Day: 004
Date: Monday, 31 July 2006
Summary: Riding from the Aberfeldy Bridge Campground to Woods Point.
Start: Aberfeldy Bridge Campground
Finish: Woods Point
Daily Kilometres: 65
Total Kilometres: 296
Weather: Overcast with almost incessant rain or snow and a very cold wind.
Accommodation: Room at the Woods Point Hotel.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: A few snacks during the day (too cold to stop for long!)
Dinner: A good three-course pub meal for dinner.
Encounters: A wallaby nearly ran into me from the side and a lyrebird crossed the road just in front of me. Saw only two cars all day.
Highlights: Getting to Woods Point and finding the hotel had accommodation.
Lowlights: Persistent trouble with the cleat on my right shoe which kept getting stuck in the pedal and unscrewing itself from the shoe. Fixing it in the rain/snow with frozen fingers was no fun. The steep 7km descent on a rough rocky road into Woods Point in teeming freezing rain with the frozen and numb fingers barely able to keep the brakes on and my whole body shivering, and fearful there would be no accommodation there.
Journal:
It had rained all night, but luckily stopped while I packed up and had breakfast. I hadn’t gone 100 metres before the cleat in my right shoe came loose. Despite repeatedly tightening it at various points during the day, it kept coming loose and I’m wondering whether there is something wrong with the pedal (I loosened the pedal tension as far as possible to no avail). The day started with a 6km long and reasonably steep climb away from the campground. It began raining and I spent a lot of time walking and pushing the bike. On the steeper bits I could barely ride at 6kph whilst I could walk at 4.5kph with much less effort. It also kept my feet warmer. The road was barely a narrow rocky track but I still (occasionally) enjoyed the quintessential Australian bush in the rain.
After a while I reached a ridge, although the road kept going up, and the Thompson River Dam was visible in the steep valley to my left. A bit further on, there was snow on the road verge and as I continued to ascend, still walking lots, it continued to either rain or snow. In the more exposed sections it was windy and very cold.
I finally reached the small community of Aberfeldy on top of a snow-covered hill at 1100 metres. There were about ten houses, but no signs of life. I had covered 25km in 4 hours and knew that if I reached Woods Point by nightfall I would be fortunate.
The pattern of the afternoon was alternating riding and walking in the drizzle and snow. Some of the walking was to warm the hands and feet which were frequently numb. However, the road gradient and surface was better than in the morning and I did make better time. There was snow on the ground in many places, but never deep enough on the road to cause problems, just slush, and I was mud-spattered from head to toe. I must have looked ridiculous. I kept on thinking to myself that any significant equipment failure, even a puncture, would be a real test in these conditions.
I finally reached Woods Point a little after 4:00pm in pretty bad shape, shivering uncontrollably and aware that I needed to warm up somewhere, even if I was going to camp out. Fortunately the Woods Point Hotel had rooms to let and I got one for $40 bed and breakfast. It was old and pretty basic, but very welcome. There was no heating in the room so I used the electric blanket on the bed to dry out some of my stuff, although the electric blanket only warmed up when the bedcovers were laid over my wet gear. Lovely! The publican was very friendly and interested, and was stressed out because tomorrow morning was the first time he had had to cook breakfast (the usual cook was not available). I spent some time in the very warm bar with a log fire watching the ABC and chatting with some of the locals, who thought I was insane.
Thanks to good gear and the liberal use of plastic bags, everything is dry apart from what I was wearing and even that is not too bad since my fluoro rain-jacket seems to be very effective. My shoes, however, are soaking wet and caked in mud. I’m hoping I’m past the worst of the mountains now and should get to Mansfield tomorrow on schedule.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Mirboo North to Aberfeldy Bridge
Day: 003
Date: Sunday, 30 July 2006
Summary: Riding from Mirboo North to the Aberfeldy Bridge Campground.
Start: Mirboo North
Finish: Aberfeldy Bridge Campground
Daily Kilometres: 103
Total Kilometres: 231
Weather: Mostly sunny with occasional strong north winds and quite cool.
Accommodation: Tent in Aberfeldy Bridge Campground in Baw Baw National Park .
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: Hamburger and chips
Dinner: Peanut butter roll and a block of chocolate
Encounters: None really.
Highlights: It was great to get high into the forests of the Great Dividing Range .
Lowlights: Some very long hills, some of which I had to walk.
