The last chapter in our ride this year! I know there are a number of people anxiously awaiting this post and I apologise for its lateness. The day started well with bacon and eggs cooked by John Gatt, to complement our normal breakfast and to make sure we got through to the finish. Katrina "Kathy Watts" decided to grace us with her presence on the last day of the ride, by special arrangement with Trevor, who brought her to Macedon in time for the start of the ride.
The weather was fine and sunny in distinct contrast to the weather on Wednesday morning. We retraced our route from Wednesday by cycling back to Riddells Creek where we were treated to morning tea in the Club rooms of the Rotary Club of Riddells Creek. Many thanks to Charles and the other members who looked aftter us. En route to Woodlands Historic Park, a distance of some 36km we had a challenging gorge at Emu Creek and an even more challenging one at Deep Creek which had several team members reduced to walking or if they happened to remain on their bikes, walking speed. Not so for multi-disciplinary Craig "Mottram" Overend who rode the gorge not once, not twice but three times while waiting for the rest of the field to catch up.
The support crew for the day excelled themselves and guided us, by placing themselves strategically at all of the turning points, clad in highly visible orange vests. We all made it to Woodlands Historic Park after negotiating the gravel driveway. We were presented with platters of delicious sandwiches and bowls of fruit for lunch accompanied by jugs of soft drink and tea and coffee to finish.
The original homestead was built in 1843 and it was interesting to see the method of construction of this pre-fabricated dwelling which has been extended over time and occupied by fourteen families, including the Canadian Chaffey family.
After lunch we set off on the last leg of the ride, essentially down the Moonee Ponds Creek trail. Soon after setting off, we saw a mob of kangaroos that must have been well in excess of a hundred, much to the delight of Katharina our German Ambassadorial scholar. There were some tricky sections of loose gravel for the first 6 km but after that it was relatively easy going on a made surface, running alongside the creek. The detour for the road works at the Western Ring Road found us cycling up a very steep pinch, which only a few completed without dismounting, before crossing the ring road on a pedestrian bridge. We left the bike path at Eric Street where we had afternoon tea before cycling along McPherson street to our final destination, the gateway to the Moonee Valley Race Club.
DG David Anderson welcomed us and congratulated us on our epic journey!
We are all deeply indebted to Graham and Margaret for the incredible amount of time they spent planning and organising the ride, and for guiding and supporting the team throughout the whole journey. Our heartfelt thanks to them and also to Wendy Smith for her valuable role in the support team, which was always there to sustain us and assist whenever needed. Thanks to Trevor, who was involved in support as well as cycling.
In the evening, a select group attended the Sports dinner, once again compered by Graham "Smokey" Dawson from the Rotary Club of Heidelberg. The function was held at Windy Hill. Bruce (and Katrina) got there after visiting several sporting venues, including Moonee Valley Race Club and Northern Golf Club. Another fail in navigation by yours truly! A highlight of the awards presentation was Eileen Gatt receiving the Sportswoman of the Day award for her amazing effort of swimming 40km in the 6 days the rest of us were cycling from Wangaratta.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Day 5 : Seymour to Macedon
It was a hot night in Seymour but everyone rose refreshed, ready for another day. We were joined by Robert and his daughter Eilish who had travelled from Yarrawonga and Craig from Corowa. But this day was going to be different. The forecast had been tooled over by many on their I-phones and it predicted rain and 60km winds. This forced a few of the riders to get out their wet weather gear, but some decided they would take a chance. Surprisingly the group left in unison after a briefing by Graeme, and crossed under the Hume Freeway headed for Pyalong. The clouds were thick in the sky but no rain eventuated as we wound our way along the flat roads towards the Pyalong hills. Red gums, cattle, sheep and delightful water courses were passed as the wind started to develop. It was an easy ride to morning tea at Pyalong, but the short climb up to the town itself was a reminder that we were approaching some serious hills. DGN John, managed to snag an akubra lying by the roadside, but lost control as he handed it to Wendy. The gravel rash was not a pretty sight. At morning tea the first spots of rain appeared and most donned their rain jackets, except for Craig, a born and bred Pyalongite who had cycled these parts for many years. The hasty exit from morning tea led the whole group up to a one way road, and we were going the wrong way so were forced to back track through the town again, onto the Highway, eventually joining the road across to Lancefield.
