Blogs from Victoria, Australia, Oceania - page 12

Craig and Ross in ISO_2.0 Episode #2 Thursday July 23, 2020. Last night, I spent the better part of 10 minutes trying to scrub some crud off a glass baking dish, only to realise the crud was on the other side. We need to buy a dishwasher! Such are the banalities of Melbourne ISO_2.0. We are now two weeks down. Theoretically, 4 weeks left of this six week lockdown. But.....well, who knows? It could be more, given recent COVID case numbers. I never thought I’d say this, but seeing the football on TV in recent weeks has brought some sense of normality and comfort to me. I’ve never followed it, but it has always been there in the background. It is a constant, something you can depend upon, like the sun coming up each day, or ... read more

On the road again through to Bright fell in love with this place and will come back for their big car show they have in November !!!! Very much like our Arrowtown and a popular winter Mecca for them I would guess.... Katy Perry is performing here tonight for the Bush Fire relief .... town was buzzing and had a good look around spending a good part of the day here. Had brunch around 11am again at another bakery and purchased a few goodies from the gift shops. Around 1.30pm we pulled out and onto Milawa travelling through drier country, vineyards and cheese making outfits, found Brown Brothers Headquarters and did some wine tasting a huge operation here and purchased some wine and souvenirs. About 4pm we rolled out through to Wangaratta and checked into Parkview ... read more

Monday Up and away from Eden driving through more devastation from Fires through the Princess Highway a good straight through drive on a good road through the border into Victoria.... stopped at Cann river found a good bakery and had a sausage roll Don a pie and a good coffee around 11 am had a rattle through the small stores this is a major turn off to head inland into the Snowy mountains. we continued on south through lovely farm country and around the corner to Lakes Entrance which was really interesting and a maze of estuaries and coast. Didn't really stop but carried onto Bairnsdale not far away ... more good looking farm land and a cool southerly nip in the air. Found accomodation in Bairnsdale and had a pre dinner drink wandered down to ... read more

GOR. Day 20. Warburton Our last day of this tour. A 1 hr train journey to Lilydale to ride the old railway line trail to Warburton and back. A cloudy start but warm and what we would want for the finale. The trains in Australia are good for cyclists since bikes are no problem at. All 12 of us got on the same train to Lilydale whereas in the UK you are lucky to get 2 bikes on. The MYKI card system is also good in Victoria where you buy a card and load it with cash and travel anywhere, paying a maximum of approx $6.50 per day (£3.50). The trail was a bit lumpy all the way with a stiff climb to Mt Evelyn at 7km on a mixture of gravel, concrete and tarmac. Lunch ... read more

GOR Day 18 Parkdale Cool start again but getting to like the no rain forecasts. The food served by Phil Bock and his lovely wife Yuko at the French Island Eco Lodge is first class and enough for cyclists who normally take some filling. The wine is good too and not extortionate. A koala was grunting up a tree outside our cabin at 7am, which was a nice surprise to start our day. Ferry crossing at 9am on a smooth ocean to Stony Point to resume our journey north to Melbourne. Son Paul met us on his bike at the terminal since his wife Kat brought him in the car. Great ride to Hastings along a lovely boardwalk through the mangroves and dunes under a clear blue sky and warm sun. Coffee in Hastings at the ... read more