We had a short rest stop at the top of the climb (and a photo) before powering onto Stanthorpe. Our breakaway had kept a great pace and it was soon clear we were at least an hour ahead of the others already. We enjoyed a scenic ride along the old Fruit Run road which was lined with orchards. It was decided that lunch would be in Stanthorpe and we settled into a nice cafe for a coffee and something delicious to eat.
Stanthorpe is beautiful this time of year with all the trees painted a mix of autumn orange, yellows and reds. People were rugged up against the cold wind and enjoying lazy Sunday morning breakfast. Lucky them!
Rolling out of Stanthorpe as a group we came across a big triceratops dinosaur on the side of the road at Balladeen. By sheer luck it was the exact spot that Bianca's cousin and Uncle were standing watching their kids play soccer! After a quick hello and chat, we waved farewell and headed to the QLD/NSW border.
The mayor of Tenterfield, Cr Peter Petty, had decided to ride into town with us from the border (about 25km). For a non-cyclist it was a great show of support for our cause and he warmly welcomed us into Tenterfield. He even shouted us all a beer!
After showers and rests, we took over the local bowls club and made the most of their roast special Sunday deals. The mayor again joined us for dinner and entertained us with a few stories and some history facts on his beloved town. A few from memory:
- Peter Allen the singer/performer was born there.
- Banjo Paterson was married to a Tenterfield local in the town chapel.
- Tenterfield shire area is well known for its tin deposits.
Today was a much more pleasant day and much easier than yesterday. That said, we are still heading upwards and there is more climbing than decending at the moment. After 4hrs49min riding time we covered 121km and 1400m elevation.
Bring on tomorrow!
good job!
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