Touring - Victoria

I'm off for a couple of weeks. I'll post a tour report here when I gets back. Ciao!

Have a good one Chris, ride safe.

Hey Chris be sure to have some fun for all of us,we'll be waiting to hear your report .

Have a great ride Chris L

Chris, who you trying to kid, you've been "off" for much longer than a couple weeks....j/k....enjoy the ride!

keep those legs covered cob. or youl scare the kids:D :D

Ladies and Gentlemen, the tour report now follows....

Day 1: Melbourne

It wouldn't be a Chris L tour without a calamity of some kind. On the morning of departure I now find out that my flight from Brisbane to Melbourne has been moved forward 40 minutes. ****. Note to self, check these things the night before. Somehow I managed to make the plane (luckily my mother was conveniently on hand to offer assistance at that point), and just a few hours later, I was landing in Melbourne.

Immediately after my arrival I did the unthinkable, I actually caught a taxi from the airport to the YHA where I was staying. That done, I unpacked my bike to see if any damage had been done during the flight (well, it was the first time I've taken the bike on a plane), then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Melbourne.

Overall it was a pretty uneventful day except for the fact that I ate too much. A note to those visiting Melbourne in future - an excellent bird's eye view of the city can be seen from Rialto Tower.

Day 2: Geelong
On this day I decided to utilise public transport and catch a train to Geelong, from where the real tour would start. I could have ridden from Melbourne (about 80km), but the Princes Freeway didn't really appeal to me, especially as I wanted to have some time to explore Geelong.

After 30km or so riding around Melbourne, I went to the station and got a train to Geelong. V-Line trains are convenient for bikes, they have a roll-on/roll-off service which requires no disassebly of the bike at all (although they do charge an extra $3 for taking the bike)

The train ride was shared with two other cyclists who were riding the Great Ocean Road (but from west to east, the opposite direction to me). One from England and the other, incredibly, living in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine (which he referred to as "Scumshine". Apparently he has neighbours like I do).

OK, I'll have to admit I didn't have very high expectations of Geelong. The city is basically famous for AFL football and, um.. AFL Football. It's the home of the aptly named Geelong "Cats" (they haven't actually won anything in as long as anyone can remember). These expectations were being fulfilled when I snapped a tent-pole in the worst caravan park I've ever been to.

In a city of 200,000 you would expect to get a replacement, but it was Sunday, so there was no joy their either :( . As I said, wouldn't be a Chris L tour without a calamity. Undeterred, I set off late in the day for a cycle around Geelong and was pleasantly surprised.

The cruise along the shores of Corio Bay was quite pleasant, as were the hills to the west of the city. I was also slightly surprised to find some waterfalls on the fringes, so Geelong wasn't so bad after all. Late that night there was a keen sense of anticipation. Tomorrow, the real tour would start.

Day 3 - Off at last

Today would the the start of the Great Ocean Road section of this tour. I had high expectations of this ride, so today would be interesting. In what were surprisingly cool conditions, I set off out of Geelong, bound for Torquay initially. A tip for anyone planning to cycle this route, Horse-shoe Bend Road is a quiet way out of Geelong, and it's probably more scenic than the Sea Coast Highway.

At Torquay I was fortunate enough to meet two other cyclists, who just happened to be originally from the Gold Coast (it is a small world). They weren't touring but we had a brief conversation.

Of course, Torquay represents the start of the Great Ocean Road, and it's here that I'll have my $0.02 on a debate that has been running for some time re: cycle-touring in Australia - Which direction to cycle on the GOR. Most cyclists prefer to ride it from West to East, as this is the direction of the prevailing wind. However, I would suggest doing it in the opposite direction. This is largely because it would put you on the ocean side of the road, which offers better views. In any case, the "prevailing wind" frequently changes, and is often tempered by a sea-breeze/crosswind.

Initially the GOR heads away from the coast at Torquay, but it's never very far away. A short detour to Point Addis gave me another glimpse of the ocean, and before long I'd reached Anglesea, which represents the start of the "Great" part of the Great Ocean Road.

From here the road winds around numerous headlands as the Otway Ranges literally fall into Bass Strait. I live on the coast, but the scenery here is nothing like what the GOR offers. This is truly one of the most spectacular coastlines in Australia. I was battling a headwind on this day, but it went unnoticed when surrounded by this kind of scenery.

