Note to blog readers

At last I have been able to get good connections to publish my blogs of the past several days and hence the days are somewhat out of order 

Apologies to you all but technically I am challenged sometimes 

Hope you enjoy the reads.....

Day 10-Le Mans to Saumur- 127 kms

After a great sleep we awoke to a beautiful day in Le Mans at about 7.00am and the youth hostel had a lovely self serve breakfast where we loaded up on baguettes for the day ahead

Our plan was to get out of the city to go to the Le Mans 24 hour race track to say we had been there and send a note to a few of our “petrol head “ mates

Getting to the track was really easy and although we could not get in as the track was closed, we managed a photo of the entrance courtesy of a chap from the UK who was doing a similar thing as us.... he was traveling back home on his motorcycle after traveling through France 

After visiting the race track it would be fair to say that the exit out of Le Mans became a little challenging so we made for a baloungari to settle our nerves and recalibrate our travels 

This was a wise investment of time and only goes to prove our routine of taking at least an hour to get out of major cities 

From Le Mans we made reasonable progress to Le Flèche which is a pretty city on the banks of the Loire. Lunch consisted of a baguette sandwich a rhubarb cake and a drink of fruit juice on the banks of the river.... very pleasant 

After lunch we made our way to the bike path along a disused railway track and although it was pretty the surface made for slow travel compared to the road

The 50 km ride to Saumur was punctuated by several stops to look at some very impressive houses and to refresh ourselves with water.... I managed 3 refills of my bottle during the day despite the temperature being in the mid 20’s 

We arrived at our hotel in Saumur close on 7.00pm and had a quick shower before heading in to town for dinner 

The most efficient way to travel was on bike... a lot lighter without our bags

Along the way the route we took reminded me of the trip Ric  Hallgren and I made a few years ago with Bikestyle Tours when we stayed in Saumur 

Chris and I managed to get through a plate of pasta each,half a pizza and a bowl of ice cream ( 2 boules) .... we were hungry!!!

It is now 10.20pm

As I do this blog and the sun is setting after a another wonderful day of riding in pretty country 

At the Le Mans race track 

On the Loire river in Le Flèche at lunch

Another view of the Loire at Le Flèche 

A lovely building in Le Flèche 

A canal off the

Loire 

..... Drinks at last with 10 kms to go!!!

Chris and I thought we might buy this house????

Home for the night in Saumur 

Day7 - Rouen to Evreux - 87 kms

Well today we thought we would have a short ride to Evreux and planned to do some shopping at the bike shops in Rouen .... 

so after a great breakfast provided by our hosts it was off to the shops and a coffee and croissant 

We managed the shopping trip well and arrived back at our hosts having left our baggage there whilst we shopped. To our surprise we were offered lunch which was delicious 

Leaving our hosts was rather sad as they were truly delightful and could not have made us more welcome in their home.... 

We thought that leaving at about 1.00pm would make the 42 km trip to Evreux an easy 2-3 hour ride.... well getting out of Rouen was more complex and it took Almost hour to navigate our way through the industrial sector of the town. 

After we found our way the kms seemed to go by quite quickly. After 34 kms we stopped for an ice cream in a lovely pub and thought longingly of the remaining 12 kms ahead....then checking Garmins we realised the tip was more like another 40 kms to Evreux!!!! SHOCK HORROR it looked like the relaxing ride was put aside for a bigger push

Luckily the roads/ bike paths were very flat which made for fast travel

Arriving at the outskirts of Evreux it became apparent that there were some hills to negotiate to get to our Formula 1 hotel. All in the day of a traveling cyclist!

The hotel is very basic but serves the purpose 

Dinner was available in a hotel next door which was quite pleasant and our spaghetti was good

The weather today was slightly warmer in the mid 20s and more humid 

A good days riding despite the longer than expected travels

Saying goodbye to our delightful hosts 

Chris cut his leg on blackberry bushes on a rather “hairy” stretch of road/path in the industrial district 



Where we had ice cream and discovered we had the wrong trip distance!!!

Home for the night in the Formula 1 hotel 

Day 6 - Amiens to Rouen- 135 kms

The day started early with. 6.00am rise so we could pack and have breakfast ahead of our warm showers hosts who were off to work at 7.30 am

We bade goodbye to Marine and Jean who were magnificent hosts for 2 days....

