 |
Gateway to the Great Ocean Road - built by labourers
after the 2nd World War |
After 4 weeks of dressing & redressing my wounds, they
finally healed up well enough to go for swim. Then once I’d had my wheels
rebuilt with some new Mavic rims (sorry trusty DT Swiss rims) and had new 28mm
tyres arrive from the UK I was good to go again. A shortish trial ride down
Beach Road in Melbourne revealed all the fitness was yet to disappear but I was
certainly a lot weaker than that fateful day in Queensland. The only remedy was
to head away for the weekend and I’d been itching to tour the Great Ocean Road
to the West of Melbourne – Australia’s equivalent of Pacific Highway 1.
 |
| The rugged Southern Ocean |
So a three day weekend finally arrived and after a little organizing I worked out that I could leave the tent at home and hit the road a little lighter than usual. In wanting to enjoy the road rather than test myself too much I chose to take the train out to South Geelong and start from there so most of my riding should be by the coast. I almost missed the train but scrambled on at the last minute, feeling a lot better than then last time I took a train with the bike. I picked up a riding partner just out of Geelong – Gary, a guy from Meribula, NSW riding on his holiday in Torquay. We shared the brisk headwind all the way into Torquay where I pulled off to get some information – there I was greeted by a lovely lady who thought I was mad to ride on the holiday weekend, with a motorcycle rally going on as well. I resisted telling her what I’d cycled through so far and over the course of the next 3 days saw maybe 20 bikers – a few thousand less than in the Black Hills of South Dakota. An hour and a half out of Melbourne, from Torquay West this is surfing Country and from a bluff above Anglesea I watched a surf lifesaving progressing in the choppy ocean far below. Back riding I feel like eating healthily again so stop for a lunch of a sausage roll & burger with “the lot”. Passing through Lorne I pick up a bottle of Wine (rolling hills) for my Warmshowers hosts and hit the most stunning section of the Great Ocean Road. Here the road snakes, hugging the steep hillsides and almost overhanging the ocean, especially at numerous lookout points. I race to catch a couple of heavily laden touring bikes, but it turns out they’re going so slow I cruise past them with nothing more than a hello.
 |
| The winding road hugs the cliffs just past Lorne |
Arriving at Kennett River I follow directions to my hosts, straight up the steep hillside at 15% + incline until, almost out of energy, I reach their simple holiday house. When they arrive 5 minutes later I’m still catching my breath. Derek & Lisa, with their little son Samuel immediately make me feel at home, but I still can’t resist nipping off back down the hill to the beach for a bit of body surfing in the cold ocean. After a bit of successful Koala hunting and feeding sausage in the palm of my hand to the local Kookaburras, we feast on homemade Fish Pie, cabbage and of course the wine I brought! Samuel busies himself clearing the Eucalyptus leaves from the balcony one by one, and endless job he seems to relish.
 |
| Samuel and the Kookaburras |
 |
| Hand fed Kookaburra devouring a piece of sausage |
 |
| Happy to be back on the road again |
Day 2 starts early, but not as early as many of the other cyclists out riding – it’s both quiet and stunning, other holiday makers have yet to rise and we cyclists have the road to ourselves. The road into Apollo Bay for Breakfast continues much as that from Lorne the day before, snaking up and down from bay to bluff to bay again. Just down the flat straight road is Morego, where the road bucks up inland into the Otways. Steady hills of 8% and more climb through dense forests up to 1,000 ft, the sun is baking whenever the trees clear and the road continues to buck and roll as the occasional caravan or bus overtakes too close for comfort. Freewheeling down into the Aire Valley I’m hitting corners at 30mph going faster than the cars, it feels great to be back on the road. From Glenaire, at the mouth of the valley, the road heads immediately back in land and up to Levers Hill at a little over 1,500 ft. It’s tough going as the temperature drops the higher I go. I finally reach the top and feel the massive chicken parma and chocolate cake is well deserved. Shooting back to the coast I get badly buzzed by two AAT Kings Tourist Buses and swear to write a complaint letter (yet to be written) but will definitely avoid them in future.
