I don’t know what it is but when I came back again to Melbourne from Tasmania, I thought once again that I like this town immensely. Most likely it’s because I know it really well and could go straight away along the cycle track at the Yarra river to my friends.
However this time I didn’t want to stay long and so came on Sunday morning for enough time to take care of things. After a barbecue with friends in the evening I had replenished my calorie reserves again.
A glance at the times when the ferry went to Philip Island was enough, I had plenty of time still as the next one went at 5pm. I set off after 12 accompanied by Sue and Paul who showed me the side streets out of Melbourne again. Then another goodbye - somehow, somewhere we will ride bicycles together again.
For me there was quite a bit more further to go in the headwind to the ferry, and I just made it.
On the island you arrive at Cowes which is a real tourist spot so nothing for it but to leave. Although I rarely have the intention to spend the night there I always ask at caravan sites how much a place for a tent costs and make my disapproval clear that I and my bicycle alone should pay as much as 3 people with car and caravan.
Nevertheless this time the managers were nice and I went as far as to ask if you couldn’t overnight for free somewhere on the island. As it was high season already the Rangers have a lot of work to do, the control everything but apparently not Monday evenings so once again I was lucky.
I found one of the most beautiful places that I had ever camped in, right on the coast.
Only one footpath went there, so there was nothing to be afraid of, that someone would pass by, nor a Ranger.
Of course it wasn’t totally quiet as the surf didn’t rest overnight, but somehow it made you sleepy.
The next morning I packed up quickly before a Ranger discovered me or the first hiker stumbled over my tent. Apart from the holes in the ground made by the tent pegs there were no traces left behind.
On the other side a bridge goes down from the island. A Railtrail starts a couple of kilometres further on. At the beginning it is still very entertaining direct on the coast.
As I was really tired, the last night was really short, I wanted a camping site where I could sleep for longer in the morning. So I turned off towards Walkersville. It was steep for 2 km through Cape Liptop Park down to the sea. The little site was really idyllically situated, half in the bush, half on the beach, not one of those huge Holiday Parks. The joy was immediately dulled as I learnt the price for a night, 25$. I must have been well observed, how I nearly had tears in my eyes as the nice young man understood quickly and thought for me 10$ as he used to go by bike a lot. Isn’t that nice? I would have been happy with half the price but I naturally liked to pay the 10$ even more.
From Walkersville it wasn’t far to Wilsons Promotory any more. Six years ago I didn’t have the time to take this diversion but since then had always heard how beautiful it must be that I absolutely had to go there this time. Once again it was mercilessly hot and the National Park had many high mountains. Didn’t matter, I wasn’t in a hurry and the beauty of the park was quite noticeable.
High cliffs, beautiful bays, thick woods and white beaches, the exertions were definitely worth it. First set up the tent quickly. Wash clothes and then go right away to one of the most beautiful beaches that I seen in Australia up until then, Squeazy Beach. The path went through eucalyptus woods up the mountain with a view of the mouth of the Tidal River in the sea.
Then the beach, white sand, turquoise blue water, red cliffs
The water was too cold for swimming but excellent for cooling off after the trip in 40 degrees.
Very picturesque area, was really worth coming here.
There are not only countless sea-gulls here but also many parrots that actually can become a real annoyance
as they are fed by the tourists they come to think that the get whatever they want by themselves.
On my walk the next morning to another bay
I saw two snakes. Probably once again I came trampling there so that they disappeared into the bushes again.The park is certainly very beautiful but there were too many people for me there although it wasn’t full by a long way. After the weather got worse and it began to rain I didn’t hold on any more and went on my way again. I came totally soaked out of the park to a free rest area. A young Pole offered to take my cloths and, above all, shoes into his car overnight to dry off. Very nice. The next morning I got the things back, not completely dry admittedly, for which there was a really good coffee delivered right to the tent. How can a day begin better?
By then the rain and storm had stopped and I could further over the Strzelecki Ranges to the Tarra Bulga National Park, a stretch that I already did last time, that this time I wanted to do again. Finally dirt road again on the Grand Ridge road.
It is astonishing what out of the way places you find even in thickly populated South East Australia as soon as you are away from the coast.
The eucalyptus trees peeled themselves like bananas.
