Day 5
Mitchell – Charleville
187km
We're amazed to find ourselves waking up on day 5 already! How did we reach the halfway mark of our ride so quickly? Everyone in the crew was feeling a bit weary today, fatigue starting to settle in, all just moving a little slower than usual. To lift everyone's spirits, our wonderful support crew veterans, Carmel, Woolie, and Erika, spontaneously organised a dance-off in the motel carpark. Their infectious joy brightened our morning and warmed our hearts.
Today we are grateful to have another magic day with beautiful clear skies, warm sun and a helpful tailwind pushing our cyclists along. The team's cohesion as a peloton is truly impressive now, with our rear support crew able to see straight down the middle of the two lines of cyclists to read the truck's number plate. This seamless coordination is a testament to the hard work put in by the ride captains and cyclists in training, communication, and teamwork. The peloton was flying today, arriving at our lunch stop over 30 minutes ahead of schedule and averaging 30km/hour over 180km.
Peter, the new publican at Sadliers Well Hotel, welcomed us warmly, serving cold drinks and offering fresh-cut watermelon on our arrival. Relaxing in the shade of the pub's verandah is always a treat for us.
Gidgee Smith from Gidgee's Bush Camp, an RFDS ambassador and strong supporter of RideWest, joined us at Sadliers Waterhole to meet and chat with our crew. She provided invaluable support by sharing updates on her social media channels, helping us spread the word about RideWest. Thanks also for your support of David and Louise Winten in sharing the updates with the Morven community and bringing in all the locals to have lunch with us on the lawn.
As we departed Morven, the local primary school students lined the roadside to cheer us on and wave at the riders—a heart warming highlight for both the kids and us.
The big guns came out today in the Golden Spoon Awards, with Steve Eussen’s sausage rolls, Jo Perry’s Biscoff filled cookies, Team Woolie’s Caramilk and Biscoff slice, Mads’ Rocky Road, Hancock’s Mars Bar Brownies and a Sluty Slice from the Hefferans. The competition reached a fever pitch with accusations of foul play and last-minute rule changes, creating tension and excitement.
Cruising into Charleville Mic Wex led the peloton, eager for a reunion with his family – his wife Emma, their 3-year-old Tom and 7-week-old Penny. Their heart-warming welcome, joined by the entire RFDS crew, lifted our spirits as we finally disembarked in Charleville.
After a hot afternoon in the saddle, our peloton eagerly requested ice baths, only to quickly regret it upon dipping their toes. Despite the initial discomfort, everyone endured for the promise of reduced muscle soreness tomorrow.
We were treated to a beautiful evening under the stars at Charlotte's Nest, a stunning function space in downtown Charleville. Courtney also an RFDS nurse, runs the café during the day and function space on the weekends.
It was lovely to dine with our Alumni nurses, Emma and Mel this evening and regale them with our ‘horror stories’ of two days in the rain. The RFDS team came down to dinner to serve us drinks – a beautiful gesture to show their appreciation for what we are doing for them.
A spectacular finish, to a spectacular day.
Highlights:
Evan – the whole day was a great day
Keely – The third leg of the day, it was running so smoothly and everyone was just smiling.
Steve E – When Les said, “ Your wife’s sausage rolls are so good, I can see why you were such a fat bastard!”
Rob S – Having a tailwind up the clacker for 180km. And rolling down hills at 45km/hr.
Matt – The sunrise shot is on my drone is so good it's almost arousing.
Tanya – being the time keeper on the ice baths – oh the pleasure in their pain!
