Day: 011
Date: Monday, 7 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Cobar to Bourke.
Start: Cobar
Finish: Bourke
Daily Kilometres: 161
Total Kilometres: 1301
Weather: Cold early but mild and sunny for the rest of the day with a light, mostly cross wind.
Accommodation: Motel in Bourke, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Donuts
Lunch: Two bread rolls and peanut butter
Dinner: Chicken schnitzel.
Encounters: Saw a couple of families of feral goats.
Highlights: Yet another enjoyable day cycling through lightly timbered outback grazing land in beautiful weather on a road with little or no traffic.
Lowlights: A near miss involving an emu and a road train. I had startled two emus who began running in the scrub on the other side of the road parallel with me and slightly ahead of me. They were prevented from running off into the bush by a fence. This continued for about a kilometre when a road train appeared travelling in the opposite direction at high speed. Just before the road train reached me, one of the emus took a sharp left turn to try and cross the road between me and the road train. The road train driver barely had time to sound his horn before he slammed into the emu about 20 metres ahead of me. Just prior to the impact I turned sharply left off the road, expecting to get hit by bits of emu travelling at 120kph. Fortunately, I didn’t, but there wasn’t much of that emu left!
Journal:
I left the motel at about 7:30am and stopped in at a bakery on the way out of town to pick up some donuts for breakfast and some rolls for lunch. It wasn’t as cold as the two previous mornings although I still needed to wear extra clothing for the first 20km. Thereafter it was T-shirt weather again and the riding was very pleasant. I saw a number of emus (see “Lowlights” above) and feral goats. The road was slightly undulating with some very long straight stretches. The vegetation was low scrubby timber with little undergrowth covering the red soil. There were occasional puddles and traces of new green grass in many places.
Later in the day, the vegetation became sparser, the road flatter and in the far distance I could see some mountain ranges. I reached Bourke around 4:00pm and checked into a budget motel on the edge of town. After a shower I went for a walk around the town centre which almost seemed to be almost under siege. Most shopfronts were boarded up or had heavy security shutters. There must be a serious petty crime problem here.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Mount Hope to Cobar
Day: 010
Date: Sunday, 6 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Mount Hope to Cobar.
Start: Mount Hope
Finish: Cobar
Daily Kilometres: 161
Total Kilometres: 1140
Weather: Very cold early but mild and mostly sunny for the rest of the day with a light, mostly following, wind.
Accommodation: Motel in Cobar, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Cereal and toast
Lunch: A few light snacks during the day
Dinner: Thai curry.
Encounters: Saw a couple of families of feral goats.
Highlights: An enjoyable day cycling through outback lightly timbered grazing land in beautiful weather on a road with little or no traffic.
Lowlights: The “mild” Thai curry I ordered for dinner at the Cobar Bowling Club turned out to be very hot and seared the last bits of skin off my wind-chapped lower lips as I set sweating profusely in the restaurant, dunking my lip and tongue in a glass of Diet Coke every so often.
Journal:
I decided not to start too early in view of the cold temperatures experienced yesterday, so took my time getting a breakfast of cereal and toast in the truckies dining room taking care not to make too much noise. I then left about 7:45am after saying my good-byes to Suzanne (the publican) and another resident who was up. It was again very cold and there was frost on the ground. However, by 9:00am it had warmed up sufficiently to strip down to just my T-shirt again.
There was almost no traffic and I felt like I had the world to myself as I pedalled through the mildly undulating lightly-timbered arid grazing country. Occasionally the road passed small hills/mountains and it was tempting to take a break and hike up one to see the view, although I’m sure it would have taken quite some time.
As usual, I stopped every 20-25km for a short break and had a slightly longer break around noon. There were no towns along the whole route today. My pace was good and, in the afternoon, I found a barely audible radio station broadcasting the Geelong football game to listen to. I reached Cobar around 4:00pm, although it took another 20 minutes and multiple attempts before I found somewhere reasonably-priced to stay.
On the recommendation of the motel manager I ate at the local bowling club and regretted ordering the Thai curry, which was very hot.
