Tuesday: Bush camping at Bellbird
Today was a ‘Princes Highway’ day….put simply, a day of tarmac, traffic and tortuous hills. Whilst there was some relief from the rising mercury from the forested areas, at no point was it particularly enjoyable. I arrived at the one and only ‘pub’ along the Highway called Bellbird Creek and asked to camp in their back garden area which I was allowed to do. The publican, a guy called Gary, was a quite a character, a true Aussie story teller and mad as a cut snake. He had bought the bar about 4 weeks before the devastation of the bush fires, and then covid hit, so in 3 years he’d been open about a couple of months. He was a fanatical motorcyclist, with his numerous bikes positioned all around the bar, including one on the counter top! In the evening, oa caravan pulled in to stop for the night – a couple from Perth. The three of us sat in the bar that evening talking rubbish and telling stories of our respective journeys- a wonderful evening, made all the more pleasurable when the caravanning couple cooked tea and made me an egg and bacon sandwich on Wednesday morning….delicious.
Wednesday wheely: turning left on to the Princes first thing in the morning I was greeted with a humongous climb to get the day going, but I knew that in 10k I was leaving the highway at least for 2-3 days, so that made the initial climbs a bit more palatable!. I eventually turned off after doing battle with some stupidly challenging climbs to head to Cape Conran and Marlo, both along the coast. It was divine – glorious coastline with smooth roads and a tail wind!! And no hills or traffic! I stopped in Marlo for a coffee, then headed to Orbost. Just a few K out …bang. Spokes were a’poppin on the back wheel! I limped to a campsite ($40….I said I wanted to rent a space, not buy it!) and set to work fixing Bob, who was starting to implode – at a certain amount of distance, everything gets to a point of being worn out at the same time, and this things start to go wrong in sequence!. This was that time! I made some temporary repairs including changing disc pads and fixing the spokes, but I knew it was temporary and needed a workshop to do proper work. I also knew the next two days were going to be punishing as they were both off road/trail days!
A day to remember: the Orbost to Bairnsdale rail trail is a 97k bike/walk track between these two Victorian townships….and it is simply fantastic. The trail is mainly flat, with a mixture of gravel, sand, rock, and paved sections, which meander through forested areas and open agricultural land. It’s teeming with wildlife. I had, I think, one if not the best days on the bike. Even tho the day was a 100+ k day I didn’t want it to end. Then the back wheel well, sort of stopped being a wheel! The rim had cracked between spokes so had become completely unviable! I got to the bike shop in Bairnsdale, and had to disassemble the remains of the wheel and rebuild a new one with my stuff on it. The bike shop were fantastic- they let me get on and use their tools, and found me a second hand rear wheel, but it was a different size to the front, but with no other option it would have to do! It required a new tyre as the wheel size was different plus of course new tubes! Necessity being the mother of all invention, we somehow made it all work!! That night I stayed with a warm showers host, Steph, who was wonderful, and fed and watered this knackered cyclist. Despite the end of day dramas, nothing could dent my delight at the day’s wonderful riding. It also taught me so much about just adapting to troubles when they emerge, to not panic or give in but trust that with thought, time and patience things can be resolved. And that ‘good enough’ is absolutely fine -it doesn’t need to be perfect, just good enough. I think Bob is breaking every rule in the book in terms of what you can and can’t do with bike parts!
On Friday I was again able to jump on to a disused rail track which would take me to Traralgon, but it required a 47k dash along the Highway to get to it. Luckily it was overcast, so the ride along the highway wasn’t made unbearable by the increasingly hot days. Once in Stratford (upon Avon….love how the Aussies have plagiarised and monetised English heritage names….the website for the town was something like ‘Shakespeare.country.au!) I joined to rail trail, somewhat concerned about my $50 back wheel, which would be much more at home being gently guided around a lake pathway by an octogenarian on a Sunday afternoon than on a bumpy trail fully loaded! Whilst I was off the Highway, the trail wasn’t quite as engaging as the day before -it was actually quite boring! It passed through endless fields with little to see but curious cows. It was stinking hot too. I stopped for lunch in a small village called Heyfield where I was entertained by an old lady called Dawn, who initially asked about the bike, then regaled me with her life story! Then left!
The rest of the trip to Traralgon was pretty uneventful other than a puncture which I needed to fix in the midday heat with no shade to be found….not a pleasant experience! And don’t get me started on the bloody flies!
By the time I rejoined the Princes at Traralgon it was 4, very hot and the highway a heaving mass of grey nomads! I arrived at my host for the night completely buggered! And with another puncture! But the rear wheel held up to the task!
I had been cycling now for 8 days straight and I knew I was utterly spent so I asked to stay two nights with my wonderful hosts, Georgie and Dave, who kindly agreed, which was just as well as Saturday was the hottest day in Victoria this summer apparently! Georgie and Dave have cycled in South Asia and trekked in India and other Asian countries, and sharing our stories was a great way to spend my time with them.
Only another 1000 to go 😊
The pub at Bellbird Creek
Oh ….no traffic. The quiet road to Marlo.
The first of many timber rail bridges along the bike trail from Orbost to Bairnsdale
On the Orbost trail.
My last photo of Bob as he was before the rear wheel disintegrated!
The Gippsland trail which is 67k long from Stratford to Traralgon.
Hey Tony, have so enjoyed reading this post, sitting on my ass eating cake. So onky a 1000 to go. Sounds like a walk in the park. 😜 Hope Bob is hanging on to that cheap wheel and it’s doing the job. Let me know your eta into Adelaide providing no mishaps along the way of course. Thinking of you lots and so good to read you are having more good days than bad. Lotsa love x