Journal:
I could hear the wind howling outside the Yarntons all night and was a bit worried about the weather when I set out. The wind-chill was low and I wore a beanie and extra top to keep warm. I left soon after 7:00am with the goal of stopping in at John Duck’s, and old running friend, in Trafalgar some 30km away in time to have a cup of coffee with him before he headed up to Melbourne to go to the footy. Since Trafalgar is down in the Latrobe Valley , I mistakenly assumed it would be an easy ride and I could make it in 60 to 90 minutes. It turned out to be a very hilly ride through more scenic rural country, with only the last 5km downhill. I didn’t arrive until after 9:00am, but we still managed to have a quick catch-up over coffee before they left.
I then rode via Moe to Erica which is well up in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range where I enjoyed a burger, chips and milkshake for lunch. Like yesterday, I found myself running very low on energy in the late morning and really needed the food. The scenery was a mix of hilly rural grazing country and occasional eucalypt forest. Revived by lunch I set out along winding forest roads to Walhalla which is a well-preserved and pretty old mining town, surviving on tourism these days, nestled in a narrow steep-sided valley. The road to this point was mostly uphill but sealed. After Walhalla it changed to rough gravel and occasionally became steep enough for me to walk. I was still conscious of not overdoing it in the first few days. The road seemed to go upwards forever, but I finally reached a ridge adjacent to Baw Baw National Park and the road turned to undulating. I finally descended steeply along a very rough track to reach the Aberfeldy Bridge Campground shortly after 5:00pm and found I had it all to myself. It was a pleasant campsite with tables, grassy areas and bordered the shallow Aberfeldy River . As the sun had gone down it became very cold and I quickly put on several layers of warm clothes, erected my tent, and had a quick dinner before updating my diary and going to the warmth of my sleeping bag around 7:30pm. The forecast is for a cold front to pass through tonight with rain and snow at higher elevations. I hope it’s not too bad for packing up in the morning. I’m sure it’s going to be very cold regardless.
Date: Sunday, 30 July 2006
Summary: Riding from Mirboo North to the Aberfeldy Bridge Campground.
Start: Mirboo North
Finish: Aberfeldy Bridge Campground
Daily Kilometres: 103
Total Kilometres: 231
Weather: Mostly sunny with occasional strong north winds and quite cool.
Accommodation: Tent in Aberfeldy Bridge Campground in Baw Baw National Park .
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: Hamburger and chips
Dinner: Peanut butter roll and a block of chocolate
Encounters: None really.
Highlights: It was great to get high into the forests of the Great Dividing Range .
Lowlights: Some very long hills, some of which I had to walk.
Journal:
I could hear the wind howling outside the Yarntons all night and was a bit worried about the weather when I set out. The wind-chill was low and I wore a beanie and extra top to keep warm. I left soon after 7:00am with the goal of stopping in at John Duck’s, and old running friend, in Trafalgar some 30km away in time to have a cup of coffee with him before he headed up to Melbourne to go to the footy. Since Trafalgar is down in the Latrobe Valley , I mistakenly assumed it would be an easy ride and I could make it in 60 to 90 minutes. It turned out to be a very hilly ride through more scenic rural country, with only the last 5km downhill. I didn’t arrive until after 9:00am, but we still managed to have a quick catch-up over coffee before they left.
I then rode via Moe to Erica which is well up in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range where I enjoyed a burger, chips and milkshake for lunch. Like yesterday, I found myself running very low on energy in the late morning and really needed the food. The scenery was a mix of hilly rural grazing country and occasional eucalypt forest. Revived by lunch I set out along winding forest roads to Walhalla which is a well-preserved and pretty old mining town, surviving on tourism these days, nestled in a narrow steep-sided valley. The road to this point was mostly uphill but sealed. After Walhalla it changed to rough gravel and occasionally became steep enough for me to walk. I was still conscious of not overdoing it in the first few days. The road seemed to go upwards forever, but I finally reached a ridge adjacent to Baw Baw National Park and the road turned to undulating. I finally descended steeply along a very rough track to reach the Aberfeldy Bridge Campground shortly after 5:00pm and found I had it all to myself. It was a pleasant campsite with tables, grassy areas and bordered the shallow Aberfeldy River . As the sun had gone down it became very cold and I quickly put on several layers of warm clothes, erected my tent, and had a quick dinner before updating my diary and going to the warmth of my sleeping bag around 7:30pm. The forecast is for a cold front to pass through tonight with rain and snow at higher elevations. I hope it’s not too bad for packing up in the morning. I’m sure it’s going to be very cold regardless.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Tidal River to Mirboo North
Day: 002
Date: Saturday, 29 July 2006
Summary: Riding from Tidal River to Mirboo North.
Start: Tidal River
Finish: Mirboo North
Daily Kilometres: 107
Total Kilometres: 128
Weather: Mostly cloudy, showery and windy.
Accommodation: With friends at Mirboo North.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: ?