Date: Sunday, 6 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Mount Hope to Cobar.
Start: Mount Hope
Finish: Cobar
Daily Kilometres: 161
Total Kilometres: 1140
Weather: Very cold early but mild and mostly sunny for the rest of the day with a light, mostly following, wind.
Accommodation: Motel in Cobar, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Cereal and toast
Lunch: A few light snacks during the day
Dinner: Thai curry.
Encounters: Saw a couple of families of feral goats.
Highlights: An enjoyable day cycling through outback lightly timbered grazing land in beautiful weather on a road with little or no traffic.
Lowlights: The “mild” Thai curry I ordered for dinner at the Cobar Bowling Club turned out to be very hot and seared the last bits of skin off my wind-chapped lower lips as I set sweating profusely in the restaurant, dunking my lip and tongue in a glass of Diet Coke every so often.
Journal:
I decided not to start too early in view of the cold temperatures experienced yesterday, so took my time getting a breakfast of cereal and toast in the truckies dining room taking care not to make too much noise. I then left about 7:45am after saying my good-byes to Suzanne (the publican) and another resident who was up. It was again very cold and there was frost on the ground. However, by 9:00am it had warmed up sufficiently to strip down to just my T-shirt again.
There was almost no traffic and I felt like I had the world to myself as I pedalled through the mildly undulating lightly-timbered arid grazing country. Occasionally the road passed small hills/mountains and it was tempting to take a break and hike up one to see the view, although I’m sure it would have taken quite some time.
As usual, I stopped every 20-25km for a short break and had a slightly longer break around noon. There were no towns along the whole route today. My pace was good and, in the afternoon, I found a barely audible radio station broadcasting the Geelong football game to listen to. I reached Cobar around 4:00pm, although it took another 20 minutes and multiple attempts before I found somewhere reasonably-priced to stay.
On the recommendation of the motel manager I ate at the local bowling club and regretted ordering the Thai curry, which was very hot.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Griffith to Mount Hope
Day: 009
Date: Saturday, 5 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Griffith to Mount Hope .
Start: Griffith
Finish: Mount Hope
Daily Kilometres: 204
Total Kilometres: 979
Weather: Foggy and very cold early but mild and sunny for the rest of the day.
Accommodation: Royal Hotel, Mount Hope , NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: An apple and a couple of pastries
Lunch: Pie, pastie and milkshake
Dinner: Chicken schnitzel.
Encounters: Saw some kangaroos and an eagle.
Highlights: I had a great evening at the remote and very original Mount Hope Hotel ($30 B&B). It was run by Suzanne who is a part-time truckie and the bar was populated by a couple of truckies, two workers and a local couple. The place was very basic but very authentic and everybody was very friendly and we discussed all sorts of stuff, although mainly trucking.
Lowlights: The first 90 minutes of riding was very unpleasant in freezing temperatures (-1°C) and thick fog. Despite wearing plenty of clothes my feet and particularly hands were freezing. It put me off early starts.
Journal:
Knowing that I had a very big day in front of me if I was to reach Mount Hope , 204km away, I got up at 6:00am and hit the road at 6:45am. It was freezing and foggy and I really suffered from the cold for the first 90 minutes. As the fog lifted it warmed up nicely and by the time I reached Goolgowi (50km) at 9:30am it was a beautiful day.
The countryside up to this point was mainly citrus orchards but it then gradually gave way to irrigated farmland although even those fields that did not seem to be irrigated were quite green and there were puddles around indicating that maybe the drought hasn’t been too bad locally. The breeze was flukey although seemed to be against me quite a lot of the time and my average speed was slower than yesterday. I reached Hillston at 1:00pm and bought some lunch which I ate in the sun at a picnic table in a park whilst reading the paper. Very pleasant. I decided to attempt to reach Mount Hope (94km away) but to be sure they had accommodation I called the pub there and was assured they would hold me a room and give me a meal.
