From the beach to the mountains

A Port Fairy mudlark

Paul in tent(s) as he sometimes is.

Morning tea at Hawkesdale.

Lunch at Penshurst.

Along the road to Halls Gap.

It was a character building 40km uphill en route to Halls Gap.

Dawn at camp in Halls Gap.

One of the four kookaburras who visit us in camp.

I counted 18.

There’s nothng like a swim in the ocean to revive one’s spirits and repair small lacerations, so when we setoff from Port Fairy, headed due north to Dunkeld, spirits were indeed high and small lacerations were much less troubling.

Beginning from sea level we climbed about 650 metres for a net gain of 250 metres. That’s bike riding! Although steadily uphill all day, the traffic was benign and the conditions excellent – slightly overcast and cloudy. 

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos chattered above the grazing cattle and sheep, along with the few goats tethered on the verges. It is very rich farmland here in the western district, dotted with volcanic hills.

We ate at the Royal Mail in Dunkeld, a fine dining experience with a fine-dining wallet attached. Nevertheless, no one on our ride would have cooked gin-cured trout or grilled octopus, or served me a glass of white wine in an elegant glass, so I loved it.

The campground at Dunkeld was perfect, as have been all of our campgrounds. Good facilities, small luxury touches, friendly folk. Al has been rounding us all up for games of Skip-Bo – a card game based pretty much on pure luck with a modicum of strategy thrown in. Not too much hard thinking after a big day in the saddle.

Riding into Halls Gap began in the mist and ended in clear blue skies. My first task was to throw myself into the swimming pool where I stayed for almost two hours. Bliss! Des and Dale cooked up a storm and we all went to bed, tired well-fed and happy, ready for a rest day in this gorgeous place with cockatoos screeching overhead and myriad small birds darting to and fro.

Statistics for those interested.

Sunday 16 February: Port Fairy to Dunkeld. 91.5kms in 5 hours, 11 minutes. The terrain is now dotted with beautiful red gums.

Monday 17 February: Dunkeld to Halls Gap. A Little slower at 64.5 kms in 3 hours 50 minutes. When we crossed the high point of the Great Dividing Range it was a glorious 15km of downhill.

The kangaroos are everywhere in our camp.