It smelt fantastic here after the rain. With the eucalyptus steam no-one can spread a cold.
It went ever thicker through the rain forest
There must have been a lot of forestry work done in the rainy weather, the way was not in a good state, deep ruts and big stones, I could only go on slowly.
Searching for a quiet little place to camp in Tarra Valley, a horde of cyclists came towards me. They invited me to a Christmas celebration at the camp site. So another official overnight stay after all.
Not only was the home-made salad very good, once again I also had a lovely chat. With this chance I could at last try the Australian Christmas Pudding. It seemed to be a great art to make it. To be honest I don’t know if it was worth the whole effort.
Come what may, I definitely had a very nice Christmas celebration again.
The next day meant first the 8km once again out of the Tarra Valley up on the Grand Ridge road. So well-fed that I was once again, no problem. Down below it looked like the weather would be nice, above I was in the clouds
It drizzled and was a bit colder. After some ups and downs it went only down for a very long time, was a bit warmer and the sun came out again.Before I started the next mountain section I indulged myself in a couple more kilometres almost level on the Highway to Bairnsdail, from there the comfortable Railtrain to Bruthen. Really astonishing in the 30km I met with just 3-4 cyclists. After Bruthen the climb began again first very moderate on asphalt roads to the limestone cliffs and caves of Buchan. I’d been here years ago as well, the nice small camp-site by the caves is still full of kangaroos. From there the fun really started, still one of my favourite stretches in Australia. Almost 180km from 75m altitude to 1000m in Jindabyne, almost all on dirt road, the Barry way, first through the Alpine National Park then the Kosciuszko NP.The first couple of kilometres are still asphalted and it looked on the map as if even smaller places would come but again it was just single houses and nobody about. As I didn’t want to carry water as well up the mountain, I waited until the last chance. In “Seldom Seen” there should be a Roadhouse where I should get water. Maybe the “place” was so called because the owner was rarely present, in place of which his artwork
Hopefully these are not the remnants of cyclists that are left behind on this stretch.
I was more lucky, at last I saw a person again, the brother of the owner on the other side, He let me fill up my water bag and bottle in his kitchen straight away.
And it went ever on up the mountain high with a wonderful view.
A big bush fire went through here in January 2003. When I was last here in November 2003, there were only blackened tree-trunks to be seen although some scattered green offshoots growing were visible already. Today, if you didn’t look closely at it, you saw hardly anything. Only commemorative plaques alerted you of it. On an uneven stretch,
it went 10km down in the valley of Suggan Buggan. Unfortunately my water bag was left behind on the stretch, hadn’t noticed when it fell off. When I found it again later, animals had already refreshed themselves with the water. Only one torn-up bag remained. In other areas probably a medium catastrophe but not here. The water in the rivers and streams is so good that you can drink it without any worries.
What I really like about the whole stretch is not only its remoteness, perhaps 3-4 cars per day, but the multitude of little camping sites direct on the little rivers, equipped only with a little toilet building. What more do you want when you can take care of your washing in the river as well?
After Suggan Buggan it went high up again naturally, in order to go down the other side of the mountain into the valley of the Snowy River.
It is almost Paradise in temperatures of 40 degrees to have such an excellent river in which you can cool off.
To make the pleasure last longer, I made a halt at “Jacob’s River” already in the early afternoon, bathed, did my washing, read, and watched the kangaroos.
Only two Rangers came for a quick look and asked if everything was OK.
The next day it really got going along the mountain and ever higher to over 1300m. But yet again you were rewarded with a heavenly view.
(if you look closely you see how the road snakes along the mountain).
After 25km all the climbing was done and it went more or less down to Jindabyne. As it was Christmas I treated myself to a caravan park situated right on the lake.
and very quiet. Almost all Australians are drawn to the sea at Christmas. I was told that that you could expect to pay over 100$ per night for a camp site. No thanks. The hustle and bustle begins here only on the 2nd day of Christmas, when I’d be gone already.
A swim in the lake did a lot of good after I arrived yesterday in a brutal heat again. Today it is stormy and it looks like it’s going to rain, good grounds just to sit around here, to write and to simply enjoy the view.
I wish all a happy, stress-free Christmas celebration and all the best for the New Year.