The road, which had been quite busy, now had virtually no traffic, and passed through increasingly arid country. At one point, a pair of kangaroos kept pace with me for about a kilometre as they bounded along the fenceline bordering the road. I enjoyed the solitude, scenery and sunshine and cruised along at a good speed although, for the first time since the Strathbogies, I began to encounter some gentle hills. The last part was bordered by some extensive nature reserves and the vegetation consisted mainly of small gums and acacias(?) on red soil with little undergrowth. I finally reached Mount Hope soon after 6:00pm, having pedalled the last hour in increasing darkness, and found that they were all awaiting my arrival. The pub was very basic with toilets and showers in an outside block and unpolished timber floors. The bar had lots of character and characters and I enjoyed a pleasant evening chatting with my fellow guests.
Date: Saturday, 5 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Griffith to Mount Hope .
Start: Griffith
Finish: Mount Hope
Daily Kilometres: 204
Total Kilometres: 979
Weather: Foggy and very cold early but mild and sunny for the rest of the day.
Accommodation: Royal Hotel, Mount Hope , NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: An apple and a couple of pastries
Lunch: Pie, pastie and milkshake
Dinner: Chicken schnitzel.
Encounters: Saw some kangaroos and an eagle.
Highlights: I had a great evening at the remote and very original Mount Hope Hotel ($30 B&B). It was run by Suzanne who is a part-time truckie and the bar was populated by a couple of truckies, two workers and a local couple. The place was very basic but very authentic and everybody was very friendly and we discussed all sorts of stuff, although mainly trucking.
Lowlights: The first 90 minutes of riding was very unpleasant in freezing temperatures (-1°C) and thick fog. Despite wearing plenty of clothes my feet and particularly hands were freezing. It put me off early starts.
Journal:
Knowing that I had a very big day in front of me if I was to reach Mount Hope , 204km away, I got up at 6:00am and hit the road at 6:45am. It was freezing and foggy and I really suffered from the cold for the first 90 minutes. As the fog lifted it warmed up nicely and by the time I reached Goolgowi (50km) at 9:30am it was a beautiful day.
The countryside up to this point was mainly citrus orchards but it then gradually gave way to irrigated farmland although even those fields that did not seem to be irrigated were quite green and there were puddles around indicating that maybe the drought hasn’t been too bad locally. The breeze was flukey although seemed to be against me quite a lot of the time and my average speed was slower than yesterday. I reached Hillston at 1:00pm and bought some lunch which I ate in the sun at a picnic table in a park whilst reading the paper. Very pleasant. I decided to attempt to reach Mount Hope (94km away) but to be sure they had accommodation I called the pub there and was assured they would hold me a room and give me a meal.
The road, which had been quite busy, now had virtually no traffic, and passed through increasingly arid country. At one point, a pair of kangaroos kept pace with me for about a kilometre as they bounded along the fenceline bordering the road. I enjoyed the solitude, scenery and sunshine and cruised along at a good speed although, for the first time since the Strathbogies, I began to encounter some gentle hills. The last part was bordered by some extensive nature reserves and the vegetation consisted mainly of small gums and acacias(?) on red soil with little undergrowth. I finally reached Mount Hope soon after 6:00pm, having pedalled the last hour in increasing darkness, and found that they were all awaiting my arrival. The pub was very basic with toilets and showers in an outside block and unpolished timber floors. The bar had lots of character and characters and I enjoyed a pleasant evening chatting with my fellow guests.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Finley to Griffith
Day: 008
Date: Friday, 4 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Finley to Griffith .
Start: Finley
Finish: Griffith
Daily Kilometres: 168
Total Kilometres: 775
Weather: Mostly sunny with a light southerly breeze.
Accommodation: Cabin in campground in Griffith, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: An apple and a couple of donuts
Lunch: Pie, pastie and thickshake
Dinner: Chicken parmigiana.
Encounters: Saw quite a few emus early in the day, including a mother and about six chicks.
Highlights: A very nice day’s riding in sunshine, warm enough to wear a T-shirt for most of the day, with a following southerly breeze.
