Day Nine - Benalla to Alexandra

Distance: 116.68 km
Riding time: 5:06:24
Average speed: 22.8 km/h
Maximum speed: 60.5 km/h
Bum soreness: 5/10

I went through Bonnie Doon today! Stoked about that. How's the serenity? 'Twas good indeed. I made great time from Benalla to Bonnie Doon. Partly due to the relatively flat roads and partly thanks to my recently-rested legs.

My bonnie bike and I in Bonnie Doon.

It was great to ride through Bonnie Doon but there's not much there. I stopped for a break, a snack and a bit of emailing at the community centre.

The fire danger ratings are a good corollary of riding conditions:

the lower the better.

It's hot and sunny again today - around 31. I can't believe I'll be back in Melbourne tomorrow. It feels like ages since I left Sydney and will be a little sad that this adventure will be ending.

Free sauce! OMG, OMG!!!

There were quite a lot of cars with caravans or boats on the roads today. I guess they were headed to or away from the largely depleted Lake Eildon. I'm pleased to say that 99% of the cars on my trip been courteous and given me pretty much a whole lane of space when they passed, even when I was riding on the shoulder (where they exist!). Most road train trucks have been good too. There have been only a handful of near-death exceptions but mostly the traffic has been good. A big thank-you to the drivers of Australia.

How's the serenity?

I stopped in Yarck and could not believe my luck with the awesome little road-side general store. They have an excellent pie/pasty selection. I got a vegetable korma curry pie. Probably the best pie/pasty I've had on my trip. Plus the air-conditioning didn't hurt either :)

I've arrived in Alexandra and have been pleasantly surprised. It's a lovely little town with some good places to eat and a library with kick-arse-quick free Internet.

See y'all in Melbourne tomorrow.

Sponsor my ride, donate to a good cause

As a lot of you all know, I've been riding my bicycle from Sydney to Melbourne. That's around 1000 kms. For my non-Aussie friends, that's about the same distance as London to Berlin.

My ride is coming to an end tomorrow (Friday) when I arrive in Melbourne. It's been a tough slog - especially Thredbo! - but I've had a ball, met some great people and seen a fantastic slice of this great country. Just scroll down if you want to read previous days.

I've also been using this trip as a way of supporting a very good cause: Cancer medical research and the ACRF (Australian Cancer Research Foundation). They've been partly responsible for developments in the treatment of leukaemia and helped fund the Australian-invented cervical cancer vaccine. I've donated $100. I know it's coming up to Christmas but if you can spare anything, it would be going to a very good cause:

http://www.acrf.com.au/

Day Eight - Wangaratta to Benalla

Distance: 46.63 km
Riding time: 2:16:16
Average speed: 20.5 km/h
Maximum speed: 40.8 km/h
Bum soreness: 6/10

Today I had a luxurious sleep-in: 8:30am! Lovely! Even better, Hayley and I had a great eggs Florentine breakfast in the quaint centre of Wangaratta. Not as pretty as Beechworth but bigger and still with a cosmopolitan feel with lots of old colonial buildings.

One of the pretty, old buildings in Wangaratta.

People enjoying a coffee in Wangaratta.

However, despite the late start my legs are still feeling sore and heavy. Thankfully today was only 47 kms along the boring but flat Hume highway. I left Wangaratta with my next stop being the nearby Benalla. I stopped in at Glenrowan - the town where Ned Kelly's last stand was held (Ned Kelly is a bit of a national hero, a Robin-Hood-type bushranger killed in 1880). There's not much there but it's pretty enough. I got a few snaps with the big Ned Kelly and had a nice long chat to one of the many "grey nomads" I've met on my trip. He was 65 and travelling around Australia in his camper van for the second time. I think I'll be doing that in 40 years... and not on my bike!

Melbourne is finally on the big, green signs! I'm getting close!

Ned Street, how appropriate.

Ned and I.

Close up of Ned.

My trusty Google Maps. I'd be lost without it.