Lunch: Souvlaki and chips
Dinner: Nice home-cooked dinner.
Encounters: I saw quite a few kangaroos and three emus as I rode out of the Prom, and later saw a fox on a quiet rural road.
Highlights: Being on the road at last and some very pretty mountainous rural and forest scenery in the Strezlecki Ranges .
Lowlights: Managed to break my brand new rear-view mirror in the first couple of kms when the handlebars swung sharply (there’s a lot of weight on them) when I was adjusting my panniers, and the mirror bracket broke when it hit the cross-bar. Also nearly had a disaster with my pedals with 5km. I noticed that the left one felt a bit strange and upon examination found that it had almost unscrewed itself and was in danger of stripping the thread. I must not have tightened it enough when I reassembled the bike after shipping it to Melbourne.
Journal:
The weather was a bit ominous when I set out from Tidal River around 9:00am after having breakfast with Dad, who was about to drive back to Melbourne. I had a few bike problems in the first few kilometres, having to adjust my panniers, managing to break my rear-view mirror and almost stripping the thread on my left pedal which had unscrewed itself. It rained intermittently as I cycled out of Wilsons Promontory National Park, but not enough to spoil (and maybe even enhance) the remote alpine-like moors and olive green covered mountains. I even spotted some kangaroos and emus. There wasn’t much traffic and I enjoyed the ride. Later, as I approached Foster through flat rural country on a back road, the northerly wind grew very strong and I struggled to keep my speed above 15kph. I also started to run out of energy and began to fear I wouldn’t be able to make Mirboo North which is high in the Strezlecki Ranges for my scheduled night’s stay with old friends, the Yarntons. However, I was revived by a lunch of chips and souvlaki and found that once I began climbing into the hills the wind wasn’t as strong. The scenery in the Strezleckis is great with very steep grass-covered hilly farming country mixed with occasional forest and fern gullies. The gradient wasn’t too bad and, although I was slow, I didn’t have to get off and walk. Near the top of the ranges I passed Turton Falls on a wet gravel road that passed through lovely eucalypt forest. I finally reached the Yarntons at 5:15pm as it was getting dark and had a very pleasant evening chatting and enjoying a wonderful dinner.
Date: Saturday, 29 July 2006
Summary: Riding from Tidal River to Mirboo North.
Start: Tidal River
Finish: Mirboo North
Daily Kilometres: 107
Total Kilometres: 128
Weather: Mostly cloudy, showery and windy.
Accommodation: With friends at Mirboo North.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: ?
Lunch: Souvlaki and chips
Dinner: Nice home-cooked dinner.
Encounters: I saw quite a few kangaroos and three emus as I rode out of the Prom, and later saw a fox on a quiet rural road.
Highlights: Being on the road at last and some very pretty mountainous rural and forest scenery in the Strezlecki Ranges .
Lowlights: Managed to break my brand new rear-view mirror in the first couple of kms when the handlebars swung sharply (there’s a lot of weight on them) when I was adjusting my panniers, and the mirror bracket broke when it hit the cross-bar. Also nearly had a disaster with my pedals with 5km. I noticed that the left one felt a bit strange and upon examination found that it had almost unscrewed itself and was in danger of stripping the thread. I must not have tightened it enough when I reassembled the bike after shipping it to Melbourne.
Journal:
The weather was a bit ominous when I set out from Tidal River around 9:00am after having breakfast with Dad, who was about to drive back to Melbourne. I had a few bike problems in the first few kilometres, having to adjust my panniers, managing to break my rear-view mirror and almost stripping the thread on my left pedal which had unscrewed itself. It rained intermittently as I cycled out of Wilsons Promontory National Park, but not enough to spoil (and maybe even enhance) the remote alpine-like moors and olive green covered mountains. I even spotted some kangaroos and emus. There wasn’t much traffic and I enjoyed the ride. Later, as I approached Foster through flat rural country on a back road, the northerly wind grew very strong and I struggled to keep my speed above 15kph. I also started to run out of energy and began to fear I wouldn’t be able to make Mirboo North which is high in the Strezlecki Ranges for my scheduled night’s stay with old friends, the Yarntons. However, I was revived by a lunch of chips and souvlaki and found that once I began climbing into the hills the wind wasn’t as strong. The scenery in the Strezleckis is great with very steep grass-covered hilly farming country mixed with occasional forest and fern gullies. The gradient wasn’t too bad and, although I was slow, I didn’t have to get off and walk. Near the top of the ranges I passed Turton Falls on a wet gravel road that passed through lovely eucalypt forest. I finally reached the Yarntons at 5:15pm as it was getting dark and had a very pleasant evening chatting and enjoying a wonderful dinner.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Tidal River
Day: 001
Date: Friday, 28 July 2006
Summary: Hiked to South Point, the most southerly point of mainland Australia , and back, a distance of 42km.