Lowlights: Getting a call from Barb at 6:30am to tell me that my step-brother, Bob, had died during the night from cancer. It had seemed likely to happen some time soon so wasn’t a surprise, but sad nevertheless. I have been trying to decide, with Barb, whether I should break my trip to return for the funeral in Melbourne . I was grateful to get a call later in the morning from my brother, Alan, who always had a close relationship with Bob, to tell me that he didn’t think Bob would want me to come back for the funeral, and I’m inclined to agree.
Journal:
I woke at 6:30am and shortly after received a phone call from Barb telling me that my step-brother, Bob, had died overnight from the cancer he had been treated for during the past 18 months. Although expected, it was still very sad.
I packed up and left around 7:30am under clear blue skies, but in very cold temperatures. It was busy along the Newell Highway , but drivers were unfailingly courteous in giving me a wide berth when passing. The weather warmed quite rapidly and it was very pleasant riding through the arid grazing land. I began to notice quite a few emus in the paddocks off to my left, although most took fright at my approach and raced away. No chance for pictures.
I reached Jerilderie soon after 9:00am and enjoyed some fresh donuts from the local bakery for a late breakfast, sitting in the sunshine watching the small town doings and reading the paper. I then continued along the Newell Highway for a short time before turning left onto the Kidman Way , which will be my route all the way to Queensland . Traffic was greatly reduced and it was warm enough to wear just a T-shirt, for the first time on the trip. A nice breeze blew from behind and I was humming along on the flat road at a good speed listening to the regional ABC on my headphones.
I had a very late lunch at a roadhouse at Darlington Point and then continued on through the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to Griffith , passing increasing cultivation including citrus crops and vineyards. I reached Griffith just before 5:00pm and checked in to a cabin in a caravan park. Barb and I used to visit Griffith frequently with our friends at Easter back in the 70s to run the Bacchus 12000 which had big prizes, attracted very high quality fields, and was invariably very hot. The race was generally followed by, and sometimes preceded by, scenes of debauchery at local wineries. For dinner, I walked around to the nearby Leagues Club and ate in their bistro.
Date: Friday, 4 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Finley to Griffith .
Start: Finley
Finish: Griffith
Daily Kilometres: 168
Total Kilometres: 775
Weather: Mostly sunny with a light southerly breeze.
Accommodation: Cabin in campground in Griffith, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: An apple and a couple of donuts
Lunch: Pie, pastie and thickshake
Dinner: Chicken parmigiana.
Encounters: Saw quite a few emus early in the day, including a mother and about six chicks.
Highlights: A very nice day’s riding in sunshine, warm enough to wear a T-shirt for most of the day, with a following southerly breeze.
Lowlights: Getting a call from Barb at 6:30am to tell me that my step-brother, Bob, had died during the night from cancer. It had seemed likely to happen some time soon so wasn’t a surprise, but sad nevertheless. I have been trying to decide, with Barb, whether I should break my trip to return for the funeral in Melbourne . I was grateful to get a call later in the morning from my brother, Alan, who always had a close relationship with Bob, to tell me that he didn’t think Bob would want me to come back for the funeral, and I’m inclined to agree.
Journal:
I woke at 6:30am and shortly after received a phone call from Barb telling me that my step-brother, Bob, had died overnight from the cancer he had been treated for during the past 18 months. Although expected, it was still very sad.
I packed up and left around 7:30am under clear blue skies, but in very cold temperatures. It was busy along the Newell Highway , but drivers were unfailingly courteous in giving me a wide berth when passing. The weather warmed quite rapidly and it was very pleasant riding through the arid grazing land. I began to notice quite a few emus in the paddocks off to my left, although most took fright at my approach and raced away. No chance for pictures.
I reached Jerilderie soon after 9:00am and enjoyed some fresh donuts from the local bakery for a late breakfast, sitting in the sunshine watching the small town doings and reading the paper. I then continued along the Newell Highway for a short time before turning left onto the Kidman Way , which will be my route all the way to Queensland . Traffic was greatly reduced and it was warm enough to wear just a T-shirt, for the first time on the trip. A nice breeze blew from behind and I was humming along on the flat road at a good speed listening to the regional ABC on my headphones.