Getting out of Amiens proved to be an interesting experience....seems that roads and bike paths are difficult to navigate!

Anyway we made some progress along the Somme valley which is really quite pretty. We stopped at a place called Conty for morning tea and toast. The cafe was attached to a riding school complete with indoor dressage facilities...all very impressive but understandable given this area seems to be an equestrian hub

Some of the bike paths were “interesting “ 

There was a gentle climb out of the Somme valley which was a bit of a change after riding on the flat for the past 2 days 

At about 85kms we stopped at Formerie for lunch at a pub

The fare was traditional French and Chris selected ham and mushrooms and I chose liver....needless to say I lucked out

leaving most on the plate.... the frites were ok!!!

After lunch we really encountered a strong headwind in the Ruoen and Chris and I took turns to take the lead...every 500 metres which went well except when we struck the hills!!!

We had one big climb of about 3kms with an average gradient of about 3 pc. Several rests were taken which helped the 50 km ride after lunch 

Getting in to Rouen was relatively straightforward with only 2 mishaps due to navigation.... one of which was due to me going well ahead of Chris 

Arriving at our hosts home was timed to perfection in terms of our tiredness after traveling for nearly 12 hours

Our hosts Jean Pierre and Christian were very welcoming 

They are both retired teachers and their family has left home

We were their first guests under the Warm Showers scheme. After a beer and shower we had a 3 course dinner and then they took us out to show off their city

For me it was a real wake-up on the history of this area POF Normandy where Joan of Arc was to meet her end being burned at the stake 

The wander rhythm old part of town was delightful and the buildings quite stunning with most on the Left bank of the Siene river being saved during bombing during WW2

We arrived home at 11pm  after a great night 

Me giving the thumbs up for the path ahead ... why I am not sure




Chips and cows liver!!!!

Chris was delighted with his choice for lunch 

A well deserved rest at the top of a big climb!!

Home for the night at Rouen 


Me with our hosts- Jean Pierre and Christiane 

Delightful hosts 

Day 8 - Evreux to Chartres - 90 kms

After a good night of sleep in the top bunk of our room in the Formula 1 hotel we were ready to leave at about 7.00 am.

The day started with a bit of fog and it was quite chilly but after the fog lifted it was perfect riding weather at about 27 degrees with sun!

Chris awoke earlier than me, I suspect it was due to my snoring (but he is too kind to tell me) and he had found a belongarie with coffee on the web so we headed there to get or breakfast. It was quite delicious with croissants etc and a coffee for me to get started. As there was no seating in the bread shop we availed ourselves of seats in the school yard in the school opposite the shop. We both think this caused some amusement to the school staff some of whom were looking on at us.

After breakfast it was on to Dreux for lunch. We passed through fairly intense farming land with a sprinkle of villages along the way. As Chris pointed out it seems the farmers live in town rather than in houses located on the farms. Interesting comparison to Australia where the farmers  live in homes on their farms. 

The crops we saw included wheat, corn, peas and some crop which had a purple flower 

Stopping in Dreux for lunch was good and we both had a baguette sandwich on the steps of the local church. I picked up a map and we both enjoyed an ice cream as the weather was getting quite hot. We also organised our accomodation in Chartres which I will come back to later.... The interesting point here is that we struggled to get accomodation through Warm Showers and had to resort to using a hotel booking website 

Leaving Dreux we had about 45 kms to Chartres. We traveled for the first half of the afternoon ride in pretty village roads then for the second half it was largely on the major road to Chartres. Again the country was intense farm country 

Chris swapped his trusty Garmin to me to do the navigation so he could look at the scenery. I was rather nervous st this stage as I did not want us to be lost. To my surprise it worked well.

Arriving at Chartres at about 4.30 pm we headed for our hotel. Well despite the fact that our Garmin delivered is to the address we could not find it....we spent about an hour looking for it. Finally Chris went to the front door of a house which had a ramshackle front yard and a very inconspicuous front door .”

Chris spoke to the owner and sure enough it was our place for the night!

