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Thursday, February 28 -- We were up bright and early because we had a
ferry to catch ... but the ferry was about 55 kms away.
I felt slow and slugglish on the bicycle for the first hour or two. I just didn't feel comfortable,
and couldn't get any speed up, but then I gradually started feeling better. Rowan says that we
were doing a lot of long gradual climbs on the way to San Remo, which might explain why it seemed more difficult.
We stopped at picnic area and lookout where we had stopped a few days earlier ...
the grey ocean looked angry today. It crashed against the cliffs, sending spray everywhere,
and there were whitecaps on the crests.
We continued on our way to San Remo, over the big bridge onto Phillip Island, and over to Cowes.
When I rode this section in 2004, I wrote in my journal that it was flat. Today, for some reason,
it did not seem flat. Interesting the different perspectives a person can have about an area.
For the benefit of other cycletourists who ride with someone, I also want to mention
something I have noticed about hills and coasting. I usually ride behind, occasionally I lead
the way for a while, but more often than not, I end up being passed ... and that is OK with me.
When we climb a hill, I'm usually the slower climber ... and that is OK with me too ...
for now. You never know - one day I may surprise everyone with my climbing skills!! :) :)
But here is the situation ... if both of us arrive at the top of the hill at approximately the
same time, and we begin the descent more or less together, with me on the wheel
of the rider in front, I end up on the brakes all the way down the hill to keep from running into
the rider in front. Machak seems to roll well, especially when he is loaded, and loaded
touring bicycles create quite a draft! I can feel it when I get into the draft of the rider
in front ... all of a sudden I accelerate dramatically! Knowing this, I get into the
habit, when I'm touring, of slowing and braking when I reach the top of a hill to
create distance between the rider in front and myself, rather than powering over a hill. I'm
not sure what else to do.
One additional note ... for me, this only applies to straight hills. Throw a curve or two
into the hill, and I'm on the brakes anyway, and the rider in front disappears in the distance.
We were pushing to reach Cowes by 12:40 pm to catch the ferry, and we rolled into
Cowes with about an hour to spare. So we picked up lunch from the local grocery store and ate
it on the beach near the dock. It was chilly there, but the beach area is beautiful. Then we
loaded the bicycles on to the ferry, on the roof this time because of the tides, and crossed
to French Island and back to Stony Point. When we disembarked from the ferry, the train was
there waiting for us.
Once we got into Melbourne, we made a quick stop at the Richmond Station to pay a little
visit to Abbotsford Cycles, and then we continued on our way to Lilydale ... the end of the line.
At Lilydale we picked up a few things from the grocery store and then began the task of
cycling back toward Healesville. Things did not go well at first. We crossed a very busy road,
and then started to cycle up it. Almost immediately I was squeezed off the road by several
large busses, and I had to stop and get off my bicycle in order to negotiate a bit of curb
sticking out into the road. Seeing this, Rowan decided to take a different route out of
town which might be less busy. However, although he knew about the route, he wasn't exactly
sure how to get there from where we were.
Lilydale is very hilly! We cycled up and down and up and down and up and down trying to
figure out how to get out of Lilydale. Much more of that, and my hill climbing skills would
have had to start improving! However, we eventually did find ourselves out of town and on the
road we were looking for. But the hills didn't stop there. That whole area is hilly.
We rolled into Yarra Glen, picked up a few things in town, and then backtracked
to a road we had spotted which looked like it might lead to a potential camping spot. The road
was completely closed off to traffic, allowing only hikers and cyclists in, and once on the road,
we discovered paths off to the left. The only deterrent to using the area were several signs
indicating the presence of snakes. So we found a likely-looking place, in a billabong, next to
a little foot bridge ... in the snake pit!
Incidentally, while Billabong is a name brand for all sorts of things from ice cream to
sweatshirts, a billabong is essentially an oxbow lake, which is often dry or contains stagnant
water. In our case, the billabong was completely dry.
Rowan used the bridge as a counter on which to cook supper ... very handy.
The temperature dropped that night, down near freezing, and I ate supper wrapped in
one of my sleeping bags. It was also the first night on the tour where I slept inside a
sleeping bag. I slept well, but dreamed of snakes.
Friday, February 29 -- We had a lazy morning having breakfast and packing up.
We had to be in Healesville late in the afternoon, and it was only about 20 kms away, so
there was no rush. Eventually though, we set off.
And we didn't see any snakes the whole time we were there.
We cycled to the end of the closed off road, and noticed that the police were doing a
checkstop. One police officer was talking to someone in a car, so the other one came over to
us and stopped us. "Oh-oh", I thought, "Maybe someone reported that we were camping in the
billabong and we're in trouble."
