Wodonga to Bairnsdale Cycle Trip

Day 1 Monday 24th Oct Geelong to Wodonga

Train from Geelong to Wodonga costing $30 took most of the day. Stayed at the Blazing Stump Comfort Inn which is located on the east side of town. This provided for an easy get away the following morning.

Day 2 Wodonga to Mitta Mitta

Started well with a nice sealed track running along the side of the highway. However turning on to the rail trail we encountered axle deep mud. I was a little miffed about this. Fortunately it lasted only 4 to 5 klm. The trail took us 20 klm out to and along the Hume Reservoir. Leaving the rail trail we took to road up and over the 'Gap' which took us on to the Mitta Mitta River Valley. Our final destination was the pub at Mitta Mitta where we sat out the back drinking beer and watching the local store owner catch trout. Trip total was 82 klm. 

   

Day 3 Mitta Mitta to Anglers Rest

80 klm total trip distance. 52 were up hill and 20k were on and unsealed road The road gradient was constant and unrelenting - a tough but rewarding day. The road takes you almost to the top of Mt Wills, the highest peak in Victoria. At Anglers Rest we stayed at the Blue Duck pub. Renowned for its steaks I wasn't disappointed.

At one stage we caught a glimpse of the back side of Falls Creek

Day 4 Anglers Rest to Swifts Creek

The big hill climbs are behind us and this 60 klm run was mostly downhill. A small glitch, we stopped at the info center at Omeo and the nice lady said that there was an nice cycle into Swifts Creek on a sub road, and it was 'all downhill". Well we should know by now that advice from non cyclists should always be treated with suspicion and this was no exception. The first 5 k was up hill big time, the following 5 k was undulating big up and big down. Finally the road dropped down beside a creek and the last 20klm meander was delightfully a mild down hill run.

Day 5 Swifts Creek to Bruthen

Nice ride along a sub road with a tail wind...

Bruthen pub was crap. Hasn't been cleaned in years.

Day 6 Bruthen to Bairnsdale to Geelong

Only 25 klm into Bairnsdale in the morning before a train ride back home. We had planned to take the rail trail, but with a big downpour during the night figured the road to be the best option.

Now I am Back Home....

.... I have taken the opportunity to catch up on some outstanding woodwork projects. One is a birthday present for Sue, the other a little elephant for Alannah and finally I installed a PROPER dust collector,, aarrrr. It is 2 HP and sucks anything that isn't bolted down in the garage into its huge 4" intake. Nearly lost Gaye when she walked in unannounced.

From the Kiln

Gaye has been working on some more pottery projects recently. Here they are..... The large one is a candle holder and she is very pleased it survived the kiln as it was very intricate and fragile.

Stop Over in Sydney

No stop over in Sydney is complete without some photos of Maddie. Here she is broom racing (a sport developed by Sue and in continuous refinement by Maddie) with me, plus road testing her new car seat, plus being the shopping lady, plus a day with Auntie Sue and Uncle Dim watching the Cats thrash Collingwood..

Spirited 1 Return to Sydney

I have just returned home after being away for a bit over 3 weeks. Two of the three weeks was spent helping deliver Spirited 1 from Hamilton Island to Sydney. The last week in Sydney with John and Vic and a quickly maturing Maddie and a catch up Dim and Sue for the Geelong v Collingwood footie final.

On board Spirited 1 for the leg between HI and Brisbane was Darryl (owner), Mark, Jac and Kerrie (Darryl's sister). Kerrie left us in Brisbane and Andrew joined the crew for the leg to Port Stevens, leaving Darryl, Mark, Jac and me to do the short hop down to Sydney to complete the trip.

Highlights of the trip included stopovers at; Great Keppel Island, Middle Percy Island, Lady Musgrave Island, all within the Great Barrier Reef. Other stops included Redcliff, to allow Darryl to catch up with family and a small work commitment then weather forced stops at Yamba and Port Stevens (where Darryl's wife Deb joined us for a couple of days)

We had many whale and dolphin sightings. Andrew put together a short video with the dolphins here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuRdpwSGpp0&noredirect=1

Middle Percy Island was our first stop on our way down from Hamilton Island. It is a continental island inside the Great Barrier Reef with a very interesting history of occupation and farming. See http://thecoastalpassage.com/hicklings_storytcp6.html Of particular interest to yachtsmen is an A frame built by Andy Martin and where passing yachtsmen have left mementos of their stay. Such mementos are charming and range from old sea boots to elegantly carved pieces of timber with boat names and dates. We left a t-shirt with boat name and crew names.

We walked to the homestead where Cate, Ernst and Stev hosted us to coffee, tea and home made lemonade. What a treat hearing about the island's history.

Sunset form our anchorage at Middle Percy Island.

Our next stop was Great Keppel island, just off the coast from Yapoon. The pic is of our day anchorage off the islands' only restaurant. Great Keppel used to boast an extensive island resort. This has been closed and wire fence enclosed for 3 years now and is in disrepair and overgrown. About 20 people live permanently on the island and backpacker lodgings are still available.

Leaving Middle Percy Island and on our way to Great Keppel Island we were treated to a fabulous sunset.

Lady Musgrave Island off the starboard bow. It is really a coral atoll. It is located at the southern most end of the great Barrier Reef. 3 miles in diameter, the sand bottomed lagoon is surrounded by a coral barrier. It can cut up pretty rough at high tide when the sea is up. We were fortunate to have no sea and no wind making our stay a delight. The island has heaps of wild life, birds, turtles, rays and colourful reef fish. Its on my bucket lit to be there when the turtles are hatching.

Resting up at Lady Musgrave

A nice yellow fin tuna which fed 8 at Tangalooma, when Darryl's mom, daughter and son in law joined us for lunch.

Camera ran out of battery at this stage, so no more pics. But memories include, lots of whale sightings, a stop over at Yamba and Port Stevens. Lots of dolphins too.