Getting inside the house it was apparent that the owners had spent funds on the interior which was quite lovely. It operates on a guesthouse model with 2 bedrooms for rent and the owner is the host.

It was good to have a shower and begin the daily routine of updating my blog 

Tonight we go out for dinner in town!!

Home for the night....Mmmmmmm???

......but inside WOW!!!

Day 9 - Chartres to Le Mans - 140 kms

After a great nights sleep in our guest house in Chartres we wake at about 6.30 pm to a cloudy morning which cleared throughout the day to temps in the mid 20’s

Our host left a lovely breakfast of cakes which together with tea was a great start to “fuel up” for the day

I was taking the role of tour guide for the day with Chris’s Garmin and as per usual we tok our normal hour to navigate our way out of the town. For some reason we seem to get send through the industrial sectors on each city and can see factories that have been closed and left to rust....I guess all the jobs have gone to Western Europe or Asia 

After exiting Evreux our next objective was to find a cafe and bakery/Boulangarie for morning tea....well trying to get a shop in small towns has got to be one of life’s great mysteries.... finally we found one in a town called Combray

Good croissants but no coffee unfortunately....what is it about France and coffee in bakeries....could be a good opening for a business 

Then on for lunch.... well again trying to find a cafe for a sandwich ( read baguette) was another of our great mysteries. 

After traveling over 100 kms with our stomachs hitting our spines we found a shop in Lamney.... thank god!!!

Those reading this blog mark the shop down as a must see for lunch

The next 40 kms in to Le Mans was through undulating country with a few uphills and luckily a few downhills. With the wind behind us we made really good time to be in Le Mans ahead of our self imposed 6.00 pm curfew!

As per usual we had a bit of a SNAFU trying to navigate our way through a private road and were summarily ticked off by a French resident... not sure what he said but it did not sound nice!

Arriving at the youth hostel it would be safe to say we were both “cooked “ and looked forward to a shower and rest 

But..... it was music night to celebrate the summer solstice so  Chris and a ventured out to investigate the music and there were thousands in the centre of town!!!

Wow what a great night 

Off to bed now after a tough day of riding but a good night of celebrating the middle of the year 

Morning tea 

A lovely Château 

Chris at lunch.... finally!!!!!

The cafe you should all visit.... very welcoming I can assure you 

Home for the night after celebrating!!!

Day7 - Rouen to Evreux - 87 kms

Well today we thought we would have a short ride to Evreux and planned to do some shopping at the bike shops in Rouen .... 

so after a great breakfast provided by our hosts it was off to the shops and a coffee and croissant 

We managed the shopping trip well and arrived back at our hosts having left our baggage there whilst we shopped. To our surprise we were offered lunch which was delicious 

Leaving our hosts was rather sad as they were truly delightful and could not have made us more welcome in their home.... 

We thought that leaving at about 1.00pm would make the 42 km trip to Evreux an easy 2-3 hour ride.... well getting out of Rouen was more complex and it took Almost hour to navigate our way through the industrial sector of the town. 

After we found our way the kms seemed to go by quite quickly. After 34 kms we stopped for an ice cream in a lovely pub and thought longingly of the remaining 12 kms ahead....then checking Garmins we realised the tip was more like another 40 kms to Evreux!!!! SHOCK HORROR it looked like the relaxing ride was put aside for a bigger push

Luckily the roads/ bike paths were very flat which made for fast travel

Arriving at the outskirts of Evreux it became apparent that there were some hills to negotiate to get to our Formula 1 hotel. All in the day of a traveling cyclist!

The hotel is very basic but serves the purpose 

Dinner was available in a hotel next door which was quite pleasant and our spaghetti was good

The weather today was slightly warmer in the mid 20s and more humid 

A good days riding despite the longer than expected travels

Saying goodbye to our delightful hosts 

Chris cut his leg on blackberry bushes on a rather “hairy” stretch of road/path in the industrial district 

A nice house in Normandy 

Where we had ice cream and discovered we had the wrong trip distance!!!

Home for the night in the Formula 1 hotel 

Day 5- Rest day in Amiens- 5kms travelled

After the big ride yesterday we both felt we needed a day of rest!!!