 |
| The first of the 12 apostles |
Arriving at the 12 Apostles around 4pm I unfortunately coincide with the masses of tourist buses, most likely out of Melbourne for the day. The scenery is still spectacular and I take the time to walk around and take it all in. At one point I get a hello from an American guy who recognizes the RAGBRAI jersey – he’d ridden in ’96 and had fond memories we were able to share all too briefly. Arriving in Port Campbell for the night I check in and immediately jump in the bay for a swim – the 77 miles and near 6,000 ft of climbing today have been tough and my body needed the cold sea to wake it up.
 |
| Islands of rock just off the road |
 |
| The Razorback |
Day 3 should be a short ride into Warnambool but with the wind at my back and the sun overhead I can’t resist putting in a few extra miles. Above Port Campbell I come face to face with a large Wallaby on a short walking track to a lookout – of course he bounds off before I can grab that picture. Morning is spent hopping from viewpoint to viewpoint, playing tag with the same cars at each.
 |
| Back by London Bridge |
The highlights were the collapsed London Bridge and a little grotto where the ocean had dug a hole in the cliff and being low tide I was able to climb down into it. Taking a detour off the Great Ocean Road down to Childers Cove the water looks inviting but I know better as it’ll be freezing and I’m too lazy to take the walk down the steep cliff to the beach. I arrive at Warnambool early and after getting a little lost in the American-esque suburban sprawl.
 |
| My new Grotto hideout |
 |
| Another secluded cove |
 |
| Basically don't swim here if you want to live |
 |
| Prehistoric looking Timber Hill State Park |
I find the information and the train station but decide to ride on to Timber Hill State Park, an extinct volcano in the middle of a huge, deep crater. Here they’re tried to recreate the natural environment before western intervention – descending from the crater rim, an almost pre-historic scene greets me with 3 Emus strolling across an open plain in front of a deep red coloured crater lake. The single track road weaves down the crater rim and across a causeway to an island of an extinct volcano cone. Climbing to the top you can see the whole park and even the ocean in the distance with its rollers coming in from the Southern Ocean. As I explore the park, pelicans flock above my head, emus roam the picnic ground and a solitary koala rocks gently to sleep high up in a Eucalyptus tree. Reaching the top of the crater once more I turn to face back towards Warnambool and am almost blown back over the edge into the crater by the force of the wind. Over the next 12 miles I pay for the easy ride earlier today as I head straight into the raging headwind, by time I reach the station again, I’m spent and have caught the sun quite badly. No time for a shower although I am able to find some food, so I apologise to whoever had to sit near me on the train back to Melbourne.
 |
| Emus in the Picnik Area |
After 208 miles and a fair few hills, I can confirm that the
legs are ok after the accident but could probably do with a bit more training
before hitting the mountains of Vietnam, Laos & Thailand. Unfortunately of
course work gets in the way and all I’m able to get in is a few rides down
beach road, racing the locals on their expensive racing bikes and a day trip
into the lumpy Dadenong Ranges. There seems to be quite a battle going on between
cyclists and Drivers in and around Melbourne – Australia is not used to bike
riders on the road, but bike riding has taken off in Melbourne. Hopefully
everybody will work it out because there are some great places to ride in and
around the city and it really shouldn't be that hard to safely share the road.
Signing off from Australia not quite ready for riding in Asia and certainly
none the wiser for where and what I’ll be in a few months time after the
Olympics in London…
Instead of doing all this cycling simply for fun I'm also raising money for the North Staffs Adventure Playground where my handicapped sister used to attend. They continue to do great work with handicapped and special needs kids and adults in the local area and woulld really benefit from any donations. Thanks to all those who have already sponsored me and contributed to the North Staffs Adventure Playground - I'm hoping to hit 1000 pounds so please donate using the following link:
No comments:
Post a Comment