This was where it all started to deteriorate! The rain started, the wind blew and the hills appeared. Even Craig put on his jacket! We climbed up through rain soaked hills, misty mountains and rocky outcrops. Each rider entered their personal version of hell. Although most had jackets the wind blew straight through and fingers and toes grew cold. On a warm day this would be beautiful countryside, but today it was bleak and desolate. John Paton's bike thermometer recorded 9 C! But few faltered, fell off or gave up. As we crossed the range and came down the other side towards Lancefield the chill factor was severe. David managed to get a puncture two miles from Lancefield and a few chains were dropped. We rolled into the town wet through and chilled to the bone and wondering what the afternoon would bring.
Walking into Lancefield Bakery was like entering a sauna. The warmth of the ovens spread through the room and soon we were all enjoying hot pies and coffee and thawing out. By the time we were ready to leave the sun was breaking through the clouds and the rain had stopped. The wind continued unabated but the afternoon ride to Riddells Creek was far more pleasant. We were joined by a member of RC of Riddells Creek as we devoured our afternoon tea.
The final push into Macedon was along flat roads with the occasional dip, but the wind kept blowing at 50-60 km making it the most strenuous day so far. No prettier sight was there than the Black Forest Motel, unfortunately at the top of the town! As the westerly sun warmed us up we thanked Margaret and Graham and Wendy for the great job they had done in organising and conducting the ride.
At 7pm we all went out for dinner in Macedon to a place we thought was a wood oven pizza/pasta restaurant, but were told that we could not order pizzas in the dining room on a Wednesday night! However, despite that we enjoyed the meal, with much conviviality and the company of several members of the Rotary Club of Riddells Creek.
This was where it all started to deteriorate! The rain started, the wind blew and the hills appeared. Even Craig put on his jacket! We climbed up through rain soaked hills, misty mountains and rocky outcrops. Each rider entered their personal version of hell. Although most had jackets the wind blew straight through and fingers and toes grew cold. On a warm day this would be beautiful countryside, but today it was bleak and desolate. John Paton's bike thermometer recorded 9 C! But few faltered, fell off or gave up. As we crossed the range and came down the other side towards Lancefield the chill factor was severe. David managed to get a puncture two miles from Lancefield and a few chains were dropped. We rolled into the town wet through and chilled to the bone and wondering what the afternoon would bring.
Walking into Lancefield Bakery was like entering a sauna. The warmth of the ovens spread through the room and soon we were all enjoying hot pies and coffee and thawing out. By the time we were ready to leave the sun was breaking through the clouds and the rain had stopped. The wind continued unabated but the afternoon ride to Riddells Creek was far more pleasant. We were joined by a member of RC of Riddells Creek as we devoured our afternoon tea.
The final push into Macedon was along flat roads with the occasional dip, but the wind kept blowing at 50-60 km making it the most strenuous day so far. No prettier sight was there than the Black Forest Motel, unfortunately at the top of the town! As the westerly sun warmed us up we thanked Margaret and Graham and Wendy for the great job they had done in organising and conducting the ride.
At 7pm we all went out for dinner in Macedon to a place we thought was a wood oven pizza/pasta restaurant, but were told that we could not order pizzas in the dining room on a Wednesday night! However, despite that we enjoyed the meal, with much conviviality and the company of several members of the Rotary Club of Riddells Creek.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Day 4 : Eildon to Seymour
Already we have passed the halfway mark of the ride and here we are at the fourth day. This morning started well with breakfast on the balcony of the Villa, with cockatoos and other birds in abundance. Graham urged us to be ready for an 8.50 a.m. briefing for a 9.00 a.m. start. Graham told us it was important that we got to Seymour in sufficient time to attend the Rotary Club meeting. On road captain Tony emphasised the need for care when riding on highways, to reinforce the points he has made previously; single file riding, tail lights on, signalling change of speed and direction etc.
A slight delay occurred when Tony found he needed to repair a puncture on his bike but he sent the rest of us off and said he would catch up to us. He and fellow gun cyclists John Fry and Dave Barratt stayed behind but caught us in no time at all while we were still on the back road to Thornton. The ride to Alexandra was very pleasant with no major challenges. Morning tea at Alexandra set us up for the road ahead.
From memory the first challenge was Josephine's Cutting followed by Eglington Cutting. These were manageable but the real test was Cotton's Pinch. Katharina amazed us all with her ability to go up hills in an effortless manner, despite having a heavy mountain bike with knobbly tyres. We rode into Yea to be greeted by DG David Anderson on his home turf. Another delicious lunch was served by Margaret and Wendy in a well shaded grassy park in the middle of town.
