m walking at about 3-4km an hour and walking relieves my bum soreness. I can feel tiredness in my legs especially on the longer climbs, something I’m hoping to reduce as time goes on.
I took the drone for a spin only to have it crash from about 4 metres, I think because it lost GPS satellites to control it in the air. Without reading glasses Im flying blind . It went up all right, moved by itself so I brought it straight down to the 4 metres and then it fell onto its back. The error message is shown so I’ll look into it later. A stunning but very brief video was recorded.
From the Gog Ranges I come across the famous Mersey River crossing which has plenty of campers riding motorbikes and chilling out in the camping ground area on the closest bank. Shoes off and Crocs on I cross the river fairly easily, the tyres adding floatation to the heavy bike. Now the steep embankment is getting the best of me and I’m stuck with brakes on full not able to go upwards pushing it and certainly I’m not to letting go of the brakes and going backwards. What do I do here? I haven’t got the best climbing shoes on, there’s some mud but it’s just steep though not high. I’ve got to find a solution or its turnaround time with tail between my legs having done 1.5 days of the Trail. I decided to put the bike sideways and lift it up sideways a fraction at a time therefore it doesn’t roll backwards and I manage to get to the top.. That part of the Trail needs to be fixed for sure as it was nearly my turnaround point. There’s uphill then it flattens off, another Rivulet crossing to get the feet wet, and a boom gate shortly after but it’s easy to go around. The rest of the track was mostly easily, through forest 4wd track, some steep sections to walk up but the last out of the forest was the longest and steepest but with great views of the valley and ranges behind. I open the last gate with the key and change my crocs back to my cycling shoes.
Cox’s dirt road becomes bitumen downhill, right turn then left along a minor dirt road, Long Ridge Road, with a conservation park on the left side and a river on the right. At a corner I stop at the Meander River for lunch and see my first platypus sighting in the wild. I take some video footage but as it was a distance away hope it turns out.
The road crosses over the Meander River onto Highland Lakes Road all the way to Quanby Corner C.P. The Trail book mentions a trail on the right side of the main road but as soon as I get on it there is a ditch and mound that stop anyone from using it so back to the main road. At 2.00pm I come to Quanby Corner caravan park $10.00 unpowered site. It has great facilities, everything close to the tent and can charge up all the power devices. After a shower, a nap on their lounge chair and plenty of cups of tea I’m well rested. I see that I have been sunburnt on the upper leg, face and head, so stayed in the shade for most part of the day.
I washed my undies and bike shorts and hanged them up on the clothes line. I have a sore butt so tomorrow I’ll change bike shorts hoping they will be better. For dinner I have dehydrated Honey Soy Chicken pack which tastes ok. At 8.30pm I see a large group of about 10 cyclists arrive doing the Tasmanian Trail as well or at least some of it. In bed by 9.30pm.