Eventually I called it a day at Lorne and pitched my tent (minus one pole), before climbing the Otway Ranges late in the day to visit Erskine Falls. This is a worthwhile detour and cyclists doing this would be advised to save some legs in Lorne for the climb. There seem to be a lot of cyclists on this route, I met another at the campground. I was wondering why I was the only one travelling from East to West.

:confused:

Day 4: Some things you never get sick of.

If the 30km or so prior to Lorne was spectacular yesterday, the 30km after Lorne today equalled it. The road winded, climbed and descended quite dramatically at times, providing more spectacular coastal vistas. I stopped by one of these to apply some sunscreen, and a German tourist (not a cyclist himself) suggested that I should ride for Telekom in the TdF next year. A little ambitious perhaps. There were also a couple of waterfalls along the way that are certainly worth a visit.

Lunch in the coastal village of Apollo Bay followed, before setting off again for Cape Otway. There is a short sharp climb leaving Apollo Bay toward the west, however the view is definitely worth the effort. I had paused at the top to take a photograph, when an English couple riding a tandem the otherway approached. We exchanged information on "the road ahead" before they offered to take a photo of me in front of the view. I'll be posting that picture when I get around to scanning them all.

From here the GOR heads inland to the rainforest of Otway National Park, although the temperate rainforest down here is a little different to the Subtropical rainforest that I'm used to. Of course, about 12km short of the proposed campground for today, I find that it is actually closed (here we go again!). Luckily I found another place called Bimbi Park, which is, in itself, a very pleasant campground.

There's nothing like a totally deserted beach for quiet contemplation, so after finding one on one of the many bushwalks in the area, that is exactly what I did. Later that night, much to my surprise, I discovered that wild Koalas can make a hell of a lot of noise when they put their mind to it. :eek:

Day 5: Like a Limestone Cowboy!

Today would see the climb of Laver's Hill. Not really worth mentioning, except that it is the only climb of note on the GOR (assuming one does not take the detour to Erskine Falls mentioned above). It's not overly difficult and is a pleasant enough ride through the rainforest. There are some nice views to be had from any one of the cafes at the summit.

I had been hoping to again meet up with the cyclists I shared the initial train ride with along the way, but I passed their campground at Laver's Hill before they were even out of bed (I recognised their bikes). From here the GOR travels through some pleasant rolling green countryside (a nice change for someone coming from a severe drought) before rejoining the coast at Princetown.

Here we discover that limestone is no match for the power of the Southern Ocean, and in fact, it offers pretty pitiful resistance. People on the GOR between Princetown and Port Campbell see a coastline in rapid retreat. This area is known as the Shipwreck Coast, and it's easy to see why.

The power of the Ocean, combined with freezing gales (there is nothing between here and Antarctica to stop the wind) and occasional downpours has led to erosion creating some amazing rock formations. Some of you may have seen postcards of the Twelve Apostles (and I'm assured there are actually twelve, although I only counted eight), but there are many other formations and limestone stacks in the area.

One of the campers at Port Campbell had saved a native bird from almost certain death in the middle of the road and was going to keep it for a pet. I didn't like his chances once the bird's wings had healed somehow.

Day 6: When was the last time that happened!

The southerly coming from Antarctica was having an effect. I started the day wearing three layers of clothing. Note that this was the first time I had done this for over eight years! I set off from Port Campbell, seeing more of the spectacular coastline from yesterday. If I hadn't been convinced before, I certainly was now. The Great Ocean Road is something that every cyclist should do at least once. I may one day return for an encore.

After Peterborough (were I broke a pair of sunglasses) and the Bay of Islands, the GOR heads inland for the final time. However, the detour to Childers Cove is definitely worth a visit. Shortly after visiting the deserted beach surrounded by limestone stacks, I rejoined the GOR and rode it to it's conclustion at Allansford, home to Cheeseworld.

Cheeseworld ultimately proved to be a disappointment, I had read wonderful things about the cheese-tastings on offer, but they were lame (as was the cheese platter that I ate). I really expected more variety than they offered.

The day finished in the town of Warrnambool, where I was able to replace the pair of sunglasses that I had broken earlier. I may have also been able to replace the broken tent pole, but to be honest I didn't bother. Well, if the tent had survived without it for this long...

Day 7: Farewell to the coast.

