Day 6 : Colac to Ballarat

Day 6 Colac to Ballarat 110 km Total 605 km


The thought to hold for the day on this our last day of cycling was from Bill Gates:

‘if we all have the fortitude to see this effort through to the end, then we will eradicate polio’

...a most appropriate thought as it connects our 600 km effort with the effort to rid the world of the scourge of polio.

Leaving Colac by the Princes Hwy, we were farewelled by a gaggle of gang gangs in a gorse bush, the male resplendent in his brilliant red plumage. We turned north ... our dominant direction for the day ... at the Colac – Ballarat Road sign, and were intrigued to see by the roadside where some feckless fellow had built a pyramid out of discarded stubbies!!

We cycled along some perfectly formed lakes. Was the ridge along which we were cycling a lunette caused aolian sand drift or was it prosaically a landscape produced through some creative bulldozing?!!

Passing the Goodie Farm ... was that Bill Oddie behind a bush? ... we headed off to Beeac, famous for its windmills. Interpretive signage in the windmill heritage park was duly taken in as we munched on our fruit and restocked our bidon bottles.

Lunch was at Rokewood in the shade of a rotunda in the park ... or was that a gazebo? Peter threw out the word etymology and while it whisked away in the wind, David googled both rotunda and gazebo on his iphone, but we were none the wiser! To add to the confusion we commenced some steady hill climbing ... Ballarat is some 500 m elevation ... and just past Quarrel Hill we came across a farm named ‘Rotunda Ridge’ ... or was that ‘Gazebo Gorge’?!

Meanwhile Graham at the rear had spied a lady tending her post box and solicitously enquired of her the derivation of Quarrel Hill. The land all around had evidently belonged to a Mr Quarrel, the original squatter. There had been no argument!!! Elders (the agri business) evidently had got their start on the land to the east of this spot. At the little locality we had passed through before the rise, where Alicia had photographed a chain saw sculptured horse and rider in the park, there had once been a thriving gold mining village with several pubs.

The climb ... though not severe.... was long and steady, the road narrow and the surrounds forested. Our escorts – Margaret, Sandra and Michael - did a great job slowing down the traffic and offering we riders some protection. Robert and Eilish, who had cycled out to our afternoon tea spot ... a fabulous park and oval complex with excellent shelter and conveniences .... cycled back into town with us.

Following a few calls from and to DG John Gatt, arrival times were juggled and we cycled familiar roads back to the Conference Centre from which we had commenced our journey 6 days before. DG John, Eileen, the Sportsday Coordinator Arthur and Sandra’s friend Ruth were there to welcome us. Photos were duly taken and we adjourned to the coffee shop across the road for our plenary wind-down session. Mid coffee, we were surprised to see Katrina walk in. Evidently Margaret and Katrina had been quietly colluding in order to preserve the surprise.

At the Sportsmans Dinner that night ... hosted by Ballart South Rotary Club at their venue – the Ballarat Golf Club ... we managed to all sit together. Our guest speaker and local boy was Steve Moneghetti. His definition of running – when one leg gets in front of the other, you replace it with the former – we transferred easily to a cycling application. Dinner was great, along with the conversation, and we were more than thrilled when our chief support person, Margaret, was awarded the Sportswoman of the Day Trophy. Margaret’s name will be engraved under such salubrious names as Eileen Gatt, Katrina Watson and Wendy Smith ... all from past Rides to Conference.

Many thanks go to all participants and supporters. Our Polio Plus total appears to be $6120 at this stage ... down from previous years due to our having less participants, but none the less an achievement to be proud of. When combined with previous years efforts, it will give us a grand total in excess of $70,000 over 5 years.

Journo Graham, editor Margaret