But the police officer just asked us some questions about where we were from,
what we were doing, and where had been on our tour ... the usual questions we get asked when
we tour. He told us that he cycled in the Wilson's Prom area too, and then asked us some
questions about our equipment and setup. We chatted a bit, and then went on our way.
The road to Healesville is hilly. The whole area around there is hilly! But it was interesting
because it is wine country. Vineyards lined the hillsides. I stopped and took several photos. A
short time after I stopped to take photos, we rounded a corner and came upon a sign warning people that
from that point on, the removal or possession of grapes and grape material was strictly prohibited. They
are very protective of their grapes and vineyards.
Then we rolled into Healesville. Healesville is a bit of a tourist town catering to people from the
city (Melbourne) who want to get out into the country, and who want to tour the wineries.
http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/healesville/ We had lunch there, and wandered the streets looking at the
various shops, had some sorbet, and then laid down next to a small creek passable only by large
stepping stones. These stepping stones proved to be a source of amusement for us as we watched the
people cross them ... some did so easily, some not so easily.
We were finally able to pick up the rental car late in the afternoon, loaded our bicycles into it, and
headed back toward Taggerty. The car was a Mitsubishi Magna and we were able to get both bicycles in, although Rowan's
bicycle was sticking out the back. I suspect if we had put Machak in the trunk (boot), he might have fit.
But by the time we thought of that, he was already in the backseat, and we went with what we had.
We stopped at the Maroondah Reservoir and took a few photos. It's beautiful up there! Then we stopped
at Fernshaw where I took some photos of manferns. And then we drove through
Marysville, and back to Rowan's place. For supper that night, we had another massive hamburger each from Buxton Burgers ...
supposed to be the best Australian hamburgers in the world.
Saturday, March 1 -- Since we still had the rental car, today we decided to explore the area
around Rowan's place, scouting out roads he had never been on to see what they were like and what was there.
Sometimes it is very handy to have a vehicle to check things out.
First, we drove up Acheron Way. We knew that road was quieter than Maroondah Highway, and might be an option
to get from Healesville to where Rowan lives without being run off the road by logging trucks, but we also knew it had
a section of gravel. What we didn't know was how long and how bad the section of gravel
might be. As it turned out, the section of gravel wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to ride it with
a road bicycle, but it might be doable on a mtn bike.
And it would be worth it! The views from up there were incredible.
We climbed up Mt Donna Buang in the Yarra Ranges
National Park to see what was up there. That was quite a climb! On the way up, we drove past a couple of cyclist
doing the climb. We stopped at one point to take a photo and one of the cyclists went past.
Rowan asked him how it was going, and he responded that it was going well ... and didn't even
seem out of breath!
At the top, there was a tall structure to help us take in the view. We climbed to the top,
and the view was magnificent! We took several photos.
When we got down, the first cyclist was there and we chatted with him a bit. Then the second
one came up, and asked us to take a photo of the two of them. They had both completed the ?? a
couple weeks ago ... so they were experienced climbers. If I had hills like that around the
area where I live, my climbing skills might improve dramatically!
We went back down the hill and took a stroll around a little rainforest at the Mt Donna Buang
turnoff where I got lots of
photos of manferns and jungle scenery. It was lovely.
We continued on into Warburton, another sort of touristy little town. We were hungry, and
curious about the town, so we parked the car and walked down the main street. A couple blocks
down we found a little pie shop in a converted gas station where we each had meat pies and
fruit turnovers. Very good! They'd make great cyclist food on a ride, and in fact, the town
was full of cyclists, several of whom stopped at this little shop.
Our next stop was Lilydale where we checked out a bicycle shop, but it did not have what
Rowan needed. So we returned through Warburton to go to the Upper Yarra Dam and had a look around there. There
was an interesting-looking campsite at the dam, which might be a possibility for a short tour. A large part of the dam area was
taken up with a wedding ... it was a beautiful spot for that.
Then we travelled the long way to Marysville via Cambarville, and then visited Steavensons
Falls just outside Marysville. The falls were gorgeous. In fact, the whole area through there is just beautiful ... I can see why it
tends to be a touristy area.
When we got back, there was an email from my father ... I have a nephew, born February 29, 2008. A leap-year baby!! :)
Then, unfortunately, I had to pack everything up. The journey was coming to an end.
Sunday, March 2 -- We were up about 4 am to begin the drive to Melbourne Airport. I'm
not sure why, but I was not well at all during the first part of that trip. I haven't been
carsick since I was a child, but was on this trip. Maybe it was the stress of the upcoming
flight, and having to leave Australia and Rowan combined with my balance issues triggered by
fast driving on curvy roads in the dark.