I woke at about 7.00 am and made a call back home to wish my grand daughter Sienna a happy birthday... sorry not to be home at her party

Chris and I came down for breakfast to be greeted by a feast of bread and croissants in true French style.... our hosts are truly magnificent 

After chatting over breakfast Chris and I decided to travel in to town to look at the world heritage cathedral and have a coffee/ tea and a cake....well we needed to put some weight on after the riding!!

Travelling back to our accommodation we agreed it was best not to ride out to the war cemeteries at Villers Bretonneux. Rather we would take up the invitation from our hosts to travel with them in their van

All morning Jean was working on renovations to his home which will be something quite special when completed 

Before traveling we were again delighted with a lunch of French fare and some lovely French red

We then traveled out to Villers Bretonneux to look st the new Sir John Monash Centre which is very impressive 

After returning home we spent time on Warm Showers website looking for accommodation for the next 2 nights ahead of dinner in town

All in all a good day of rest with our delightful hosts

Australian War Cemetery at VB

Amiens cathedral 


Chris with our hosts Marine and Jean- lovely people!!

(Backup) Day 4 - Boulogne to Amiens- 151 kms

The day started early with 6 am wake up and it was on to packing and to breakfast so we could be away by 7.00am

We had a big day of riding ahead!!!!

The trip started with a few mistakes in getting out of town as the roads are quite confusing but after we got out of town the bike paths were very good

The first stop was a First World War cemetery in Etaples where about 11000 soldiers are buried. The city hosted a hospital for wounded soldiers 

After this it was on Saint Valery Sur Somme for lunch. This was a very pretty village at the Somme estuary whet the canal up the river commences. The lunch of a pizza was eaten whilst we watched the second half of the France Australia World Cup soccer match...unfortunately Australia lost 2-1 much to the pleasure of the locals 

After lunch it was on to the bike path beside the canal. With the wind behind us it made for easy and fast riding.

The scenery was great and it made the 60 or so kms ride to the outskirts of Amiens very enjoyable 

The last 15 or so kms were on main roads which meant we needed to be careful of cars...

We arrived in our Warm Showers hosts home at about 6.00 pm after a big day

Our hosts showed us around their house which was delightful and it is on a very large block with a huge back yard. Both Marine and Jean are in the proces of big renovations which should be terrific when complete 

The shower and recovery was well deserved as well as dinner in the central area of Amiens. Our big mistake was ordering Steak Tartare which we both forgot was raw mince meat with an uncooked egg on top

I managed to eat most of mine but Chris struggled!

After dinner we walked back to our home to look forward to a long sleep and rest

FYI... I had a real SNAFU with the bottle of chain oil springing a leak in my cross bar bag. A big clean will be required.... seems the lid worked its way loose on the rougher roads 

All in all a pleasing but tough day of riding... tomorrow is scheduled as our rest day 

War cemetery at Estaples

Our lunch venue- good pizza but sorry about the soccer score

Inside the lunch venue 

At the mouth of the Somme 

100 kms up!!!!

Pretty square at Abbeville

Looking over the Somme valley after a big climb out of Abbeville

Boating along the Somme canal

Some pretty scenery along the canal 

... more scenery. This Chateau caught our eye 



Home for the night in Amiens!!!

(Backup) Day 3 - Calais to Boulogne- 52 kms

We started early from Dover as we were both awake at about 6.00am with a fire alarm.Chris and I made our way out of the building but others seemed oblivious to the alarm...

Our room by the way was made for Quasimodo as we both had to crouch to get around.

As we had no access to our bikes we undertook a walk around Dover to find a coffee shop.... nothing doing in Dover apart from coffee at the BP servo opposite our hostel

Dover as a city seems rather run down we both felt with vacant shops and vagrants sleeping on the Main Street

After coffee in our room we packed and made our way down to pick up our bikes for the quick ride to the ferry. Lucky we had done our homework on this the previous evening as the route was rather confusing and there were a lot or trucks and buses making the trip to Calais.

Once on the ferry we had breakfast and coffee and settled in for the chanel crossing of about an hour 

Arriving at Calais we had to wait for about 40 or so trucks to embark before we could ride off finally!!

Lucky for us we received an escort by one of the ferry employees in a van which made things easy...