I had a very late lunch at a roadhouse at Darlington Point and then continued on through the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to Griffith , passing increasing cultivation including citrus crops and vineyards. I reached Griffith just before 5:00pm and checked in to a cabin in a caravan park. Barb and I used to visit Griffith frequently with our friends at Easter back in the 70s to run the Bacchus 12000 which had big prizes, attracted very high quality fields, and was invariably very hot. The race was generally followed by, and sometimes preceded by, scenes of debauchery at local wineries. For dinner, I walked around to the nearby Leagues Club and ate in their bistro.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Shepparton to Finley
Day: 007
Date: Thursday, 3 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Shepparton to Finley.
Start: Shepparton
Finish: Finley
Daily Kilometres: 99
Total Kilometres: 607
Weather: Mostly overcast with occasional showers and sunshine. Cool with light wind which swung around from a northerly to southerly during the day.
Accommodation: Motel in Finley, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Cereal and toast
Lunch: A pie, pastie and thickshake
Dinner: Pizza
Encounters: Lots of interesting waterbirds along the irrigation channels and a road-killed koala (sad) .
Highlights: Riding the day’s last 22km from Tocumwal to Finley in late afternoon sunshine with a tailwind and an average speed of over 25kph (which isn’t bad with a 20kg bike and 30kgs of gear).
Lowlights: My butt has been hurting today, necessitating lots of standing on the pedals. Hopefully it will toughen up shortly! My bike seat covering is beginning to crack, so maybe I need a new one.
Journal:
I had a very leisurely morning, chatting with Mike and Chris and waiting for the last of my washing to dry. It had rained heavily in Shepparton overnight and still looked a bit threatening. I eventually left at 10:30am after some morning tea and navigated my way along little-used back roads through the very flat agricultural country and past the occasional dilapidated-looking farm-house. Not too many rich farmers around here, I reckon.
At Yarroweah I stopped for a late lunch at a roadhouse and then, shortly after, crossed the Murray River into NSW, another significant milestone. I was now travelling along the busy Newell Highway , the main route from Melbourne to Brisbane , and there was lots of traffic. Fortunately, most of the time, there was a narrow breakdown lane along the side of the road that allowed me to travel safely.
After a brief stop in Tocumwal for a break and to look for an ATM, I set out for Finley, my destination for the day. I now had a nice tail-breeze and it was mostly sunny although there were storm clouds around and some of the road was very wet. I enjoyed these last 22km and, when I arrived in Finley, spotted a Budget Motel in the centre of town which I checked into around 5:00pm. I hung up my tent in the room and turned the heater way up to dry it out. I had packed it away wet four days ago. I decided on pizza for dinner and aim to get going early tomorrow in anticipation of a longer day. The weather forecast looks good although the mornings are going to be cold.
Date: Thursday, 3 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Shepparton to Finley.
Start: Shepparton
Finish: Finley
Daily Kilometres: 99
Total Kilometres: 607
Weather: Mostly overcast with occasional showers and sunshine. Cool with light wind which swung around from a northerly to southerly during the day.
Accommodation: Motel in Finley, NSW.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Cereal and toast
Lunch: A pie, pastie and thickshake
Dinner: Pizza
Encounters: Lots of interesting waterbirds along the irrigation channels and a road-killed koala (sad) .
Highlights: Riding the day’s last 22km from Tocumwal to Finley in late afternoon sunshine with a tailwind and an average speed of over 25kph (which isn’t bad with a 20kg bike and 30kgs of gear).
Lowlights: My butt has been hurting today, necessitating lots of standing on the pedals. Hopefully it will toughen up shortly! My bike seat covering is beginning to crack, so maybe I need a new one.