This was the day I would leave the coast behind and head inland. The first destination was the town of Mortlake for Lunch. Shortly after leaving Warrnambool I visited Hopkins Falls, which the locals refer to as "Little Niagra". Apparently not very original people in Warrnambool.

After this I was able to find some quiet backroads that weren't even on my map. Even more luckily, I could follow these all the way into Mortlake through the quiet hamlets of "Framlingham" and "The sisters" (is that a description of the region's entire population?)

That afternoon I proceeded to Lake Bolac, which was the stopping point for the night. The scenery along the way was a little uninspiring, as was the lake itself. The campground next to the lake didn't even have drinking water and wanted to slug me $10 to camp there. I camped in the Lake Bolac Caravan Park for the same price.

Day 8: Base Camp

From Lake Bolac the mountains of the Grampians could be seen. However, my immediate concern was the northerly wind that was picking up, and increasing the temperature in it's wake. Overall, the early part of this ride was similar to the end of the previous day. Imagine my surprise when, on reaching the otherwise uninspiring town of Moyston, I saw a sign proclaiming this as the "Birthplace of Australian Football".

I don't know how many of you have actually seen Australian Rules Football, but apparently the humble town of Moyston is where a Station Owner in the 18th Century used to spend quite a bit of time kicking a football around with some local aboriginal kids. Evidently they invented some rules (based largely on the Irish game of Gaelic Football), and half the country caught on.

After Moyston the scenery started to get a little more interesting, with the Grampians looming closer. Before I knew it I had reached the town of Halls Gap, located in a narrow valley and almost totally surrounded by mountains (my kind of place). Tomorrow was going to be very interesting.

Day 9: Grampians.

This wasn't the biggest climb I have ever done, but it was among the most interesting. I set off from Halls Gap that morning travelling light, having decided to explore the Grampians and return to Halls Gap to camp that night. Of course, about 2km into the climb I realised that I had left my spare film behind, and that I would have to go and get it if I wanted to take more than two photos that day.

This, of course, meant that I had to start the climb again, but to be honest the climb really isn't a difficult one, and the rock formations that made up the scenery made for a great ride. Of course, the Balconies (re-named from the "Jaws of Death") are a famous land-mark, but there are all sorts of hidden rock formations here (mushroom rock was quite remarkable). Some of the waterfalls weren't flowing, but the major ones were.

One thing to be careful of if you intend cycling any of the dirt roads around here. The authorities in the Grampians region seem to enjoy covering them in a lot of sand. I managed to get two flat tyres in 30 minutes at one stage, and when I kicked the ground in frustration, the depth of the sand was about 1'.

Even allowing for this, the Grampians had provided a memorable day, and somewhere else I'd like to return to eventually (how many times have I said that?). I wondered about the restaurant owners in Halls Gap however. They were expecting a cyclist stampede when the Great Victorian Bike Ride passed through. I suspect one or two of them might have been a little worried to see a lone cyclist.

Day 10: Rain at Last!

It started raining soon after I woke up on this morning, and continued for the entire day. I walked out of my tent to discover another flat tyre. Must get some new tubes in Hamilton (the day's destination).

Once again I was in three layers as Victorian rain is quite a bit cooler than what I'm used to in Queensland. However it wasn't really all that unpleasant, and I just love the smell of the bush when it's wet.

I followed the valley out of Halls Gap, providing more vistas and mountain scenery. At one stage a sign indicated that I had climbed some 400 metres vertically, but I really didn't feel it at all. I think it might have been in the wrong place! Lunch at Dunkeld, before another "off map" backroad led me into Hamilton, a pleasant (if a little dull) town.

I saw another cycle-tourist who was leaving Hamilton as I was arriving. I thought about following her for a while, but riding umpteen km beyond your destination is hardly subtle, right?

Day 11: The first of the craters

Some of the forces that created the rock formations of the Grampians were at force here also, creating a number of volcanic craters in the landscape. I awoke to find the remains of an apparently big storm the previous night (I slept right through it, and it didn't worry my tent, in spite of the fact that I still hadn't replaced that pole).

That morning I rode off into sleet and a stiff headwind. That would certainly make for an interesting day. The destination was Portland, back on the coast, and I could either ride the direct route and take about 80km, or do the scenic route and take about 120km. No prizes for guessing which option I took.

