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A day ride through the Somerset/Wivenhoe Dam area of SE Queensland. Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:10 pm
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Last Friday arvo I had some spare time to do a half a day ride from the Gold Coast up through Ipswich and Esk, then right smack into the area that suffered during January's heavy flooding. I'd been up there in the middle of the rains and wanted to compare what it looked like after the waters had receded a bit. The area is quite green and lovely still, again, and many of the road surfaces are now repaved but some are still under re-construction. On these I had to 'tiptoe' a bit in the bends. You can clearly see those incredible mud-stained high-water marks on the edges of the lakes, rivers and otherwise dry creek beds. Limbs from trees, storage containers, bits of houses, and other detritus is scattered high up in the tree branches and across the paddocks. The walls of water that flowed through for weeks on end must have been epic. This area is usually dry bush with plenty of rolling hills, scattered random copses of pines and deciduous trees, bucolic scenes of cattle grazing and with many small farms, their corrugated rusty tin roofs dotting the landscape. Brisbane and the fantastically twisty Mt Glorious road is just East of here and it's pretty close to Charlie99's backyard, I reckon. Enjoy!
A bridge over the Esk River in 'Cooeeimbardi' near Lake Somerset, as the floodwaters slowly recede.
A view of the lake from the side of the highway near Hazeldean, Queensland. This road suffered during the recent floods and was under construction for much of its length. Otherwise it's a great motorbike road, narrow and full of twisty bits with views off to the left and the right round every bend!
Lake Somerset near Hazeldean.
Near Somerset village.
I came round a fast, sweeping bend along about here giving it some steady cane and didn't notice the giant, larger than life, oversized red sign warning me to slow because it was a tight corner. I nearly crapped myself as I swung wide, braked too hard, and the bike stood up as I got my tyres to within mere inches of the gravel trap at road's edge. The pucker factor goes up accordingly when the day, the sunshine, and the fine and picturesque views all take your attention away from the task at hand, the adrenaline coursing through my veins for a few moments afterwards. Did I slow down much after that? Hell no. I just paid better attention.
A bridge over the Esk River in 'Cooeeimbardi' near Lake Somerset, as the floodwaters slowly recede.
A view of the lake from the side of the highway near Hazeldean, Queensland. This road suffered during the recent floods and was under construction for much of its length. Otherwise it's a great motorbike road, narrow and full of twisty bits with views off to the left and the right round every bend!
Lake Somerset near Hazeldean.
Near Somerset village.
I came round a fast, sweeping bend along about here giving it some steady cane and didn't notice the giant, larger than life, oversized red sign warning me to slow because it was a tight corner. I nearly crapped myself as I swung wide, braked too hard, and the bike stood up as I got my tyres to within mere inches of the gravel trap at road's edge. The pucker factor goes up accordingly when the day, the sunshine, and the fine and picturesque views all take your attention away from the task at hand, the adrenaline coursing through my veins for a few moments afterwards. Did I slow down much after that? Hell no. I just paid better attention.