Start: Tidal River
Finish: Tidal River
Daily Kilometres: 21
Total Kilometres: 21
Weather: Mild and sunny with little wind.
Accommodation: A cabin at Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory National Park .
Nutrition:
Breakfast: ?
Lunch: No lunch, just snacks of jelly babies and gorp while hiking
Dinner: Another “blokes” dinner out of multiple cans.
Encounters: As I was collecting a small jar of Bass Strait water from the tip of South Point, a huge whale surfaced about 50 metres offshore.
Highlights: Obviously the whale was a highlight, but virtually having the whole Prom to myself (I only saw six other people in two groups) on a perfect day was fantastic.
Lowlights: Finding my legs and feet were suffering badly in the last 8km of the hike. It’s very depressing to think I’ve lost so much running/walking form.
Journal:
I headed out at sunrise (7:15am) for South Point, 21 kilometres away. The route traversed pink granite headlands, vast sweeping beaches and scraggly forests recovering from a recent bushfire. The weather was perfect and I was even singing to myself as I motored along trying to make good time.
When I got to South Point there was a sign requesting (not ordering) people to stay off the small promontory for conservation reasons. After some consideration I decided to be a rebel and set off clambering across some very big boulders to the point. Some of it was quite challenging for a 55 year old with a bum knee and, on more than one occasion, I retraced my steps when I felt there was a reasonable chance of falling some distance and knowing that nobody would find me for a very long time. Eventually I reached the point and then descended to a small adjacent cove where I filled my little jar from an incoming wave. Again it was somewhat risky, although the worst that probably would have happened was getting very wet.
Just as I finished filling the jar, I saw a black shape out of the corner of my eye. It then disappeared and I wondered if I imagined it. However, after waiting another two or three minutes a large whale surfaced and rolled slowly forward. I watched it slowly move around the point and head north. Will I see it again at Cape York ?
I made my way carefully back across the isthmus and then after a 10 minute snack, headed back for Tidal River at a good pace, making minimal stops on the way and reaching there at 4:30pm with very tired and stiff legs and sore feet. I felt like I had run a marathon. Sad, isn’t it. Hopefully they won’t bother me on the bike tomorrow.
Date: Friday, 28 July 2006
Summary: Hiked to South Point, the most southerly point of mainland Australia , and back, a distance of 42km.
Start: Tidal River
Finish: Tidal River
Daily Kilometres: 21
Total Kilometres: 21
Weather: Mild and sunny with little wind.
Accommodation: A cabin at Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory National Park .
Nutrition:
Breakfast: ?
Lunch: No lunch, just snacks of jelly babies and gorp while hiking
Dinner: Another “blokes” dinner out of multiple cans.
Encounters: As I was collecting a small jar of Bass Strait water from the tip of South Point, a huge whale surfaced about 50 metres offshore.
Highlights: Obviously the whale was a highlight, but virtually having the whole Prom to myself (I only saw six other people in two groups) on a perfect day was fantastic.
Lowlights: Finding my legs and feet were suffering badly in the last 8km of the hike. It’s very depressing to think I’ve lost so much running/walking form.
Journal:
I headed out at sunrise (7:15am) for South Point, 21 kilometres away. The route traversed pink granite headlands, vast sweeping beaches and scraggly forests recovering from a recent bushfire. The weather was perfect and I was even singing to myself as I motored along trying to make good time.
When I got to South Point there was a sign requesting (not ordering) people to stay off the small promontory for conservation reasons. After some consideration I decided to be a rebel and set off clambering across some very big boulders to the point. Some of it was quite challenging for a 55 year old with a bum knee and, on more than one occasion, I retraced my steps when I felt there was a reasonable chance of falling some distance and knowing that nobody would find me for a very long time. Eventually I reached the point and then descended to a small adjacent cove where I filled my little jar from an incoming wave. Again it was somewhat risky, although the worst that probably would have happened was getting very wet.
Just as I finished filling the jar, I saw a black shape out of the corner of my eye. It then disappeared and I wondered if I imagined it. However, after waiting another two or three minutes a large whale surfaced and rolled slowly forward. I watched it slowly move around the point and head north. Will I see it again at Cape York ?
I made my way carefully back across the isthmus and then after a 10 minute snack, headed back for Tidal River at a good pace, making minimal stops on the way and reaching there at 4:30pm with very tired and stiff legs and sore feet. I felt like I had run a marathon. Sad, isn’t it. Hopefully they won’t bother me on the bike tomorrow.
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