I've now checked in to a motel and am loving the luxury of air conditioning, watching TV a generally lounging about. Tomorrow I'm back to the usual 100+ kms. I'll hopefully be making it to Alexandra and then - most excitingly - I'll be arriving home the next day! Some beers are in order for Friday night me thinks!

The Hume, lots of traffic but a big shoulder.

I've obviously been watching too much of The Wire...

I couldn't help but notice the name Mc Nulty.

Benalla is nice enough but seems to lack some of the charm of places like Beechworth. It does have a lovely lake though.

Lake Benalla.

Day Seven - Corryong to Beechworth

Distance: 149.67 km
Riding time: 7:48:24
Average speed: 19.1 km/h
Maximum speed: 60.1 km/h
Bum soreness: 7/10



Yesterday was hilly but today was the longest of my trip. I started riding at 6:30 am and didn't get into Beechworth until about 12 hours later, around 7pm. I was buggered! I stopped for lunch in Tallangatta and had a wee nap in the park. I made it to Yackandandah by the afternoon and it was a lovely place to stop. It's a small town with only one main street but it's very pretty and still has some of the Gold Rush opulence of yesteryear. Well worth a visit if you're in the area. 

Early-morning shadows.

My legs and even hips are starting to feel the strain of a week's riding without a break. In lieu of a proper rest day, tomorrow I'll take it easy and just cycle the 40 kms or so to Benalla (1/4 of yesterday's ride). 

Some fantastic terrain.

I got to Beechworth and had a bit of time to check out the old gold rush town before meeting my friend Hayley. It's such a pretty town. Grand colonial buildings and stone-paved streets remind you of its former glory days as rich gold mining town. I loved Beechworth and I know I'll be back here soon enough.

Me, in Beechworth, outside the fantastic Tanswell's Commercial Hotel.

Hayley, our matron and myself.

I met up with Hayley and we went and did the ghost tour at the old Beechworth Asylum. It's a huge heritage-listed complex on top of a hill overlooking the town. It was a great experience as the place still feels really creepy. Many of the rooms are still original and have a cold, institutional feel to them, complete with autopsy tables, electro-convulsive therapy tables, etc.

The autopsy table.

Day Six - Thredbo to Corryong

I knew this day was going to be tough so I got up early, opened the blinds and checked for snow. No snow, just raining phew!

My trusty stead - sans panniers - waiting patiently.

I left Thredbo and started the climb towards Dead Horse Gap. It was bloody cold!

My girliest jump outside Thredbo.

Some of the beautiful water-ways that I rode past.

Dead Horse Gap is the highest sealed road in Australia. The roads were great, winding, awesome views and totally devoid of traffic. The whole day I reckon I was passed by only a handful of cars. Makes for some very nice cycling, if only it weren't for those pesky hills.

1582 metres high.

One of the few times I had emergency call reception.

The greatest sign in the world!

Kangaroos!

Resting up at Geehi campsite.

I made several stops: at Leatherbarrel Creek and Geehi. I was trying to ration my food and water as there are no services until Khancoban, about 85 kms from Thredbo. As it turns out I had plenty of water. I think it was so cold that I wasn't really sweating much and so didn't need to consume as much water.

I saw a bunch of wildlife, including one kangaroo that nearly hopped out in front of me at 50 km/h!

Wildflowers.

I finally made it to Victoria!

The mountains were hard but I was able to distract myself with some killer views. There were also some very fast down hills. I'd love to do that route on a road bike without all the weight of the panniers. You could absolutely scream down some of those roads.

I was so stoked to see the mighty Murray river in the distance (the border between NSW and Victoria). I know I've still got quite a way to go but it feels like I'm in the home stretch now. Lots of fist pumping approaching the border :)

Christine and her lovely family and friends.

I made it into Corryong - supposedly the town where the man from Snowy River comes from - and had an awesome dinner with Christine, her family and friends... oh and their gorgeous dog Joe!

What a cutie.

