Ride magazine Noosa Review continued...
CLADDING YOURSELF IN LYCRA & PHYSICAL exertion on the weekends is no longer a joke down at the pub. The cycling lifestyle has become acceptable, if not The In Thing. And Thursday's ride has brought the weekend warriors out of the woodwork and into the week.

The flat parcours out to Boreen Point and back is the major attraction on Thursdays. It draws as many as 40 riders in peak periods and is commonly referred to as 'People's Day'. You'll see everyone in this bunch come together for a chat and a laugh: the tradesman with the hairy legs in joggers and a t-shirt, the guy riding the immaculate Coinage C50 in his favourite trade team kit, the veteran female triathlete with no socks and five biddons, and of course the members of our Rat Pack.


The Thursday ride is pretty plain and simple; an out-and-back to Boreen Point, a quaint township on the shores of Lake Cootharaba, 25km northwest of Noosa. It is a popular destination with families in the summer and definitely worth a visit. The local pub puts on a spit roast every Sunday. You can dine outdoors and, as there is plenty of room to run around, let the kids off the leash. Sit back and enjoy the pleasantries and peace of the place with a ' good meal and a couple of ales!

You might even happen to get served by our own Noosa mayor, Bob Abbot. He calls Boreen Point home and certainly isn't one to miss a Sunday roast and a couple of beers at his local!

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Like all weekday rides, Thursday's finishes with a muffin and a brew at Cafe Terrace, or Elvis' as it is more commonly referred to in the bunch. It is located on the corner of Weyba Road and Gympie Terrace. Noosaville and Gympie Terrace in particular have in recent years become the locals' Noosa. It's the vieux ville of this corner of the Sunshine Coast and hosts a variety of cafes and restaurants on a stretch of road that runs along the parks and gardens of the beautiful Noosa River. But it is Elvis' that has captured the hearts of our bunch.
Coffee is served on a first name basis here and the terrace plays host to some of the best scenery Noosa has to offer. The raised seating gives you a view all the way to the river's mouth and I'm yet to find a more assuring and pleasurable experience than a good chin-wag over a cappuccino after a ride, with some of the nicest people I know. On a summer's morning it is sheer bliss.

GETTING TO THE SUNSHINE COAST
The closest airport to Noosa is at Marcoola (Just north of Maroochydore). Both Jetstar and Virgin Blue offer direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne several times each day. It costs around $50 in a taxi from the airport to the centre of Noosa but there are also numerous shuttle buses which carry bikes (usually for a minimal additional charge).

The drive from Brisbane is a quick 140km trip. Allow a little extra time for the return - on Sunday afternoons there can be a lot of traffic returning to the Queensland capital, particularly on the day of the famous Noosa Triathlon.

For information about the Sunshine Coast, visit:
     www.tourismsunshinecoast.com.au
     www.tourismnoosa.com.au

You should always check your legs for chainring marks before you sit down. Be sure not to leave yourself too vulnerable in a charismatic group like this, taking the mickey is one of our most congenial pastimes. There's always someone striving to outdo the last laugh. Within the jocular, however, the group has a heart of gold. Your name won't be forgotten and before you know it you'll feel as much a part of this bunch as we all do!

Arms are known to be twisted at this time of day, and perhaps you'll be coaxed into doing a double. Some of the guys live on the other side of Noosa, so you may be sweetly persuaded into heading to Costa. If time is on your side it is definitely worth the spin for another brew.

Costa is a recently opened cafe which is strictly coffee. The beans are grown locally and roasted on site. The owner treats every coffee as a work of art and I challenge anyone to a better, fresher brew. It lies in the heart of Sunshine Beach, five kilometres from Noosa. This town has a real community feel of its own; you'll see the same faces here every day and easily fall in love with the place. It's a great escape from the Noosa rush. Delve into the divine art of coffee making and knock your socks off with a real coffee!

FRIDAY is ANOTHER OUT-AND-BACK RIDE; A GENTLE CRUISE THROUGH the rural suburbs on tbe outskirts of Cooroy. You'll pass our local water source, Lake McDonald, and get a peek of Noosa's beautiful Botanical Gardens on the way through. The route has some nasty inclines but, at just over 40km, is one of the easier outings.

The ride south down to Mudjimba on Saturday is the only one that does not leave from the bike shop. It heads straight down the coast over the rolling hills of the David Low Way, bordering the beautiful golden beaches this area is renowned for.

A large number of our bunch work for the local fire brigade. There's big Robbie Frey, the recent conqueror of the Ironman, the Italian Stallion Brad Kernot, Col, Pete, new recruit James, and you can brush up on your Spanish with Jimmy, our Argentinean import. You might hear them squabbling over who owes who shifts, or who ate all the cake from the firie's fridge the night before, but besides keeping our community safe the 'Firing Squad' are all keen cyclists.

These six guys are always up for a 'trundle' and are the pioneers of the Saturday spin. It takes off at 6am from the Noosa Fire Station on Cooyar Street which is easy to find, just on the outskirts of Noosa Junction. You'll come home with one of two things, a tailwind or a headwind. But one thing is for certain, the
ride will end with a coffee at Cafe Le Monde which is especially reserved for the weekend.

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