Journal:
I had a very leisurely morning, chatting with Mike and Chris and waiting for the last of my washing to dry. It had rained heavily in Shepparton overnight and still looked a bit threatening. I eventually left at 10:30am after some morning tea and navigated my way along little-used back roads through the very flat agricultural country and past the occasional dilapidated-looking farm-house. Not too many rich farmers around here, I reckon.
At Yarroweah I stopped for a late lunch at a roadhouse and then, shortly after, crossed the Murray River into NSW, another significant milestone. I was now travelling along the busy Newell Highway , the main route from Melbourne to Brisbane , and there was lots of traffic. Fortunately, most of the time, there was a narrow breakdown lane along the side of the road that allowed me to travel safely.
After a brief stop in Tocumwal for a break and to look for an ATM, I set out for Finley, my destination for the day. I now had a nice tail-breeze and it was mostly sunny although there were storm clouds around and some of the road was very wet. I enjoyed these last 22km and, when I arrived in Finley, spotted a Budget Motel in the centre of town which I checked into around 5:00pm. I hung up my tent in the room and turned the heater way up to dry it out. I had packed it away wet four days ago. I decided on pizza for dinner and aim to get going early tomorrow in anticipation of a longer day. The weather forecast looks good although the mornings are going to be cold.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Bonnie Doon to Shepparton
Day: 006
Date: Wednesday, 2 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Bonnie Doon to Shepparton.
Start: Bonnie Doon
Finish: Shepparton
Daily Kilometres: 102
Total Kilometres: 508
Weather: Overcast and cold with a north (head) wind.
Accommodation: Stayed with family friends in Shepparton.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: A couple of salad rolls
Dinner: A beaut cooked dinner
Encounters: None really.
Highlights: Crossing the Strathbogie Ranges and leaving the last of the mountains behind me for a while.
Lowlights: I struggled a bit, perhaps low on sugar, for the afternoon ride from Euroa to Shepparton into a moderate and cold north wind.
Journal:
I left the motel around 8:00am and rode along the busy Mansfield-Melbourne road to Merton on a very cool and overcast morning. At Merton I turned north on a much quieter road to cross the Strathbogie Ranges , the last mountains I would encounter for a while. The countryside was old-settled rural and very pretty with rocky outcrops dotting the grassy slopes. The climb proved to be longer and tougher than I had anticipated and I ended up waking the last 400 metres. From the top there was a long and winding descent which I enjoyed apart from the fact that I quickly became very cold from the wind chill. I’m finding it very difficult to manage my temperature and always seem to be sweating profusely or shivering from the cold, and you can’t keep taking off or putting on clothes.
After the Strathbogies it was a bit of a grind into Euroa against a strengthening north wind. I think I should have had more than a bowl of muesli to see me through this 50km and wonder whether the mountain exertions of the past few days are catching up with me. In Euroa I resisted the temptation to buy some warm junk food for lunch and got a couple of salad rolls which I ate on a seat in the main street whilst I read the paper. Even there, I found it quite cold and was soon shivering again.
From Euroa, I chose very back roads leading to Shepparton and seemed to avoid most of the traffic. However, the wind was grinding me down and I wondered whether I should have had more sugars with my lunch as the ride became tougher. I finally reached Shepparton around 3:00pm and walked around the shopping centre, eventually finding a bike shop that sold mirrors that attach to a helmet. After some afternoon tea at a bakery I walked round to long-time family friends, the Halls, where I received a warm welcome, had a great dinner, did a load of washing and caught up on all their news. Rain showers are forecast for tomorrow but, after that, the weather looks to be good.
Date: Wednesday, 2 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Bonnie Doon to Shepparton.
Start: Bonnie Doon
Finish: Shepparton
Daily Kilometres: 102
Total Kilometres: 508
Weather: Overcast and cold with a north (head) wind.
Accommodation: Stayed with family friends in Shepparton.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: A couple of salad rolls
Dinner: A beaut cooked dinner
Encounters: None really.
Highlights: Crossing the Strathbogie Ranges and leaving the last of the mountains behind me for a while.
Lowlights: I struggled a bit, perhaps low on sugar, for the afternoon ride from Euroa to Shepparton into a moderate and cold north wind.