On the advice of DG David, we left town on the rail trail for 8 kilometres or so and then rejoined the road to travel through "undulating" country. It was a hot day and the drink and fruit stop at 85 km was most welcome.
We got into Seymour before 4pm and the pool at the Coach and Bushman's Motor Inn was well patronised.
This evening we all attended the Rotary Club of Seymour's meeting and dinnerwhere we were welcomed by Club President Greg Byers. Graham Brown spoke about our ride and Polio Plus and DGE John Gatt talked about some of his plans for the year ahead. Katharina had earlier introduced herself to the meeting but later spoke very well about her role as an Ambassadorial scholar and the legal studies she is undertaking at Latrobe University which will lead to a Master's degree. We then watched the DVD of the 2011 ride produced by Katrina Watson. All in all, a very interesting meeting with good fellowship.
Progress report on our swimmer Eileen Gatt: 9km today and a cumulative total of 25km - A great effort!
A slight delay occurred when Tony found he needed to repair a puncture on his bike but he sent the rest of us off and said he would catch up to us. He and fellow gun cyclists John Fry and Dave Barratt stayed behind but caught us in no time at all while we were still on the back road to Thornton. The ride to Alexandra was very pleasant with no major challenges. Morning tea at Alexandra set us up for the road ahead.
From memory the first challenge was Josephine's Cutting followed by Eglington Cutting. These were manageable but the real test was Cotton's Pinch. Katharina amazed us all with her ability to go up hills in an effortless manner, despite having a heavy mountain bike with knobbly tyres. We rode into Yea to be greeted by DG David Anderson on his home turf. Another delicious lunch was served by Margaret and Wendy in a well shaded grassy park in the middle of town.
On the advice of DG David, we left town on the rail trail for 8 kilometres or so and then rejoined the road to travel through "undulating" country. It was a hot day and the drink and fruit stop at 85 km was most welcome.
We got into Seymour before 4pm and the pool at the Coach and Bushman's Motor Inn was well patronised.
This evening we all attended the Rotary Club of Seymour's meeting and dinnerwhere we were welcomed by Club President Greg Byers. Graham Brown spoke about our ride and Polio Plus and DGE John Gatt talked about some of his plans for the year ahead. Katharina had earlier introduced herself to the meeting but later spoke very well about her role as an Ambassadorial scholar and the legal studies she is undertaking at Latrobe University which will lead to a Master's degree. We then watched the DVD of the 2011 ride produced by Katrina Watson. All in all, a very interesting meeting with good fellowship.
Progress report on our swimmer Eileen Gatt: 9km today and a cumulative total of 25km - A great effort!
Day 3 : Mansfield to Eildon
Our day started in bright sunshine with a breakfast described as "Continental", but quite superior to any continental breakfast most of us have experienced. This is the "standard" breakfast, but it consists of fruit juice, fresh fruit, preserved fruit, a range of cereals such as you have never seen, toast, jam, vegemite, peanut butter and tea and coffee. It is said that an army marches on its stomach and this equally well applies to cyclists; nothing to do with rotundity!
We cycled through Mansfield to the start of the rail trail which features a number of structures and a display of all manner of objects and art work related to the attractions of the "High Country". We cycled the rail trail, gravel but firm surface, for 22.5 km through scenic countryside before crossing an arm of Eildon Weir at Bonnie Doon. There we had morning tea and then proceeded on the highway through Merton to Yarck. "Proceeded" is not really an appropriate word to describe our toiling to the top of Merton Gap, Jenny's Cutting and Blakeney's Cutting. Peter Carr punctured his front tire and stopped at Merton for repairs with assistance from our leader, Graham "Ernie Shackleton" Brown.
We enjoyed our picnic lunch in a shaded verge on the outskirts of Yarck and were then treated to coffees from the store across the road. Laurie Webb from RC Eltham joined us on the ride at this point and acquitted himself well despite being on what appeared to be a mountain bike, rather than a road bike!
A steep descent into Alexandra ended up being a competition to see who had achieved the highest speed. Alicia (62.2 km/hour) and Bruce (61.2 ) both admitted to having their brakes on, whilst others like John Gatt clocked up 69.8 and Trevor Smith maxed out at 71.76 km/hour. From Alexandra we went through Thornton, well some didn't stop, but Wendy had apparently heard form a reliable source of the reputation of the butcher in Thornton and so she stopped to stock up for the planned evening BBQ at Eildon.
