Day 2 - Bruthen to Bairnsdale 34 kms
This morning we were awake at about 7.00 am and surprisingly it was relatively clear of rain.
As we showered and packed up our things there was a little drizzle… we made our way to the Honey Pot cafe for breakfast and down came the rain! Bugger!
Our resident weather forecaster ( Rob the weatherman) said of we waited until 9.30 am the weather would clear…. And sure enough it did!!!
Well done Rob…
So we started on the ride which was once again on a very good surface. The first 15 kms were on a gentle climb which was ok …then it was on to a good downhill to Bairnsdale on a sealed surface…. Great riding!
We crossed a few rivers which were flowing rapidly as a result of the rain in the region.
We arrived at Bairnsdale at about 11.30 am and found a cafe to enjoy a well earned celebration at the end of the ride.
The logistics of the car transport then came into play with Steve picking his car up from his friend ( about 7 kms away transport there by Uber) then picking me up to travel back to Orbost to pick my car up.( About 100 kms one way)
Then Steve and I returned to Bairnsdale to pick up Jeff, Rob and Elio.
By this time it was raining again and packing the bikes and bags was done in the rain!
We left Bairnsdale at about 3.00 pm and made our way home with a stop in Rosedale for a drink and late arvo tea!
The ride home was uneventful and I arrived home at about 7.30 pm tired but satisfied with a great couple of days of riding.
We saw some lovely countryside and met some lovely people along the way. The Gippsland Rail Trail was absolutely outstanding all involved in it creation and maintenance must be thanked for their hard work and efforts…. Well done!
We all need to thank Steve Seymour for organising the ride and doing such a wonderful job in doing the reconnaissance of the trail and organising our accommodation which was outstanding in the local pubs in Orbost and Bruthen.
We all had a great time despite the challenges of the weather sometimes!
The photos today are:
A familiar sign at each road junction shows the distance to go!
All of us on the Nicholson River Bridge
A view of the Nicholson river
All of us at the end of the ride
Today’s route
