Sunshine Coast Riding: Paul’s Holiday Recap
Goughy has just returned from a well-earned holiday — and true to form, it was packed with plenty of time on the bike. Over coffee we caught up with him to hear how it all went, and he had plenty to share.
Big Miles and Fast Bunches
Paul kicked things off with a coastal ride, coffee, and croissant by the beach — the perfect holiday start. From there, the kilometres stacked up quickly. In his first week alone he clocked up over 500 km, with early-morning bunch rides rolling out from as early as 5:15am. These rides weren’t for the faint-hearted: fast, hilly, and at times pushing 60 km/h on the flats.
Among the highlights was joining a large Hong Kong–China team training on the Sunshine Coast, which made for some tough but rewarding bunch riding.
“Coastal start — bike by the beach, coffee and croissant before the kilometres piled up.”
“Fast and furious: 6am bunch rides hitting 60km/h before sunrise.”
Sun, Sand, and Recovery
When he wasn’t riding, Paul and his partner Jo soaked up the Sunshine Coast lifestyle — beach trips, ice creams, crepes at Flo's, and evenings at the Surf Club watching the sun go down. He even celebrated a “pretend birthday” while away, complete with an affogato in town.
“Beach days with Joe — proof Paul really did get off the bike!”
“Every sunny day deserves an ice cream.”
“Refuelling right: crepes at Flow Joe’s after a big ride.”
“Sunset at the Surf Club — not a bad spot for a ‘pretend birthday.’”
Riding Through the Rain
Not every day was sunshine — the final stretch brought torrential tropical rain. Still, Paul wasn’t deterred, logging a two-hour ride in heavy downpours and putting his rain jacket to the test.
“Tropical reality: finishing the trip with a long, wet ride in torrential rain.”
Racing Return
Paul flew back to New Zealand on a Friday, and by Saturday he was lining up at the Darren Wispinski Memorial race. Despite heavy legs from all that riding (and flying), he and his bunch rode strongly and finished in the front group. He sprinted early, got swamped, but still came away with a solid fourth place.
“Back on NZ roads — fourth place at Darren Wispinski Memorial just one day after landing home.” Photo from Cycling Otago
Travel Tips from Paul
Thinking of heading over yourself? Paul’s advice is simple:
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Pack light, but don’t forget a warm layer for those cooler mornings.
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Expect perfect riding temps from about 9am onwards — often hitting 20–25°C.
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Get up early — all the bunch rides roll before sunrise.
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Save some energy for the great food spots and beach days.