After finding our way to Calais town we took out cash from the bank had lunch....bread rolls and juice and set our selves for the ride to Boulogne....easier said than done as the roads were confusing and getting used to the guidance with the Garmin took some time

Finally we were on our way initially along some canals with bike paths then along roads which were not busy at all

The country was basically cropping farms with wheat, corn,potatoes as well as dairy. The roads were undulating with a few biggish climbs where the gradient was over 5 pc.

We had good weather with sun temps about 25 degrees and a slight headwind.

Finally we reached Boulogne at about 3.15 but finding the youth hostel was a real challenge 

We took a break in the centre of the town to figure our our final route 

It took nearly an hour to navigate the final 5 kms of the trip!!!!

The youth hostel is very good and the staff are terrific 

The city of Boulogne is famous for being a staging point for the assembly of Napoleons grand armee as he tried to invade England and there is a monument which overlooks the English Channel atop a hill where you can see the English coast in the distance....

All very interesting really 

Tonight we will go to the city for dinner and have an early night ahead of our 150 km ride to Amiens!!!

An early start will be required 

Chris on the ferry 

Yours truly on the ferry!!!

The white cliffs of Dover!!!

Lunch in Calais outside the concert hall

Some of the country as we rode through Normandy

Chris having a drink...we both needed a break!

Napoleon monument outside Boulogne 

Home for the night at the youth hostel... for the young at heart!!!!

Day 2- 14 th June - London to Dover

After a 12 hour sleep I awoke refreshed to start the day

Breakfast was prepared by Ian and consisted of muesli, smashed avocados, toast and jam and bread and cheese... what a feast so expertly prepared.

After breakfast Chris and I went in to Richmond to meet Steve Bawtree and his wife Sarah for coffee. Steve was another of the guys we met on the LEJOG ride last year and it was great to catch up with both he and his wife.

After wishing us goodbye Chris and I walked back to pack our bags and ride to Victoria station.

Packing on the bikes was interesting and I made a real mess of mine with the back seat bag ending up rubbing on the rear wheel... Chris was helpful in a repack...thank god!!!We had a ceremonial goodbye to lan and Lorna who were great hosts to us both during our stay in London.

The ride of about 20kms was through a maze of streets based on the Strava navigation. We managed to get to Victoria just in time for the 3.10 train to Dover. The train trip was interesting in travelling through farming country with a lot of green pasture and crops 

We arrived in Dover and made our way to Hostel Alma where we are staying for the night. The hostel is very basic and smells very musty and damp. The bikes are locked in the breakfast room and there will need to be a real juggle to get our bikes out in the morning in time to get to out 7.40 ferry to Calais.

After unpacking and showering we walked to the town for dinner then made a reconnaissance to Dover port to ensure we knew the bike routes. As we walked back to the hostel we both remarked that it was wise to know the routine for the morning 

A good and busy day with some well invested time in sorting out our packing ahead of the bigger rides in France.

Yours truly saying goodbye to Ian and Lorna 

Chris and I saying goodbye by Ian and Lorna 
Dover castle

Wednesday 13 June

After the long flight from Melbourne it was good to land at Heathrow at about 1.00pm and collect my bike box and head to Ian and Lorna’s home in Richmond.... not far from the airport.

Had a mild panic as the bike box had a few tears from the peddles and I thought I might have lost a few things on transit to the UK...as it turned out I only lost a wheel nut which was replaced in a visit to Ian’s bike shop

It was great to catch up with Chris again and see his new bike.

Ian and Lorna have got a magnificent place with a very pretty garden. Ian tells me that it Lorna who has the “green fingers”.

After putting the bike together it was off for a short shake down ride through Richmond park. Quite lovely really with plenty of wild deer and wonderful meadows.

Tonight we are having dinner at home with Ian and Lorna and I am looking forward to a good night of sleep ahead of tomorrow’s venture on the train to Dover

Chris’s new bike

Ian and Lorna’s back garden


A deer in Richmond park



More deer in the park 

Leaving Day

Today I leave on my trip to France to ride with Chris from NZ. I met Chris last year on the LEJOG ride and we booked a ride with Bike Adventures in France which was canceled due to lack of numbers. Hearing this we both thought why don’t we do the ride unsupported.....well why not!!!