The Caravan Park at Eildon is in a beautiful setting and we are accommodated there in delightful self-contained cabins, with frequent visits from sulphur-crested cockatoos, king parrots etc. Ambassadorial scholar from Germany, Katharina Buchholz, joined us at Eildon today for the rest of the ride. The BBQ was a great success and we were hosted by Trevor and Wendy in their Villa, whilst many contributed to the cooking. John Paton ran an entertaining fines session which raised $72.40 for Polio plus.
Distance cycled today 99km
Update on our long distance swimmer Eileen Gatt - Total of 16km to date
We cycled through Mansfield to the start of the rail trail which features a number of structures and a display of all manner of objects and art work related to the attractions of the "High Country". We cycled the rail trail, gravel but firm surface, for 22.5 km through scenic countryside before crossing an arm of Eildon Weir at Bonnie Doon. There we had morning tea and then proceeded on the highway through Merton to Yarck. "Proceeded" is not really an appropriate word to describe our toiling to the top of Merton Gap, Jenny's Cutting and Blakeney's Cutting. Peter Carr punctured his front tire and stopped at Merton for repairs with assistance from our leader, Graham "Ernie Shackleton" Brown.
We enjoyed our picnic lunch in a shaded verge on the outskirts of Yarck and were then treated to coffees from the store across the road. Laurie Webb from RC Eltham joined us on the ride at this point and acquitted himself well despite being on what appeared to be a mountain bike, rather than a road bike!
A steep descent into Alexandra ended up being a competition to see who had achieved the highest speed. Alicia (62.2 km/hour) and Bruce (61.2 ) both admitted to having their brakes on, whilst others like John Gatt clocked up 69.8 and Trevor Smith maxed out at 71.76 km/hour. From Alexandra we went through Thornton, well some didn't stop, but Wendy had apparently heard form a reliable source of the reputation of the butcher in Thornton and so she stopped to stock up for the planned evening BBQ at Eildon.
The Caravan Park at Eildon is in a beautiful setting and we are accommodated there in delightful self-contained cabins, with frequent visits from sulphur-crested cockatoos, king parrots etc. Ambassadorial scholar from Germany, Katharina Buchholz, joined us at Eildon today for the rest of the ride. The BBQ was a great success and we were hosted by Trevor and Wendy in their Villa, whilst many contributed to the cooking. John Paton ran an entertaining fines session which raised $72.40 for Polio plus.
Distance cycled today 99km
Update on our long distance swimmer Eileen Gatt - Total of 16km to date
Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 2 : Wangaratta to Mansfield
A beautiful sunny but crisp morning saw us breakfasting alfresco by the pool at Ryleys Motor Inn. We were all set for a 9a.m. departure, but there were a couple of delays. John "King of the Mountains" Gatt managed to puncture a tube when switching from knobblies to slicks in preparation fot the day's 114km challenge. With the aid of the swimming pool, John was able to locate the puncture, but he sensibly replaced the tube with a new one, to minimise the down time.
John "Alberto Contador" Fry and Peter "Andy Schleck" Carr joined the ride today. We set off through the back streets of Wang. and our first stop was at Greta for morning tea where there was a conveniently located "toilet block" at the back of the Uniting Church. The church was situated next to the Greta cemetery where, we were reliably informed, a number of Kelly family members are buried.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at Tatong, presented by Margaret and Wendy, who look after us so well. Tatong was at the half-way point of the day's ride. So far so good ! Peter and Bruce, who were trailing the field, reached and stopped at a T intersection where they thought the Cue sheet indicated a right turn to Swanpool. However, Bruce spotted a cyclist ahead of them who had proceeded past the T- intersection. Bruce assumed it was Trevor "Lance Armstrong" Smith and phoned him to check which way to go. Trevor took the phone call while cycling and assured Bruce that he was going on the correct route, because there were riders visible ahead of him. To cut a long story short, Trevor had made the right, correct turn, and luckily so did Bruce and Peter, who later discovered that it was our intrepid leader, Graham "Shackleton" Brown, who found himself halfway up Mount Samaria before he realised he had missed the turn!
From Swanpool we went to Lake Nillahcootie for afternoon tea, via the Midland Highway, which was a bit hair-raising at times due to non-existent shoulder and double lines for significant stretches. However, we all survived and then cycled the remaining 28km to Mansfield in bright sunshine, as it had been all day.
In summary, a tiring day, good company, beautiful country-side.