Day Five - Cooma to Thredbo

Distance: 104.21 km
Riding time: 5:48:55
Average speed: 17.9 km/h
Maximum speed: 60.1 km/h
Bum soreness: 8/10



Brrr - it's chilly in Thredbo! 2 degrees and -2 if you count the wind chill factor. Thank heavens for the boffins behind GoreTex technology - it kept me nice and dry. It rained and even hailed leaving Cooma and coming into Thredbo. Otherwise the weather was gorgeous. The cold is actually great for riding up these mammoth hills - I'm not sweating like crazy all the time.

I wish I was in this car, climbing up the mountains. 

It was a stunning ride into Thredbo. The climb started as soon as I left Cooma. I stopped in Berridale (TwoMoo Cafe is great) for a snack and then in Jindabyne for lunch. I also bought myself a rear-vision mirror from the local bike shop. The guy was helpful but took about 1.5 hours to help as he was very busy with a bus-load of tourists ahead of me.

My mirror is so wide-angled, it's not much good for anything 

besides putting my lipstick on in the morning ;)

Whilst I waited at the bike shop I watched these two cute-as dogs. 
Not much funnier in this world than the trepidation 
dogs display upon meeting other dogs. Hilarious!

After a longer-than-expected stop in Jindabyne I hit the road and that's when things got as hilly as they were pretty. Everytime I thought the worst was over I'd turn another corner and see another gargantuan hill that would be met with swear words and sullen shakes-of-the-head.

A winding road, flanked by snow gums.

Thankfully I had some of the most pretty scenery to make up for the quadriceps torture. Grand, sweeping vistas of deep valleys and snow-capped peaks. Truly stunning. I highly recommend riding through Thredbo.

I was pretty freakin' exhausted by the time I got here and I'd run all out of food and was down to my emergency 1 litre of water. I was ecstatic with the thought of a hot shower and a warm bed. I just had dinner and watched an episode of The Wire. I'm amazed at my appetite. I felt like the biggest pig at the pizza resturant. I'm sure the lady thought I was waiting for a friend to arrive as I ordered a large pizza (they didn't have a family size), main-sized ravioli, main-sized Greek salad and a garlic bread. I reckon I could still ho into some noodles.

Some of my huge meal tonight.

Time for bed as I've a big day ahead of me. I'm a little worried about it actually. There is no place to get food or water so I'll have to rely on my provisions and the forecast is for snow! I'd love to see some snow but it would really mess with my cycling. Tomorrow is probably going to be the hardest day of the whole trip.

This is my route tomorrow:


View Larger Map

Day Four - Canberra to Cooma

Distance: 104.26 km
Riding time: 4:26:26
Average speed: 23.4 km/h
Maximum speed: 57.2 km/h
Bum soreness: 6/10

Jill and her beautiful kids.

Today started off great. Firstly, I slept like a log in Sam's spare room. I felt so much better after a good nights sleep. Secondly, I had a good breakfast and a quick check of the email – loving Sam's good Canberra Internet. I was on the road by 9 am and on my way down the Monaro Highway towards Cooma.

Despite the name I didn't see a single Monaro. As far as Australian muscle cars go I did however, see a Phase 3 GTHO and a 351 GT. Cars aside there was also plenty of road kill (including a 'roo) in various states of decomposition. Some I could actually smell before I saw them!

Pretty uneventful riding except for the speed. I was flying thanks to my new tire. The wobble on my bike had gone and I was finally comfortable doing 50 kph + speeds. Because of this I was making awesome time until the winds kicked in. If I had a sail I could have hoisted it and sailed all the way to Cooma no problems. At times I got a great tail wind helping me up the hills. Other times it was an awful cross wind so strong it blew me off the road a couple of times.

I stopped for lunch in a classic, tiny middle-of-nowhere Aussie pub in Bredbo. I considered having lunch there and asked what they had: a few pies – all with meat and a steak sandwich. I decided to hold out for Cooma. I did stop for a drink and some chips (crisps) and they were very friendly. They even filled up my water bottle with ice – perfect for a hot day!