Anyway here we are setting out on the ride. 

I am looking forward to it but wondering what I have forgotten.

On Sunday had a good ride with the Wheeliebinners to Werribee and an opportunity to thank Phil Eager for his help in sorting my gear out!

Catch you all next in London before Chris and I catch the train to Dover and ferry to Calais

Bike loaded up!!!

The Wheeliebinners at Werribee for coffee and a chat

Plenty of advice for my trip 

Day 4 - Heathcote to Seymour -55kms

Last evening we had a great "final dinner" at David's house. The BBQ was expertly prepared by Ellio and the salads by Jeff. Sitting out on the verandah was a very pleasant experience enjoying great food, company and some good red wines ( some from the Heathcote region courtesy of Dave). Although there was a bit of lightening and thunder, the rain stayed away so we could talk about the issues of the day!!!!

After a good night of sleep it was up early (courtesy of the galahs swarking !) and in to breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs on toast expertly cooked by Dave ...what a way to start the day. After cleaning up we were on our way at about 8.30am to Seymour...

Our first stop was at an old gold mining site just out of Heathcote to see what the miners did to the land when they used "water blasting" to separate gold bearing rock from the soil....It has left the area much like a "mars landscape" and the land is unable to be used...

Leaving Heathcote it was up the Mc Ivor Highway north to Tooborac for morning tea. Along the way we decided to ride as a group with rotating leaders which we have tried unsuccessfully on other rides...So it was with some trepidation that Phil organized this part of the ride ( approx. 20kms)....well surprise, surprise ....it actually worked and in to a rather strong southerly breeze it made for good riding....Well done Phil!

After some good coffee at Tooborac it was on to Seymour with the wind coming over our right shoulder. It made for very fast riding often hitting speeds of over 40 km/h. Along the road we passed the Puckapunyal Army Camp which brought back memories to me of my Army Cadet days at school.

Arriving in Seymour at about midday we found an excellent café opposite the rail station for lunch.

Those who were heading back to Melbourne by train sorted out the timetable and Jeff, Anthony, Ray and I packed the ute and headed home by car. We had a slight deviation back to Seymour as I lost my "pouch" with my money clip and credit cards...bugger really but all my fault!

As this is the last pot for this trip it is important to thank Gary Giles for his excellent organization on what was a great 4 days and to thank Dave for his hospitality in Heathcote.

The memories of the trip will stay with those who participated forever.

According to my Garmin we travelled about 265kms over very pretty country with good weather and great company....congrats to all wheeliebinners who came on the journey

Ellio "cooking up a storm" on the BBQ

Jeff preparing the salads...tasted great!!

Enjoying a great final dinner

Yes this is Dave's heaven!!...note the lovely gum tree!

Some the kangaroos who were interested in looking at us!

Looking at the mine site in Heathcote where they water blasted the soil!!!

Along the road from Tooborac to Seymour ...outside Puckapunyal

Day 3 - Castlemaine to Heathcote - 61 kms

Today the weather was a little wet with thunder storms looming for most of the ride. The temp was in the high 20's for the ride and the wind was light , the road surfaces were good and we had a mixture of flatish terrain with some rolling hills....all of this made for good riding with good speed on the roads.

We started at about 8.00m with a ride around Castlemaine looking for a coffee shop to get an early morning "hit" ahead of the ride....well Castlemaine is very "sleepy" with virtually no shops open for business so we settled on the coffee shop at the railway station....quite good coffee in a different location! ( see photo later)

After coffee it was on with the ride through some lovely country...mainly sheep country as opposed to the past few days which was very much cropping country ( wheat and canola). This area also has a rich history in gold mining which saw it as a key area of mining in the gold rush of the 1850's. During the ride we had a few drops of rain which required us to put on wet weather gear at different times. We made it to our lunch stop at Redesdale by 11.00am which was very early and we decided to have a coffee break....very lucky as the weather closed in with a heavy thunderstorm...lighting and thunder and a lot of rain. Lucky for us we settled in at the coffee shop enjoying good coffee and cakes sheltered from the storm. 

After waiting about an hour and a half we "braved" the elements to resume the remaining 25kms to Heathcote. This ride was over some 'rolling hills" with some steeper parts ( 12-14%) and some good downhill runs...all made for great times!