Journal:
I left the motel around 8:00am and rode along the busy Mansfield-Melbourne road to Merton on a very cool and overcast morning. At Merton I turned north on a much quieter road to cross the Strathbogie Ranges , the last mountains I would encounter for a while. The countryside was old-settled rural and very pretty with rocky outcrops dotting the grassy slopes. The climb proved to be longer and tougher than I had anticipated and I ended up waking the last 400 metres. From the top there was a long and winding descent which I enjoyed apart from the fact that I quickly became very cold from the wind chill. I’m finding it very difficult to manage my temperature and always seem to be sweating profusely or shivering from the cold, and you can’t keep taking off or putting on clothes.
After the Strathbogies it was a bit of a grind into Euroa against a strengthening north wind. I think I should have had more than a bowl of muesli to see me through this 50km and wonder whether the mountain exertions of the past few days are catching up with me. In Euroa I resisted the temptation to buy some warm junk food for lunch and got a couple of salad rolls which I ate on a seat in the main street whilst I read the paper. Even there, I found it quite cold and was soon shivering again.
From Euroa, I chose very back roads leading to Shepparton and seemed to avoid most of the traffic. However, the wind was grinding me down and I wondered whether I should have had more sugars with my lunch as the ride became tougher. I finally reached Shepparton around 3:00pm and walked around the shopping centre, eventually finding a bike shop that sold mirrors that attach to a helmet. After some afternoon tea at a bakery I walked round to long-time family friends, the Halls, where I received a warm welcome, had a great dinner, did a load of washing and caught up on all their news. Rain showers are forecast for tomorrow but, after that, the weather looks to be good.
Wilsons Promontory to Cape York by bike - Woods Point to Bonnie Doon
Day: 005
Date: Tuesday, 1 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Woods Point to Bonnie Doon.
Start: Woods Point
Finish: Bonnie Doon
Daily Kilometres: 110
Total Kilometres: 406
Weather: Mostly overcast and cold.
Accommodation: Motel in Bonnie Doon.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Full pub English Breakfast
Lunch: A pie and pastie
Dinner: Chicken “parm”
Encounters: None really, although I got vigorous waves from the Woods Point mail run/passenger minibus on their way to and from Mansfield . I has met them the previous night at the Woods Point store.
Highlights: Although you have to ride hilly and rough trails to enjoy the mountains, it was nice to get back onto undulating sealed roads this afternoon after yesterday.
Lowlights: Missing the chance, through impatience to keep moving on my part, of staying with my brother’s sister-in-law and family in Mansfield.
Journal:
I woke to find that my electric blanket had done the job and my wet clothes were dry, although there was a lot of dried mud in the bed which I scrupulously brushed off onto the floor! After a very filling full English breakfast and good wishes form the amicable publican I headed north out of Woods Point and, as expected, soon began the steep ascent to the 1034 metre Frenchman’s Gap. I probably could have ridden a large part of the way up, but decided to walk and enjoy the forest. The alpine forest was alive with the sounds of different birds and it was a pleasant if somewhat tiring climb. I had the road pretty much to myself, only seeing two cars on the 44km of gravel road from Woods Point to Kevington. After the Gap the road was steeply downhill (plenty of brake work, especially on the rough and tight corners) and then it levelled out as it followed various creeks and then the Goulburn River downstream in a narrow steep-sided wooded valley past tiny old quaint mining communities with names like the A1 Mine Settlement, Gaffneys Creek, Knockwood and Kevington. There’s a lot of history in this area. The scenery gradually changed from forest to rural with a forested mountain backdrop and I enjoyed the sights in the better biking weather although a bit of sun would have been nice. I was well rugged up.
After lunch in Jamieson the afternoon’s ride was undulating through mostly rural landscapes with a couple of sizeable climbs and then fairly flat. Although the map showed the road skirting Lake Eildon , I never once saw the Lake .