Hot and dry in the middle of nowhere,

I did ride past some fellow cycling tourers. They were English and were riding all the way to Perth. We had a great little chat. They told me of some of the bad treatment they'd received from cars: swearing, beeping, intimidating driving, middle fingers, etc. They were quite shocked by it and I felt bad for them, even embarrassed. In Australia cyclists seem to be second class citizens. It's sad to see. I think we're missing out on a great opportunity not only for healthier communities but also economic benefits. Tourists love to come and see Australia. Many are from cycling-friendly European countries. It'd be better for everyone if cycling touring was a more attractive option for tourists than it is now.

A little kid that can't spell lost their cat, awww.

I made it to Cooma where they had a McDonalds. I never thought I'd say this but I was very happy to see the golden arches as I rode into town. I'm not “lovin' it” but I am lovin' the free WiFi they have!

I stayed with Jill and her wonderful family. It was lovely being in a family home, makes me look forward to living at home.

A little hilly just outside Canberra.

Leaving the A.C.T. and entering New South Wales again.

Day Three - Bundanoon to Canberra

Today was a disaster that turned into a blessing. I got a puncture because I'd wore right through my rear tire. I needed a new one. I went to a bike shop in town who admonished me for not carrying a spare. As it turns out I have quite an unusual wheel size and it was looking like I would not be able to get a new tire. I tried another bike shop: the Green Grocer bike shop. They managed to find something that they could make fit and really sorted me out. The lovely old guy there even changed it for me and gave me some handy tips from his touring days. I can't recommend these guys highly enough.

Fed up with carrying more stuff than I needed, I decided to send a bunch of crap ahead of me to Melbourne. All this took many hours and I didn't have enough time to ride to Canberra. I caught the bus instead. So today I hardly did any riding at all. I think I needed a bit of a rest after that freakin' ball-breaking Jamberoo Mountain Road.

I checked out Parliament House and loved it. I actually got to see the Senate debating the ETS bill. It was a very lively affair. It reminded me of childhood playground arguments – only these guys were 50 years older and wearing suits. It was slanderous and entertaining. The free tour of Parliament House was very informative too – did you know that to choose the green colour of the House of Representatives they picked some gum leaves from the Bathurst area?

Tonight I checked out some of Canberra's restaurants and bars with Sam and Dan. I was surprised at how much I liked Canberra. It was a Friday afternoon and the streets were packed with people enjoying a bevvy in the sun. We drove up to the lookout over Canberra too: very pretty.

The big sheep in Goulburn.

One of the great bridges leading to Parliament House.

Canberra, the grass really is greener.

Fun and games overlooking Canberra.

Myself, Sam and Dan messing around with our mobiles and time exposure.

Day Two - Wollongong to Bundanoon

Distance: 117.43 km
Riding time: 6:25:09
Average speed: 18.2 km/h
Maximum speed: 46.9 km/h
Bum soreness: 6/10

Today nearly wrecked me. It started off well enough: some nice bike paths south of Wollongong past the industrial heart of Port Kembla. Then I cut inland through the strikingly-lush and green hinterland. I stopped for a photo at the big KM sign and that's where the hurt began.

Climbing Mount Jamberoo Road was an absolute killer. There were parts so steep that I couldn't not ride up them. Firstly I just don't think I was physically capable but also the incline was so great that my back panniers were tipping the bike over!

Every metre was hard-won. It was a tough slog getting up that son-of-a-mountain. Finally I did and had some nice curvy roads. Unfortunately there was almost no shoulder to speak of and was very nearly killed by a huge track gunning it along the road.

I stopped at the Robertson pie shop that I'd heard so much about and had two as a snack. Riding all day gives you the appetite of several horses. The pies were good and just what I needed for the rest of the day's journey.

I finally made it to Bundanoon, absolutely exhausted. I stayed in the pretty, Tudor-style pub and was pleased to see they had an all-you-can-eat special for dinner. I think I nearly ate them out of business. I had a pint of Guinness and watched a couple of episodes of The Wire before a well-deserved sleep.

A good hearty breakie for the hard slog ahead.

Many kms to go.

I was absolutely stuffed riding up that road!

Wildlife!