We arrived at Heathcote at about 1.30pm. we are staying at Dave Little's holiday home which is terrific and "very comfortable". Dave's daughter has the house next door which means we can spread out a little in to good rooms which means we can isolate the heavy snorers such as Ellio and myself!

Seems there might be a good night of sleep for some who are looking a bit weary after a night or 2 of interrupted sleep.

Dave has a great set up with a house which makes the best of the views and has good outdoor eating and entertainment areas.

Tonight we will enjoy the great cooking that is anticipated with Ellio's reputation as a great cook. Good food, great location and fabulous company....what more can you want!

Enjoy the photo's....

Coffee at Castlemaine railway station...

A monument recording the start of the Gold Rush...note the guy walked to Chewton from Williamstown ( near Melbourne)

The ute in the rain at Redesdale...what a thunderstorm!!

...but under shelter having a coffee and good home made cakes!!!

Day 2- Daylesford to Castlemaine- 86Kms

Today was a reasonably hot day with the temps in the high 20's to start with and then in the middle of the day it was in the mid 30's with reasonably high humidity...tough in the middle of the day....

We started from Daylesford at about 8.30 after a good breakfast. There was a bit of a shower for the 2 km ride in to the town then after that it was reasonably clear. The trip through to Hepburn Springs was largely downhill then it was open flatish farmland along the Lodden valley through to the Cairn Curran Reservoir. The wind was from the north so we had a little of a headwind. We stopped at Newstead for coffee in a delightful café. This was well served by some very friendly staff with good coffee and muffins....you will see a photo later.

The trip through to Maldon for lunch was through good farming country with many of the farmers out on their tractors doing the harvest.....

The ride in to Maldon was hot and Maldon sits on the top of the hill which caused us to slowly make our way....Gary was struggling with cramps so I made a run in to town to get the ute to collect Gary so he could recover in the A/C car and over lunch .....He made a good recovery.

Lunch was in a delightful park near the Maldon museum and we had the opportunity to visit the history of the area courtesy of the women who ran the venue. Bill Woodfull came from Maldon (Middle name is Maldon after the town where his father was the local minister). Rather topical given Bill's cricket past and the Ashes Test being played in Brisbane.

After a rest and lunch it was off for the final 15 kms to Castlemaine with a largely downhillroad and the wind behind our backs....made for good riding.

we arrived at about 3.30pm and settled in tour cabins with a couple of beers...very pleasant!!

A good day of riding but tough in the middle of the day due to the heat!

Morning Tea at Newstead...Lovely café

Some of the faming country....

After ride beer with the group!

Pictures from today's ride

Gary our leader

 Lavender farm at Restaurant

 Home for the night with the Lyrebirds

Day 1- 24 November- Ballan to Daylesford

An early start ) 6.30am) to pack the "ute" and collect the "boys" that were accompanying me to the Ballan rail station. Those accompanying me were Anthony, Ray and Jeff. we made good time to Ballan and were in time to have a coffee and pick up rolls and bread for lunch. The others (Gary, Phil. Chris, Frank, Dave and Ellio) made their way successfully by train to Ballan and we were on our way by about 11.00am.

I took 'first turn" at driving the ute as we make regular changes so everyone has a turn off then bike.

The weather was in the high 20's and was quite humid so riding was quite hot.....

The roads were very good and quiet so the riding was good...not many hills, just rolling country.

After meeting the guys at Gordon it was "on the bike" for my ride.... quite pleasant really

We had lunch at the Korweinguboora oval which quite nice although the grass needed a good mow.

After lunch it was on the Daylesford where we are staying the night. We are staying a little out of town at Jubilee Lake and are in camp cottages which are quite comfortable.There is some local wild life ( Lyrebirds) which are quite pretty.

A good first day

I am afraid that the WIFI is poor and downloading pictures is impossible.

4 Day Ride Coming Up
I have a 4 day ride through central Victoria coming up next week from Friday 24 November to Monday 27 November.
10 of us from the "wheeliebinners" riding group in Melbourne are doing a supported ride through some interesting country with distances of about 65kms each day.
Hope you enjoy the blogs each day....

Peter Harrison