Day 7 from Mansfield to Healesville was always going to be a big day, approx 170km, including Mount Terrible and The Black Spur. Just the names are enough to instill fear in the heart of the most intrepid Paceliner. However, they were all up, fed and raring to go by 7am.

The first half of the day was great and they were joined by some of the members of the Mansfield Cycling Club as they rode around Eildon. As the temp rose towards the 38 degree mark, the lunch stop was called and the team made themselves comfortable in the shade on the lawns of the Eildon Resort. Here, their impromptu stop was welcomed by the owner who sat to listen to the crazy tale of why a group of 25 men and women would be riding around in lycra in nearly40 degree heat. We’d really like to thank him for his kindness and interest and the fantastic donation that added to the total raised for the day. This beautiful spot, next to a now full Lake Eildon, is now on the list of “Places to Go Back To”.

After lunch the team continued on their way and had a relatively good ride over the Black Spur.  They were hot and weary when they arrived in Healesville to meet MP, Tony Smith. However, Tony’s enthusiasm and interest in cardiac arrhythmias meant that they all had a good chat and agreed that they would catch up in the future.

Dinner in Healesville was a final night celebration at the White Rabbit Brewery. This friendly little nook had been discovered when some of the crew did a reccie of this section of the route earlier in the year and had decided that it was a good place to be.  The brewery shouted the thirsty cyclists their first beer whilst they sat and listened to Jeremy from the Baker IDI explaining how their hard won fundraising dollars would be used to further research into cardiac arrhythmias.  The pizzas from The Bodhi Tree were delicious and one lady cyclist commented that she had eaten three!

An excellent night was had by everyone, as they enjoyed reliving the past week, the highs and the lows. It was an unaccustomed late night for many of the team.