Day 5 - Omeo to Khancoban

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Omeo to Mitta Mitta
After talking to a few locals, the general opinion was that the Omeo Highway to Mitta Mitta was the best option for a motorcycle heading in the general direction of Canberra. The first section to Anglers Rest was a repeat of my trip for lunch a couple of days ago and allowed me to replace a couple of photos that were lost on the fried memory card. When I reached the Blue Duck Inn it was not yet opening time, so I pressed on.
The road to Mitta Mitta contains about 25km of dirt/gravel which was quite difficult in some spots due to the large rocks used to form the road surface. Other sections were more gravelly with banks of soft gravel built up on the outside of the wheel tracks, especially on corners. This is not my favourite way to travel, but the views on some sections of this road are quite spectacular and worth the effort.

Mitta Mitta to Khancoban
I bought lunch in Mitta Mitta and sat under a tree in the park eating and listening to the tour guide of a white-water rafting group explaining the safety techniques to his group. After Mitta Mitta, the road became a typical country road with dry paddocks on either side and occasional glimpses of the Mitta Mitta River in the valley.
Turning onto the Murray River Highway took me past the top end of the Lake Hume. There was very little water to be seen, just a few billabongs remain apart from the Murray River flowing in its original course. Only the many dead trees indicate that the land was previously inundated.
The temperature must have been over 45C by now and riding was becoming quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, I had the foresight to bring along a good supply of water from which I used to wet the fabric of the riding jacket to provide about 15 minutes of relief each time.
After a quick stop for a cold drink at the Tintalba hotel, I continued on to Khancoban using a 'back route' supplied by one of the locals. This was a very quiet road with nothing much to see except rolling dry hills in all directions. Added interest was added by the fact that my fuel warning light has come on and I was busy trying to calculate how much fuel I might have left to get me to Khancoban.
In Khancoban I booked in to the Lakeview Caravan Park where I was allowed to choose my own site way down the back looking out over the lake. Despite the apparent 'lakeside' location, I soon discovered that the lake was in fact virtually inaccessible due to the swampiness at the edge. A 500m walk was needed to take me to Khancoban Creek where I was able to cool off.

Distance Travelled Today - 338km

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Photos

River view from Omeo Highway
One of the many rivers visible from the Omeo Highway on the trip to Mitta Mitta