Central West Cycle Trail – Day 6 & Almost Final – Wellington to Goolma

We are on the home straight! Admittedly that home straight is 78km long and not real straight, but there is a psychological boost knowing that home, shower, washing machine and bed are all just one ride away.

We just need to get through another day of heat and hills…

Logistics:

Day: 6

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023

From: Wellington, Central West NSW

To: Goolma

Official Distance: 78km                 Actual/Garmin Distance: 47.34km – stopping short

Total: 341/400km

Time: 3h56m

Ascent: 497m                                  Descent: 401m

Average Speed: 12kph                   Maximum Speed: 41kph

Weather: Hot, dry and clear. Too much of everything.

Stayed At: Home.

General Comments:

• Again, we didn’t need to be overly worried about being super-quiet as we packed up this morning. A large number of workers and contractors had already started heading out the gates about 500am. A feature of this motel is that there are locked gates to protect cars and other valuables, or at least act as a disincentive to any would-be light-fingered individuals. Unfortunately, Wellington does have a crime issue which is such a pity as it is a very pretty town.

• Again, we pedaled out of town in the early morning dark and it was not pleasant. The initial parts of the today’s trail follow a busy highway and an equally busy commuter road. We had turned on all our blinking lights, donned our high vis gear and pedaled like the clappers, hoping for the best.
• Thankfully, within a few kilometers we darted off onto a much quieter back road where we could take our time, relax a little and enjoy the views.
• And I had plenty of time to enjoy the views as I geared down into Granny Gear and slogged up hill after hill. Where did all these %$#@ hills come from? I knew there would be a few to start with, but 22km worth?

• By now, you may be wondering why I volunteer for these adventures, especially when it doesn’t sound like I am enjoying myself. The weird thing is that I am actually enjoying myself, especially when I get to stop! 😊 I love that we are outdoors, exploring quiet backroads that I never knew existed, we are surrounded by stunning views and gorgeous countryside, and we are with good friends where laughs are frequent and conversation interesting. What is not to love??

• Despite all these positives, I was done in today. After four days of heat, hard riding and a head cold, my body was reluctant, even though the spirit was more than willing. Even the river views and morning light filtering through the old eucalypts could not top up the energy in my legs. About halfway along, I decided that I would stop at Goolma (instead of riding all the way into Gulgong) and swap with the Support Car Driver. It was getting hot again, I was progressively slowing down and I did not want to slow the others down even more, meaning even more time spent out in the heat. As I said in a previous post, I am definitely not being a purist about this trail and had no qualms making this call.

Top Tips for this Section:

• Supplies: Like all the other stages, pack food and water as today you are well off the beaten track and there is nothing at Goolma either food or drink-wise. A 4WD support vehicle could follow you along this section of the trail and or could meet you at Goolma with supplies.
• Mobile Range: Even though you are a quite a way from anywhere, mobile service is quite good today. At times you can hear truck/traffic noise drifting across the paddocks from the main Wellington-Mudgee road, so maybe that is why there is decent coverage.
• Terrain: Hills feature today, but thankfully the road surface is mostly very good – ideal for hybrids and/or gravel bikes. The views are ever-changing and the route is very beautiful, hugging the edge of creeks and rivers. There are endless perfect picnic spots if you get yourself organised and grab supplies from Wellington.
• Waymarking: There is little in the way of signage as really there are few twists and turns on the route. You do seem to ride forever in the middle of nowhere and some reassurance signage would have been nice to allay any worries that we had taken a wrong turn. Thankfully we got glimpses of our Support Car driver’s bike tracks as he rode out to meet us and that reassured us we were heading in roughly the right direction.

• Goolma: As mentioned, there is very little at Goolma other than a hall, toilets, tennis courts and a small school. There is a pub, but unfortunately it closed many years ago. It would be an excellent business opportunity if someone with a whole lot of energy and initiative took it on. Money for jam!
• Slowly, but surely, the range of accommodation options are increasing in this area. Some enterprising farmers are doing up old farm cottages to provide accommodation for Central West Cycle Trail cyclists. This would be a great option if you wanted to split today’s long stage into two for a much more leisurely experience. You would just need to plan ahead a bit for food (a support car would be handy here) or liaise with the farmers to see if they will provide the basics.

So, that’s it. Another adventure done and dusted, or almost. I will go back and finish the last 30km into Gulgong and will definitely schedule that for the dead of Winter! 😊

Despite all the moaning about heat and hills in the previous posts, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. If you want to see rural Australia at its best, enjoy some great pub meals and cold beer, and you don’t mind the odd hill, then get the Central West Cycle Trail on your Bucket List! It’s a cracker!

Happy trails, Everyone!

Previous Stages:

• Day 1 – Mudgee to Gulgong – HERE
• Day 2 – Gulgong to Dunedoo – HERE
• Day 3 – Dunedoo to Mendooran – HERE
• Day 4 – Mendooran to Ballimore – HERE
• Day 5 – Ballimore to Wellington – HERE

Resources:

• Central West Cycle Trail – find out more – HERE
• Wellington Tourism – find out more – HERE
• Overview of the Central West Cycle Trail – find out more – HERE

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