| DAY FIVE |
Course Designers Notes
Day by day in depth information on each stage.Please note the the course is subject to change.
Day Five
Bright - Bright (Mt Buffalo Circumnavigation)
Distance 94.9 km
Neutral Stage 11.8 km
Total 106.7 km
Elevation Gain 3974metres
Elevation Loss 4029metres
Highest Point 1224metres @ 75 km
Feed Station 1 @ 38 km
Feed Station 2 @ 60 km TBC – water point only
Please note: All distance and elevation data is approximate. All efforts have been made to ensure it's accuracy but discrepancies may occur between our data and that of your bike computer.
START- Bright- click here for map
FINISH- Bright- click here for map
Course Profile - Stage 5 click here
Download Stage 5 map (pdf) - click here
Day 5 is the Queen stage of the race. It’s the longest of all the stages plus it has the most elevation gain. It’s a true test for all the riders and the King Of The Mountains will be crowned on the arduos climb over Buffalo Gap. The stage begins with a controlled start of around 12km so you can loosen your legs up a little. The days racing begins with a steep climb out of a lush gully into the Mount Buffalo National Park, one of Victoria’s oldest National Parks. There are great views of the Gorge and waterfalls to your left before you descend to the Mount Buffalo Tourist Road. Around 7km of steady bitumen climbing lies ahead before turning off-road at Nine Mile Point. After a short lived descent you will continue to climb along Nine Mile Spur before descending into Buffalo Creek and Feed Station 1. This is a big day in the saddle so make good use of the Feed Stations. Another 2 short sharp climbs and riders will drop into the sleepy locality of NugNug. The next 19 km’s are relatively flat and cruisy as the big climb up Goldie Spur Track and over the Buffalo Gap approaches. Use this section wisely to recover a liite as you skirt past the Lake Buffalo Dam Wall and along the Yarrarabula Creek arm of the lake. There’s around 12km of constant climbing up to Buffalo Gap. If you need to catch your breath, stop to admire the view of the rarely seen and imposing South Face of the mighty Mt Buffalo plateau and all it’s massive boulders and cliffs. A series of switchback descents rapidly drop you down to the Buckland Valley in a fraction of the time it took you to climb up the slog on the other side. After 5km of bitumen it’s time to tackle the last climb of the day, a contouring climb in the pine forests of Hancock Victorian Plantations before descending into Porepunkah for the Finish.