Gondwana

Visiting : Cambarville, Mt Bullfight
Distance : 55km
When : Saturday 18th February 2017, 5:30am @ Cambarville Picnic Area

(Note: This is another solo ride from my backlog. Bear with me as I’m writing this well after the fact and my memory may be hazy.)

This was a nice little loop out of Cambarville, just behind Lake Mountain. Simple navigation, beautiful area and oh, just a bit of hike-a-bike.

This ride started from Cambarville Picnic Area – plenty of parking and it’s right at the start of Cambarville Road. Perfect.

Some nice big views to start the day. Just me and the animals.

One of the things I love about riding in this area is how lush and green it is, even in summer. There’s always running water nearby, either trickling down one of the many myrtle gullies or flowing down one of the larger rivers. Out here, I only take one bidon and some water purification tabs even if it’s going to be hot.

Logging regrowth. Yay.

Ironically, it’s often a cleared logging coupe that facilitates the nice long views.

These roads are great to ride. Nice surface, well made, not too steep, they just keep winding their way through the bush forever.

I was taking Bullfight Road on this day.

I’d ridden/walked it before, in the opposite direction and at night. I wanted to see it in daylight. For me, it was pretty solid hike-a-bike due to the steepness but your experience may vary if you bring a geared MTB. But then, if you’re hunched over and spinning along in granny gear, desperately trying to maintain balance and traction while scanning ahead for a clear line and simultaneously swatting at the flies buzzing around your increasingly sweaty face, well… you might climb Mt Bullfight Road without walking but how much of it did you actually see and appreciate?

I happily walked. I love the rhythm of riding and walking a singlespeed bike in the mountains.

At the top of the climb I found Stillmans Lookout.

It’s a short hike from the road onto a large rocky outcrop. I dumped my bike in the bushes and followed the faint walking track on foot. Perfect place for a rest.

I’ll have to come back when it’s not so cloudy, hey?

Incidentally, Mt Bullfight is one of the few places where the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum has been found. What with all the logging and the 2009 bushfires, these little scamps have had a very rough time just trying to dodge extinction.

In stark contrast, the local mozzie breeding grounds were off the hook. These stagnant, bug-infested bog-holes edged by thick scratchy undergrowth called for some careful footwork.

Going down the other side of Mt Bullfight was a lot easier than going up it. This side has a different feel to it too – more blackberry and more thick vegetation in general give it a more lush appearance.

And, at the bottom of the hill, the Royston River, replete with amusingly mis-spelled bridge signage.

I remember feeling pretty relaxed around this section. I wasn’t so keen on smashing out miles just for the sake of it so I decided to get up close and have a good explore around the banks of the river. My photos do not do it justice – it is emerald green LUSH. Ferns, beeches, moss, lyrebird-scratched ground, I was in heaven…

I gradually delved deeper, moving slowly and stepping carefully so as not to break anything.

Old rotting wood and moss. This was the work of centuries.

The closer you look, the more you see.

Ancient feels abound.

I could have stayed there all day.

Time, time, time.

Time to get moving…

Back along Cambarville Road with its big views and little black tree stumps.

I’ll be back. Don’t go changing.

Promise?