TOD Tour, Day 52 - Bikes on Bribie

Sunshine ... glorious sunshine! We had almost forgotten what it looked like!

After a sleep in and a late breakfast, Sue went to the Woorim surf beach to talk to the surf life savers ... er ... to have a swim ... whilst I found a charming little cafe and a coffee/cake deal. Several chapters of the biography of Banjo provided me with distraction.

We drove down to Bongaree and paid a visit to Buckley's Hole ... a wetlands area behind the shoreline. Black Swan's and Moorehens swam about among the lilies and we were surprised to see a small group of Magpie Geese on the far side of the pond.

Bongaree is named after the aboriginal companion who travelled with Matthew Flinders in 1799 aboard the Norfolk as the young twenty five year old navigator explored the eastern coast line. When they came ashore on Bribie Island, Bongaree tried to negotiate with the local aboriginal tribesmen but couldn't speak their language and trouble arose when the locals showed an interest in Flinders hat. The invaders fled to their boat, spears were thrown and firearms discharged. Flinders named this south western corner of the island, Point Skirmish. As has happened often over the years, this naming has been incorrectly attributed to another point on the island, in this case, a point to the east near the Bribie Island Golf Club.

Flinders sailed up the western side of the island, incorrectly thinking he was entering a river which he called the Pumicestone River and pulled into a shallow spot at low tide he called White Patch to affect repairs to the Norfolk. He left the party of eight sailors to make good the repairs and walked to the west and climbed Mt Beerburrum in the Glasshouse Mountains as part of a fifteen day stay in the area.

Our bikes at Seaclusions

After our lunch of sandwiches and fruit, our foldable bikes emerged from the car and we spent the next few hours traversing the bike track which runs from Bongaree all the way along the western edge of the island as far as the Skippers Canal ... a ten kilometre run in all. Along the return, we stopped for coffee beside the Pumicestone Channel.

The quality of these little fold away bikes is quite incredible. Weighing only 18kgs, they fold and unfold quickly, making them easy to stow in the back of the car. There is no sacrifice in ride quality. In fact, Sue and I both believe they are the best bikes we have owned.

After returning to the bikes, we drove up beyond White Patch to where the Poverty Creek Road begins and wanders off among the sand to the north of the island. We called it quits where the sand dominated the track.

During the last of the afternoon, a few wines were enjoyed as we booked a day cruise of Fraser Island.

The park is crowded for Easter. Wall to wall people, with every tent and caravan edged close to their neighbour. Despite this, good spirits abound, with littlies running about in their excitement and friends and family opening the first of days of conversations.

The poetry gig I had planned for the evening was cancelled after some difficulties arose with the park managers. Pity. A big crowd in but I don't need to entertain difficult people any more.