We'll take that ride [Road to Nowhere - Song by Talking Heads] Yesterday there was an invitation from Steve to go for a ride. "Late notice for a tomorrow. Bernie T and I are heading off from Jerra Ampol at 8.00am and heading to Uriarra Rd up Fairlight Rd, Mountain Creek Rd, Wee Jasper Rd, Doctors Flat Rd, Webbs Ridge Trail and then a few tracks to get back on to Gentle Annie Trail, Brindabella Rd through Piccadilly Circus, Paddy’s River Rd towards Tharwa and back to Jerra. Happy to swing by Ampol Weston Creek for any northern riders. I can add a GPX file if anyone wants one." Adrian and I suggested taking Sawyers Gully Rd, a great stretch of dirt that cuts through many monotonous kilometres of bitumen. There was some talk about Doctors Flat Rd being locked and on private property, to which I thought, "Yeah, but..." I was eager to join the ride but had to juggle taking the kids to vacation care and getting the wife to the tram. If I timed things right and everything lined up, I might have made it to the second meeting spot Adrian suggested, at the Fairlight RFS Brigade Fireshed on Mountain Creek Rd. But, of course, I didn’t quite manage to hit the 8:30 am meeting time. Still, I was determined to get out for a ride and had a hunch I’d find something interesting. I arrived at the fireshed just after 9:00 am, and as expected, no one was there. I pressed on to Sawyers Gully Rd, stopping briefly to snap a photo of the old Mullion school. Then, it was on to Sawyers Gully Rd where I took a moment to lower my tyre pressure before diving into the dirt. This stretch of road is fantastic, winding through a scenic gully, offering plenty of photo opportunities. At the end of Sawyers, I turned left onto Wee Jasper Rd and followed it until I veered off again onto Doctors Flat Rd. I was surprised by how many properties lined the road, including a high ropes course. There were also a lot of trucks on the road, which I had to navigate around. It wasn’t clear what they were doing, but I saw distance markers, so I guessed it might be road work. The trucks seemed to go on forever. Eventually, I discovered the trucks’ destination: they were dumping gravel at the junction of Doctors Flat Rd and Webbs Ridge Trail. It was clear they were working on maintenance for the 4WD trail for National Parks. I had a moment of confusion here, thinking that was the end of the road for me, but a quick "oh yeah" moment reminded me I was looking for the end of Doctors Flat Rd. As the road started to deteriorate, I pressed on. Not long after, I encountered a fallen branch blocking my path, so I had to stop and clear it. With the branch out of the way, I continued until I reached what I thought was the end of the road. Sure enough, I soon found the intersection with Maginot and Baldy Range Trails. I stopped to take some photos to update OpenStreetMap. From there, I turned up Baldy Range Rd, which quickly became steeper, with sections of fist-sized rocks adding to the challenge of both the climbs and descents. Near the top, I spotted a side track that looked promising for a view, so I decided to explore. There was a slippery fallen tree to navigate, and I almost dropped my bike trying to get over it. Fortunately, I caught it just in time and had to give it another go. A short distance later, I came to a dead end, but then I noticed a hidden rock outcrop off to the side. A quick scramble revealed an incredible vista, and after a few photos, I was back on track. More rocky ascents and descents followed, and I started to wonder whether I’d make it to the end of the trail or face a mishap like a crash or a puncture—either of which would be a headache since I was riding solo and had forgotten to bring a spare tube. Classic. Eventually, I reached the intersection for Dingi Fire Trail, and I knew I was on the right track since I’d ridden Dingi before. Turning right, I enjoyed the flowing trail until I hit the intersection with Webbs Ridge Trail. The right trail was closed, so I turned left and continued past the Parks and Wildlife Service, who had stopped at the intersection with Waterfall Trail. There were three vehicles and several people, so I gave a wave as I rode by.
I followed Webbs Ridge Trail down to Flea Creek Day Use Area, where I took a break. I spotted a DR650, but couldn’t find the rider. I figured he might have been fishing, as I noticed a rod carrier on the ground next to his bike. After my break, I continued up Gentle Annie, then onto Brindabella Rd, making my way to Piccadilly Circus. From there, I turned onto Two Sticks Rd, followed it to Curries Rd, and descended out of the park before heading back to Weston Ampol for fuel. Another part of the Brindabellas explored, and I’ve got to say, it was an excellent ride. I’ll have to tackle Webbs Ridge Trail from Doctors Flat Rd again once it opens. View the ride map.
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April 2025
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