Theaussiechallenge Post # 113 Fassifern

Day 138 3 days to go. Distance yesterday 165km today 70km total 13175km. It’s 6pm Thursday 22/11/2012 Fassifern. Hiiiiiiiiiii from the rest area at the Boonah turn off from The Cunningham Highway. Sorry we didn’t get to post last night ’cause WE WERE HAVING TOO MUCH DELISH TIME!!!!!!!!! How good was it to arrive safe and sound all smiles in warwick yesterday. Huge effort after a 6am start with lots of inclines up to the darling downs country. I didn’t realize how elevated the downs are at about 1600 feet according to Bruce. And I got to see and appreciate how the area is like a ribcage stretching off the Great Dividing Range this morning. Bruce topped off an awesome 24hrs of spoiling by taking me up in his Cessna for an hours flight around the area for one hell of a beautiful different perspective. What a fabulous treat and experience Mate we’re still squealing how magical and special it was to have this opportunity. You are a jet star man opening your home and heart to make us feel so welcomed and spoilt. Your place is a haven and we loved every bit of its treasures you shared with us thank you!!!!! Bruce loves his plane and has set his property up with 2 landing strips to manage the wind conditions for taking of and landing perfectly. The property is about 25kms out of warrick and Bruce met us in town and took us on a trip round to see the sights of Warwick. I so loved the Sandstone buildings and old homesteads and it was totally interesting to hear how the towns developed into the big dot place it is today. It’s got a very pretty layout set around the Condamine River which meanders through the valleys in and about the township and valleys. It continues out through the property line to Bruce’s place and provides the major water source for the area. It’s pretty dry with many of the cattle properties now having to by feed to fill the bellies of their cattle including Bruce. Farmer’s continue to astound me how they have to work with the unpredictability of mother nature to make a living albeit crop or livestock. They’re tough to be sure and I can understand why so many in the last generation have sold up for an alternative more reliable and much less stressful means of living. Bruce still keeps his property more as a place to enjoy nowadays after working so hard over the years to develop his land and sell it at the right time/price to set himself up well now in retirement. His place is on a higher area with beautiful views out towards Stanthorpe, Cunningham’s Gap and back over Warwick. The sunset yesterday afternoon was stunning and we got to share the colors and great chats sitting on his top landing strip over sundowners drinks and nibblies. I got to meet his Partner and some friends in town which I had heard so much about and it was lovely to put a face to the names. They’ll be down in Brissy for Sunday to welcome us in which is just awesome yay!!!! He dropped Rube and I back onto the highway late this morning and waved us off for our last leg of Theassiechallenge. We stopped just short of Cunningham’s Gap to sort through the gear and have a cull of stuff I no longer need so to lighten the load for the weee hill ahead. While stopped I heard this gruff voice say, ‘You can’t stop here!!!!!’ and looked up to see my police friend John who works State Traffic. OMG!!!!!!!! John’s been following our trip and been an awesome support keeping email contact the whole time. He’s been on a 5 day work trip out to Gundawindi and was hoping to come across us on our our way in!!!! I so wasn’t expecting to see him and soooo good to have big cuddles and chats with a handsome man in uniform and a dear friend. We got some cool pickies with Rube in front of his racing car yellow Police Car and she was extra chuffed and excited and still puffed out grinning with her collection of new boyfriends this trip!!! She’s such a flirt love love love it!!!! She absolutely kicked ar$e working up the range today and continues to astound how well her bits and bobs have kept in good order for the work they’ve done the last 13500kms darling Rube and my hero buddy soul mate without a doubt. Love my Girl!!! There were some wicked storms brewing as we came over the range but aside for a few big drops we managed to avoid the downpour and arrived at the rest area happy to have the hills behind us and Boonah ahead tomorrow. The bell birds loved the overcast weather and were ‘belling’ in numbers through the National Park. The smells were exquisite and views out over the Lockyer and Fassifern Valleys amazing especially with the horizon of storms out Toowoomba way. We got some cool pickies to savor the views before loooooooving the 10km of descent into Aratula. What a perfect example of ‘what goes up must come down!!!’ Ive driven over the Gap countless times but never appreciated it more than with Rube up close and personal with the contours of the Main Range National Park. Very cool indeedy. Ive got a phone chat date with Ma and Pa at 7pm so I might end it there and set up buddy before our call. John donated $30 darling man before heading back on the road and home for five days off. Enjoy mate and hope to see you on Sunday or very soon. I also got an email from Dennis who’s with the Maleny cycle group called the Lycra Lzards cool name!!! They’re keen to catch up on our return and I’m very excited and look forward to when that can be arranged. I’ll leave you with a copy of his email. Cash donations $2611.20 Talk soon x

“I have contacted you before and have been following your progress with interest. I ride in Maleny with a group who call themselves The Lycra Lizards ( not sure where the name came from ). I have mentioned this to you previously that our group would like to catch up with you in Maleny on your return. I see that you are returning to Sandgate but feel sure you will be in Maleny not long after that. We are suggesting a morning tea or similar at the Up Front Club where we expect to have an interview with the Hinterland Times ( and photo ) if that is ok with you. We have a number of women riders who are keen to meet with you.
If you are Ok with this could you let me know a day and time that would be suitable so I can organise it.” Dennis