Virgin Blue was great ... there was no charge for my bicycle, and they even went out of their way to supply me with tape
for my bicycle box. I have always had good experiences flying with Virgin Blue. They even let Rowan into the waiting area
to see me off. And eventually, off I went. I really do hate that part.
The flight was uneventful, and in Sydney, I was able to catch the shuttle bus from the Domestic Terminal to the International
Terminal just as it was pulling out. Good timing! The driver was really nice and dropped me and another girl off in the Arrivals
area because he told us that the trolleys were free there, but we'd have to pay for them in Departures. I waited with all our stuff
while the other girl went and grabbed two trolleys. It's nice to hook up with people like that when you're travelling alone.
I wanted to check in, but the counters weren't open, so I walked around the airport, then went outside for some fresh air.
Fresh air is not to be found right outside an airport terminal! That's where all the smokers go! I was driven back inside by the
smell of stale and fresh cigarette smoke. Finally the counters opened up and I got into line. Now, trolleys tend to be a little
bit like shopping carts with one wheel that goes sideways and things like that. I had a trolley which would not turn easily, and
absolutely would not go into reverse. Everytime I tried, it would lock up. Try to negotiate those switchback waiting lines with a
trolley that doesn't turn at all well, and doesn't go into reverse! It was a bit of a challenge, but fortunately some of the people
in line helped me out a bit.
When I got to the counter, my bicycle box was taken from me to the X-ray machines, and then the check-in process
continued. When my bicycle box was returned to me, the guy who took it announced to the agent, "It's a bicycle!"
Being charged for my bicycle at the Sydney airport is a little bit of a process. After they take your box and determine it is a
bicycle for sure, they then send you clear down to the other end of the Departures terminal to a little customer service
desk where you pay for the bicycle and get a receipt. Then you go all the way back to the check-in counter, show the
receipt to the agent, who then gives you your boarding pass. And then I was directed to drop it off at the oversized luggage
counter located relatively nearby.
Freed of my checked luggage, I was able to do a few other things while I waited. I had something to eat, and I went
shopping. I had bought my niece a koala for when she was born, and now that I had a new nephew, born on leap year, I
thought a kangaroo would be an appropriate choice. I got a cute one. :)
My flight back to Canada seemed long, very long, much longer than my flight to Australia, but then, I didn't sleep as
much as I did on my way over. I thought for a few minutes when I got on the plane, that I'd have the whole row to myself, but
then a band of some sort (like a rock band) dashed onto the plane. One of them sat in the aisle seat. At first I thought we were
in for a noisy trip, but they all fell asleep. Then I thought I'd at least have the seat next to me to spread out into, but then a
woman was moved into that seat because her entertainment system wasn't working. The way she banged the one in that seat,
I had my suspicions why it wasn't working! So I had to confine myself to my own seat. I ended up watching a few movies,
doing some Sudokus and trying to sleep.
We landed in Vancouver and went through customs uneventfully. I collected my duffel bag, and then waited for Machak
to appear. And waited, and waited ... and checked my watch ... and noticed that I had about 30 minutes to catch my flight ... and
waited. I inquired at an information desk what I should do, and was told that I had to wait for my box, and hopefully they could
get me on the next flight. And I waited. With 10 minutes to go, Machak appeared. I rushed him through the line, but was informed
that I was too late for my flight which would be closing the doors in about 9 minutes. Because Machak was oversized, I
would have to drop him off at the other end of the terminal and head down a different wing to get to my gate ... there was no way
I would make it. I was given a Standby notice for the next flight.
I strolled across the terminal to drop Machak off, and then strolled to my gate where I was informed that I would know for
sure one way or the other in about an hour if I was going to be allowed on the flight. An hour later, I was allowed on! About
4 or 5 of us were allowed on, but some weren't ... and their flight didn't go for another 10 hours! I was very relieved that they
let me on.
My flight to Edmonton was also uneventful, but I thought it was amusing overhearing the people sitting beside me talking about
flying for 5 or 6 hours before this flight ... I'd been on the road over 24 hours by that point! When I arrived in Edmonton I
wasn't sure if my luggage would be there. The last I saw of my duffel bag and bicycle box (dropped off in two separate locations)
they had Standby stickers on them, and when my flight was confirmed, I hadn't laid eyes on them for over an hour. But ... they
both made it!
My father picked me and took me back to Red Deer ... and my trip was over! The next day, Monday morning,
real life would begin again as I drove back into Edmonton for University.
More store and photos on the way ... I've got heaps of photos coming!
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