Day 5 Miena to Ouse 1 January 2022
Minimum temperature 16.3°C, max 24°C
6.24am start, 72.7km in a time of 5.00.45. Average speed 14.51km/h and max 56.77km/h. 675m elevation, 1590 descent.
5.30am wake up in the lovely motel room with the usual breakfast plus some honey and milk in the rice porridge. Overnight I froze my drink bottle but once again by the time I started drinking them they were just cold. Afterall the second litre bottle wasn’t drunk until after lunch.
I didn’t have any satellite coverage when I started so the GPS wasn’t working but the Trail map essentially said travel on the main road and at 17.5km turn right. Once the bike computer came on it didn’t have the correct kilometres so I didn’t know when it was 17.5 km and while I observed the Stephenson’s station sign I didn’t register I needed to turn off the quiet main dirt road. It was relatively flat only walking up Ouse River hill and one more. I’m getting more fitness and strength to climb the hills that I would have walked up before. There are a few shacks on the lakes along the way, I guess for some great Trout fishing. Plenty of cars with boats in tow around the area. There were some possible campsites along the way once into the forest and out of the tundra. I wondered why there were red reflector markers and not the usual white ones but realised after watching a TV show the night before on the area that there is snow in this area during winter and red can be seen, but not white. .I had great views of the Bronte Park valley and took time to get some photos. The gravel dirt road is a bit sketchy when doing over 40km/h with turns so the hands are on the breaks at the ready. I turned right where the GPS said that followed another flume but after reading the Trail instructions I had missed the turn off and turned left at the next intersection which brought me back to the trail.
So I was in Bronte Park by 8.00am, bought a Crunchie chocolate bar, bright pink zinc cream (sunscreen) and opened the bottle of sarsaparilla (root beer) I had carried in my feed bag from the store back at Miena. About 15 minutes down the road I stop to adjust my profile bars that have come loose but not well enough as I needed to fix it again in Ouse. After leaving the bitumen road its uphill a dirt road then downhill towards Dee, a row of about 8 houses along the road. After Dee and the lake stop for morning tea at the camping area, there is an uphill walk past the dam. Once on top again the road is great mostly downhill but with loose gravel you cant hit top speed. You go from forest to open farmland until you reach the turnoff left to the campsite. I keep going as it was only 10.00am to see if I can get to Ouse for the night which would put me back on time as planned.
I miss the turnoff to the right as I was enjoying the downhill ride on the main road so have to walk back uphill and turn off to the Victoria Valley road. I decide to check out the falls and fill up the water bottles. The falls are mostly dried up so don’t bother unless you need water, probably great in winter. Its downhill until you hit the Victoria River where there’s an uphill section before the road turns into a 4wd track. Its muddy in places and reminds me of the tracks up north except here they were green foliage and grasses and not brown and yellow.
Lunch on the track by a log in the shade of an existing tree. Possible walk up 2 hills but mostly its downhill then before coming out of the forest it bends down a steep section, crosses a creek and comes out at a 1 lane dirt road which goes past some houses and road grids. Then another big hill to walk up before all downhill into Ouse by 1.30pm. The campground is at the edge of town, an open shed with a table, bins and next door a toilet and running water. The grass hasn’t been mowed but they have sheep roaming around to do that job. Because it’s windy I set up close to the open shed, with the occasional shower of rain. I’m the only one here. After setting up I go to the grocery store (open 8am-6pm) and pick some baked beans for breakfast, chocolate bar, strawberries, Gatorade and some nice cheese and crackers.
I still have a sore rash the top of the thighs and changing the bike shorts did not help so start using Vaseline on them but it’s not helping. The right ankle/shin was sore on the last walk on the bitumen and to the shop and back. I’ve spread all my gear on the table and surprised no-one is here at this time thinking they will arrive later but no-one does. It looks like it hardly gets used as I cant see any visible tent sites that have depressed the grass, the toilet seemed unused for a while with pine needles scattered around and the water was initially brown before becoming clearer. There is a campfire pit and plenty of wood around but not for me today.
I have a nice vegetable soup for dinner and appreciate that I didn’t get sunburnt today despite it being my longest riding day.
I give the Ouse recreation park a 7/10.