My phone had got some moisture in it yesterday and wasn’t working properly earlier in the day so I was unable to try contacting my brother’s sister-in-law who lives in Mansfield until I actually reached Mansfield (I dried out the phone by removing the back and battery and placing it in the side netting of my front carrier bag where it got plenty of wind!.....I also hang sweaty warm tops and bottoms from various points on the bike to dry them out when I don’t need to wear them any more!). There was some chance she would offer for me to stay at their house, but I wasn’t sure and then was unable to contact her. Given that there was still another hour or so of light, I pushed on to Bonnie Doon and checked into a very quiet hotel/motel where I was the only guest (the sister-in-law called later to say they were expecting me to stay with them in Mansfield , so I felt bad about that). The friendly manager kindly opened the kitchen and cooked me chicken parmigiana for dinner before closing the bar early. He had once ridden from Broken Hill to Bathurst .
I should comfortably make Shepparton tomorrow although strong north winds are forecast.
Date: Tuesday, 1 August 2006
Summary: Riding from Woods Point to Bonnie Doon.
Start: Woods Point
Finish: Bonnie Doon
Daily Kilometres: 110
Total Kilometres: 406
Weather: Mostly overcast and cold.
Accommodation: Motel in Bonnie Doon.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Full pub English Breakfast
Lunch: A pie and pastie
Dinner: Chicken “parm”
Encounters: None really, although I got vigorous waves from the Woods Point mail run/passenger minibus on their way to and from Mansfield . I has met them the previous night at the Woods Point store.
Highlights: Although you have to ride hilly and rough trails to enjoy the mountains, it was nice to get back onto undulating sealed roads this afternoon after yesterday.
Lowlights: Missing the chance, through impatience to keep moving on my part, of staying with my brother’s sister-in-law and family in Mansfield.
Journal:
I woke to find that my electric blanket had done the job and my wet clothes were dry, although there was a lot of dried mud in the bed which I scrupulously brushed off onto the floor! After a very filling full English breakfast and good wishes form the amicable publican I headed north out of Woods Point and, as expected, soon began the steep ascent to the 1034 metre Frenchman’s Gap. I probably could have ridden a large part of the way up, but decided to walk and enjoy the forest. The alpine forest was alive with the sounds of different birds and it was a pleasant if somewhat tiring climb. I had the road pretty much to myself, only seeing two cars on the 44km of gravel road from Woods Point to Kevington. After the Gap the road was steeply downhill (plenty of brake work, especially on the rough and tight corners) and then it levelled out as it followed various creeks and then the Goulburn River downstream in a narrow steep-sided wooded valley past tiny old quaint mining communities with names like the A1 Mine Settlement, Gaffneys Creek, Knockwood and Kevington. There’s a lot of history in this area. The scenery gradually changed from forest to rural with a forested mountain backdrop and I enjoyed the sights in the better biking weather although a bit of sun would have been nice. I was well rugged up.
After lunch in Jamieson the afternoon’s ride was undulating through mostly rural landscapes with a couple of sizeable climbs and then fairly flat. Although the map showed the road skirting Lake Eildon , I never once saw the Lake .
My phone had got some moisture in it yesterday and wasn’t working properly earlier in the day so I was unable to try contacting my brother’s sister-in-law who lives in Mansfield until I actually reached Mansfield (I dried out the phone by removing the back and battery and placing it in the side netting of my front carrier bag where it got plenty of wind!.....I also hang sweaty warm tops and bottoms from various points on the bike to dry them out when I don’t need to wear them any more!). There was some chance she would offer for me to stay at their house, but I wasn’t sure and then was unable to contact her. Given that there was still another hour or so of light, I pushed on to Bonnie Doon and checked into a very quiet hotel/motel where I was the only guest (the sister-in-law called later to say they were expecting me to stay with them in Mansfield , so I felt bad about that). The friendly manager kindly opened the kitchen and cooked me chicken parmigiana for dinner before closing the bar early. He had once ridden from Broken Hill to Bathurst .
I should comfortably make Shepparton tomorrow although strong north winds are forecast.
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