Email fron Nikki, received Friday, 21 May at 09h01 (SA Time)
Just arrived at Dimbula, which is the finish of the bike leg and is also the midcamp. Got there in time to see the McCain boys and girls head off on their 20km hike with their wheel barrow. This area has an annual wheelbarrow festival to celebrate the early pioneers who packed up all their possessions and trekked into the outback to mine gold. The area reminds me alot of the winelands and overberg karoo area.
The bike ride to get here was 140km through the rainforest. There have been mixed reports about the levels of enjoyment. Once at Dimbula they have a compulsory 6hr stop. Here they can wash and are given a big feed! Dimbula is a real one horse town!
The wheelbarrow push involves them pushing all their paddling gear, including two rafts, pumps and backpacks along the road to the Walsh River. Luckily they will not be doing too much off road as the barrows are a little unstable and hard work!
The river paddle which is 70km is going to be a real slog as the river is very very low. They estimate that the paddle will probably take them around 16hrs! I think it will resemble the last paddle leg at Ecomotion (Brazil) in 2008. They then start what is to be an epic hike through real Australian Outback, with pretty much nothing for 60km, finishing at Mt Mulligan.
I will meet them at the end of the paddle leg at Nine Mile, near Chillagoe and won’t have any comms probably until the finish. If I am able to I will send an update.
The team is tired although they did get to have a bit of a sleep. Tatum is still really struggling with the effects the stinging tree. They are however in high spirits and they set off with smelly pushing the barrow – they no doubt figured that he had enough practice with pushing Daniel around the forest in his pram!
I managed to get 3hrs sleep this morning after not getting anything since the start so am feeling a little less jaded!
Nikki
Team Blogs from the Field:
CP 11 – Ola. We just woken from four hour sleep at the compulsory stop. Yesterday with the forest trek and the orienteering was brutal. Keen for the rest now. Race starts now. Big legs now!! Tweet
Report from event website
Rollercoaster racing – rafting highs and stinging tree lows
The ride from Mission Beach was fast, flat and dark for most teams, sealed roads taking them via Tully’s Golden Gumboot and past sugar cane fields and banana plantations up to CP5, Tully Gorge Camping Area. This transition area was to be inundated with teams all through the night.
First in was Orion Adventure (40) before 8pm with a lead of about quarter of an hour, followed by a bunch of teams only minutes apart including: Blackheart.com.au (1), McCain Adventure Addicts (51), City Bike Depot (27), Merrell/Alakali (42), www.alpineepic.co.nz (25). The teams were bunched into rafting departure groups reflecting the order of their arrival.
During the cycle wildlife such as snakes, bats, a pig (close shave) and a ‘porcupine’ (maybe by an overseas team?) were encountered and Waiting for Inspiration (19) discovered that snakes make and ‘interesting yelp sound’ when they get run over! Macpac Girls on Top (36) made good use of their singing voices and Goldfish (11) dedicated much effort into eating, aka ‘nutrition’ – homemade, three course gourmet that is, in a bus shelter somewhere along the way.
During the night Born to be Wild (12) suffered an unfortunate bicycle accident on a wooden bridge at speed, and following necessary medical attention they retired two team members. The team later reformed (unranked) taking two members from Team C.A.R. (44), who decided to retire their original team at the completion of this cycle leg.
Following their rides in, several teams decided to walk up to the Tully power station and rest until the rafting in the morning. However most teams took advantage of access to their trunks and gear at CP5 to be as comfortable as possible and try and get around 4 or fewer hours sleep – not as easy as it sounds as the surface choices were bitumen/concrete or soggy grass. In the calm and starry darkness the sound of the Tully River roared all night, heightening the anticipation for the rafting to come.
With much excitement, all the teams made it up the hill (9km) in time to raft the Grade 4 Tully River. Words cannot do justice in explaining this amazing and totally fun feature experience, compared with the photographic and footage taken, suffice to say that conditions were fantastic for a brilliant run down this iconic course and the Tully River certainly impressed on all it’s famous white water best and stunningly beautiful setting showcasing a variety of exotic butterflies – lots of big drops, non-stop big water and a couple of teams landing in the drink!
Teams transitioned out of CP6 at Tully Camping Ground in a similar order to their arrival and rafting order and by 1-2pm all teams were on foot hiking the long Misty Mountains leg (47km) up the Cardwell Range in the heart of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to Ravenshoe (pronounced Ravens-hoe) at 900m altitude. According to securify.co.nz (4), what was sold as a tourist route through the rainforest turned into a painful event – it was the vegetation that attacked with the most ferocity and although the leeches were teeming and racers legs were streaming (with blood), their nuisance didn’t rate much of a mention! Race the Rockies (35) was the only team that managed to even mention that the hike was ‘pretty’ – perhaps the contribution of their irrepressively positive team member?
First teams into CP8 at around 7pm were Blackheart.com.au (1), Orion Adventure (40), Merrell/Alkali (42), McCain Adventure Addicts (51), www.alpineepic.co.nz (25) and City Bike Depot (27) – spread over 6 minutes, neck and neck despite the obstacles.
The transition rapidly converted into an emergency stinging tree treatment clinic to cope with the attacked. Dousings of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hot waxing were given, as per the Australian Tropical Research Foundation’s research – brand new treatment to alleviate the long term effects of these incredibly painful stings.
Common sentiments of the hike from teams was PAIN! However, they all managed to keep their spirits unbelievably high for each other in spite of how much they were all hurting. Blisters were also already profuse and Day 2 was only just ending – for teams hoping to make it through the whole event, diligent and ongoing foot management will be mandatory.
At the Ravenshoe pony club tea, coffee, and a hot shower were offered and readily accepted throughout the night as teams took time to rest/sleep and gain strength for the extensive mountain bike (130km) of Leg 5, which at night on the elevated Tablelands is expected to be extremely cold.