Breakfast was the usual continental but the filter coffee was better than the usual instant and the apple juice was the best we have had.

After only 3km warm up we hit the first big climb of 500m in 10km over Weldborough Pass. Last time before Darren Hooks worked his magic with his cardiac ablation I suffered up this hill, gasping for air, jelly legs and a heart about to explode. Today it was fine, not exactly a pleasure, but comfortable. Just get in the right gear, get your cadence constant and keep on chugging.

The road was narrow and in forest until it broke out into broad meadows at the summit. We went to the lookout platform where last time Owen somehow managed to turn his front wheel inside out. A fast downhill through a forest of myrtle trees to the tiny settlement of Weldborough which apart from a handful of broken down houses is just a pub. The Pub didn’t open till 11.30, it being Sunday, but someone from the Blue Tier Group had left a note for Michael to make 9 steak sandwiches and 2 hamburgers for lunch!

Then a 7km downhill (Manfred says an absolute mega-ezperience) through dense rainforest to Moorina which was once a flourishing tin mining town of 1000 inhabitants, pubs and schools. Today there is a golf course, one occupied and one unoccupied house. Today was the annual golf competition between all the pubs of the district and the owner of Pub in the Paddock told us he would be there.

Slightly off the road, next to a rather large cemetery, was an interesting memorial to the Chinese who came to work in the mines. It was mainly about several unsuccessful attempts to convert the Chinese to Christianity. There are several memorials and museums called The Tin Dragon Trail.

Some ups and downs and into the town of Derby where all the buildings are made of wood – unusual for Australia. It has a lovely atmosphere of old houses, several art/coffee shops and a new tin mine museum. This weekend there were two days of mountain bike racing called Slaughter the Dragon (or Slay the Dragon?). There were hundreds of guys all strutting their stuff, and their groupies – all long tanned legs, skimpy shorts and way too much make up. Wish we could have stayed longer but after refreshments hit the road again. It took ages for the legs to stop complaining and start delivering some power.

Manfred’s notes said that after the town of Branxholm we could do a small detour of 8km to Legerwood to see some WW1 memorial woodcarvings.  Then 2km back onto the main road. He didn’t make it clear this was all as well, as not instead of, staying on the main road. After a nice cool morning it was now sunny and very hot. You could feel the heat radiating up off the bitumen road.

I’m not sure about the carvings. They are large trees that have cut down to their major limbs and then the ends carved to represent people and scenes from WW1. This was probably a good thought and idea over a few pints in the pub but in reality I’m not sure if it is brilliant, kitsch or just plain weird. The chain saw carver was good but no Michelangelo. Have a look at the photos.

At the carvings we had an ice cold lemonade and a Leppin and felt reinvigorated. With only 25km to go it is often tempting to just persevere on to get it over and done as soon as possible. But this time after a rest and refuel we felt good. Raced over Billycock Hill whereas last time I walked the last kilometre and sad in the shade of the trees for half an hour recovering.

Scottsdale is one of those towns that follow the ancient defensive strategy of locating itself on the top of a hill. So as you approach you see a long ascending road which always seems steep due to the fore-shortening perspective. The climb into Scottsdale had all the tricks: false flats, successive crests, hidden dips where you lose all your hard earned altitude.

But eventually you get there and the lady at Anabel’s must have thought we looked awfully hot and bothered as she took one look at us and went straight to the bar to get us each a large, cold, freshly squeezed orange juice. These disappeared in about one gulp.

90km today including our 10km side excursion. A total of 1666m of climbing, a bit more than we do on the Lake Taupe Cycle Challenge.