We then walked to the Delatite Hotel for a Bistro meal and met up with friends of Trevor and Wendy, plus some Mansfield Rotarians
John "Alberto Contador" Fry and Peter "Andy Schleck" Carr joined the ride today. We set off through the back streets of Wang. and our first stop was at Greta for morning tea where there was a conveniently located "toilet block" at the back of the Uniting Church. The church was situated next to the Greta cemetery where, we were reliably informed, a number of Kelly family members are buried.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at Tatong, presented by Margaret and Wendy, who look after us so well. Tatong was at the half-way point of the day's ride. So far so good ! Peter and Bruce, who were trailing the field, reached and stopped at a T intersection where they thought the Cue sheet indicated a right turn to Swanpool. However, Bruce spotted a cyclist ahead of them who had proceeded past the T- intersection. Bruce assumed it was Trevor "Lance Armstrong" Smith and phoned him to check which way to go. Trevor took the phone call while cycling and assured Bruce that he was going on the correct route, because there were riders visible ahead of him. To cut a long story short, Trevor had made the right, correct turn, and luckily so did Bruce and Peter, who later discovered that it was our intrepid leader, Graham "Shackleton" Brown, who found himself halfway up Mount Samaria before he realised he had missed the turn!
From Swanpool we went to Lake Nillahcootie for afternoon tea, via the Midland Highway, which was a bit hair-raising at times due to non-existent shoulder and double lines for significant stretches. However, we all survived and then cycled the remaining 28km to Mansfield in bright sunshine, as it had been all day.
In summary, a tiring day, good company, beautiful country-side.
We then walked to the Delatite Hotel for a Bistro meal and met up with friends of Trevor and Wendy, plus some Mansfield Rotarians
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Day 1 : Wangaratta to Gapsted Winery and return
A cool cloudy morning saw us assemble outside Wangaratta Anglican Cathedral, ready to be farewelled by PDG Anderson, a year to the day since we finished the 2011 ride at the same place. There were three new riders who joined us for the day, Narelle Mann, Michelle Mariot and Mathew Piercey plus eight cycling stalwarts and our swimmer, Eileen Gatt. Wendy Smith took on the role of "angel" to assist Margaret Brown in team support.
We headed off to the start of the rail trail and were fortunate that little evidence remained of the recent floods. On past Bowser, and Londrigan stations to inspect the Eldorado Dredge in its final resting place. We enjoyed "morning tea" plus usual accompaniments in Eldorado, in bright sunshine at Gunhouse Park Reserve.
Bruce found the rail trail to Gapsted Winery surprisingly familiar and now knows what the turnoff to Beechworth looks like! A sumptuous lunch was served at Gapsted on a deck with stunning views. Next stop was at Whorouly (how do you pronounce that?) pub where were treated to refreshing lemon squash.
Next stop Milawa Cheese Factory where we sat down to a cheese tasting of a wide range of local cheeses followed by tea and coffee. The final leg of our 104km day was an easy 15km ride back to Wang where we farewelled the day riders before settling into the Ryley Motor Inn.
After a tidy up and a beer or two we retired to the Pinsent Hotel for our evening meal and selection of "libations", which for some was a Guiness in recognition of St. Patrick's Day .
We headed off to the start of the rail trail and were fortunate that little evidence remained of the recent floods. On past Bowser, and Londrigan stations to inspect the Eldorado Dredge in its final resting place. We enjoyed "morning tea" plus usual accompaniments in Eldorado, in bright sunshine at Gunhouse Park Reserve.
Bruce found the rail trail to Gapsted Winery surprisingly familiar and now knows what the turnoff to Beechworth looks like! A sumptuous lunch was served at Gapsted on a deck with stunning views. Next stop was at Whorouly (how do you pronounce that?) pub where were treated to refreshing lemon squash.
Next stop Milawa Cheese Factory where we sat down to a cheese tasting of a wide range of local cheeses followed by tea and coffee. The final leg of our 104km day was an easy 15km ride back to Wang where we farewelled the day riders before settling into the Ryley Motor Inn.
After a tidy up and a beer or two we retired to the Pinsent Hotel for our evening meal and selection of "libations", which for some was a Guiness in recognition of St. Patrick's Day .
Friday, March 16, 2012
"HOT TO TROT" Riding to End Polio 2012
The starting point for the ride was a given,Wangaratta, and the finish at Moonee Valley Race course enabled DG David Anderson to come up with name "Hot To Trot". But what challenges would Graham and Margaret set for us in between?
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