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Published: February 6th 2013
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Excited about the trip, I wake at 3:40 am and for my alarm at 5:45 am, even though the phone is on vibrate. Train to Southern Cross, then train to Warrnambool at 7:19 am. The train was an older style train with storage behind the locomotive; no problems getting the bike on the train. I'd forgotten my papers for the trip, but luckily I can download the Lonely Planet chapter and there is an internet cafe in Warrnambool. At the Visitors Centre I can get all the pamphlets I forgot and even more detailed maps from Parks Victoria.
To avoid the A1 motorway out of Warrnambool I take Hopkins Point Road. It is a cycling training road, and the biggest hill of the day comes at the start as the road rises from sea level after crossing a river up to cliff level. As I start my slow ascent a road cyclist rolls past me downhill and soon passes me again as he climbs the hill with seemingly little effort and disappears behind the crest. I plod along in low gear and in the full midday sun. Near the top the same cyclist rolls past again. "Almost there!" he yells
encouragingly.
There is little traffic, but sometimes large trucks pass. The wave front is a big shock, but then then it carries you along. There is a cross wind that over time has blown the trees away from the sea. The grass is the color of hay, and the cows don't know what to make of me. At one point I stop to take a photo and a herd of cows crowd to look at me. As I slowly cycle along they rush away. Flocks of little birds live in the trees and speckle the sky. An ibis amongst the cows: while Australia is familiar, there is no doubt you are in Oz.
The start at Warrnambool has nice views of the sea beyond the farms, but soon the road goes inland. Because of the extra errands I had planned to not stop at Cheeseworld, advertised as having the best milkshakes, but I get to the area right when the hunger hits. I eat my sandwich along the quiet farm roads. At Cheeseworld, disappointingly they don't make standard thick shakes (same as milkshake in the US) with the real ice cream; they make the thick shakes from cheaper
vanilla ice cream and syrups. Regardless I'm able to negotiate the chocolate shake I want to be made from the chocolate ice cream for a fee, and have a nice chat with the server who is planning a visit to the West Coast of the US. He makes the hugest shake ever. I swallow it all, and feel bloated for the next several hours.
My body is not as strong as it has been. My knees ache, my bum hurts, and the uphills are conquered very slowly. I'm cycling on average 10 km/hr. Now the bumps and hills are a slog and I have to chant 1-2-1-2 to keep myself going. There is a lot of road kill: bird, rabbit, wallaby. Suddenly I smell sea air and see a sign for a boat launch 300 m ahead. Finally! I stop for my first ocean vista point at the Bay of Islands. I also pause to admire the Grotto, a small arch accessible via steep stairs down to the beach, and the Arch.
Port Campbell is a sizable town with many restaurants and a general store. It is peak season and the caravan park costs over AUS$50, but it
is a powered site and has clean bathrooms, kitchens, and refridgerators. Apart from a loaded bicycle seen in the train station at Warrnambool, I have not seen another bike tourist.
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