At Mt Eccles National Park I took a break from breaking the headwind and walked around Lake Surprise, a volcanic crater filled with water. It was certainly a very pleasant walk, and a pleasant surprise to find no leeches for a change. :D

After that it was back into the wind, riding through a lot of rolling countryside before reaching the coast, and Portland. There isn't really a lot to say about Portland, except that the breeze of the Southern Ocean was cool as usual. Somehow the industrial landscape here doesn't fit in with the coastal scenery I had become used to.

Day 12: Null-of-Kintyre (sp?)

I still had two full days to reach Mt. Gambier, and not really all that far to go. As a result I took yet another detour to explore Cape Bridgewater that morning. This is technically part of the Shipwreck Coast, and although there are no limestone stacks here, there is still ample evidence of what the Southern Ocean can do. Apparently in the 18th century sometime the ocean opened up a blowhole in the cape. When the waves rolled into that blowhole, the sound was amplified and could sometimes be heard as much as 20km away!

Actually, the rolling hills next to the cape, not to mention the lakes in the area reminded me of pictures I've seen of Scotland (or was that just the overcast conditions?). Overall it was a very pleasant 50 or so km that morning around a part of this region that not many people get to see.

After that I rejoined the Portland-Nelson road and immediately wished I hadn't. This is supposed to be a quiet alternative route to the Princes Highway, but someone forgot to tell about 3,758 truck drivers. Some of them with manners so bad I suspected they were tourists from Queensland in disguise.

Soon enough I reached Nelson, a relatively quiet fishing village on the shores of Discovery Bay. A note to anyone planning to camp here - be prepared to be awoken at 3am by fisherman heading off to get an early start.

Day 13: Of rivers and lakes

There was really not all that far left to go to Mt Gambier now. Within 3km of leaving Nelson I crossed the Border into South Australia for the first time. Soon after this I crossed the border back into Victoria as the back-road I followed meandered along with the Glenelg River. This was yet another back-road that didn't appear on any maps, and for some reason, most of these backroads (apart from the sandy ones) were in really good condition throughout the entire tour.

After some bushwalking near the Glenelg river I definitively crossed into South Australia. Some of the country leading up to Mt Gambier was uninspiring to say the least, I was greeted by a remarkable sight in the form of Mt Gambier's blue lake.

For those who haven't ventured there, Mt Gambier is a town surrounded by volcanic craters. One of which manages to produce water that is actually bright blue as distinct from the aqua/almost green that seems to appear in other watercourses. At least it was bright blue when I was there. I'm told it actually changes colour and that over the Winter months it's grey, before turning blue in late spring/early summer, and eventually even black!

It's also Mt Gambier's water supply :eek: .

At the campsite that night, I realise that I'm not quite ready for this adventure to end yet.

Endings

OK, this wasn't my choice, but with only a couple of days before being back at work and no planes out of Mt Gambier bound for Queensland, I had no option but to get a bus from there to Adelaide. Sitting on a bus when you've been riding for days really is a feeling of emptiness. Particularly when we went past the Coorong (I wonder if a tour there next year is a possibility?). Still, eventually I arrived in Adelaide, where I had free accommodation from some hosts that I had found out about on the www . The night after the bus ride was spend exchanging stories of touring and various tips that we had picked up in the past.

The next day I set out to explore Adelaide. Basically it involved a ride through the Adelaide hills, up to Mt Lofty (where I evaded the car-park charges by virtue of not actually having a car), before swinging around and re-approaching the city from the south. It was quite an interesting day, made even more so by the fact that I got lost and ended up riding around 160km. One thing that surprised me about South Australia was the fact that many of the houses there use stone in their construction extensively. This is a practice I haven't seen anywhere else.

Beyond that, there's little to tell. The flight back to Brisbane went OK, except that I picked up a slight buckle in the back wheel somewhere on the flight (must remember to pack the bike more carefully and use clothes/sleeping bag for protection on both sides next time). The train back to the Gold Coast was even less eventful.

Overall, the trip was an excellent one. It lived up to all my expectations and even offered a few surprises. The only thing left to do now is plan the next adventure. Tasmania looks interesting...

I now have photos, and when I get a long period in front of a scanner, I'll post a few.

Sounds like a great tour Chris. :beer:

13 days on the bike. Makes me a bit envious.

I look forward to the pictures.