Day 3 started with the finish line already on our minds.
Corryong. That’s where we were headed. A small town that felt a very long way off at 6am as we climbed onto the bus to Adaminaby. Cold, wet, miserable - rain streaking the windows, low cloud creating a classic pea soup of a morning. Ahead of us: 140 kilometres and nearly 3,000 metres of climbing. Everyone was quiet, staring out the windows, thinking through the day ahead. Day 3 is when tired legs start catching up with you, but there was still a strong sense of determination. Spirits were high, we were focused, and united - everyone ready to tackle it together. And we were doing it for the kids - a reminder of why all the suffering and kilometres matter beyond ourselves.
No easing in once we hit the road. Straight up a steep climb to remind everyone that fatigue in the legs spares no one. Heart rates spiked, breathing settled into that familiar grind, and the day had officially begun. It didn’t matter who was strongest - we were in it together.
After that first climb, we hit what has to be one of the greatest roads in Australia. The climbs were tough, but the descents were fast and exhilarating. The weather finally played nice: rain eased, roads dried, and layers came off. And the scenery - sweeping valleys, jagged ridgelines, endless horizons - was the kind that makes you stop thinking about pain for a moment, just to take it all in.
By lunch it had warmed up properly. A steep descent right afterwards into the outskirts of Corryong saw the temperature skyrocket, just as everyone was running on empty. The day had taken its toll, but we kept moving, regrouping whenever needed. Conversations were brief, glances of encouragement exchanged, small moments that kept morale high.
The last two climbs were a grind, but we pushed through them as a team. Steady, supporting each other, checking in, digging deep. There was no hiding from fatigue now - it was everywhere - but the sense of shared effort made it easier to keep going. And finally, relief - rolling gratefully into the finish line in Corryong.
Tired. Sore. But buzzing.
Three days down. Nearly 3,000 metres of climbing. 140 kilometres in the legs. Day 3 wasn’t about glory - it was about sticking together, sharing the suffering, and finishing as one. And that’s exactly what we did. It’s a day the legs will remember, but more importantly, it’s a day the group will remember — proving that even when it’s hard, riding together makes all the difference. We do this for the kids.
Tomorrow sees another big day, with 163 kilometres planned into Albury but we cannot wait to tackle it.
Evan Miller, The Starlight Team
