Road trip to Rawson and Baw Baw

Friday October 19 2018 was a warm and sunny day. And I'm on holiday, so it's a perfect combination to get on the bike and get into the hills.

The view from the balcony at Mt Baw Baw

Travelling the dirt road between Mt Baw Baw and Rawson is something I haven't done before, but a comment on netrider a little while ago has led me to believe I probably could ride it with no real worries. But there was a lot of corners to get around before hitting the dirt.

He's a great cat. But . . .

I had a plan, but as normally happens, the morning didn't go to plan. I was going to put the airhawk on to the bike and get going, but when I picked it up from inside, I realised that our cat had marked his territory. If you have a male cat, you probably know just how unpleasant that stench can be, so it was out with a bucket of soapy water to see what I could do. That is never a quick job. So it was washed and dripping wet. What to do? I decided to take it with me under the cargo net to let it dry as I rode for the first stretch. Byt then the seat will be really uncomfortable, the Airhawk would be dry, and I'd be ready to put it on.

That turned out to be a good plan.

The other thing that didn't quite go to plan was using Rever on an old phone. Rever is an app I'm trying to get used to but have had some frustrations with. Turns out that some of these frustrations are because the old phone can't handle it now. Time was lost, but now I know.

I finally got out of the house just after 8.30am and headed east. Stopped in Launching Place to fill up and abandoned the old phone for my usual phone. Rever worked nicely here and I was able to follow the blue line for the curvy roads. I know these roads reasonably well anyway, but this makes it a good place to test these apps.

Rode through Powelltown and stopped in Noojee for a stretch and to put the Airhawk on the seat. I really like my bike, but the seat can be a killer for a long trip. Now with the Airhawk, it's like sitting on a cloud.

From here I rode toward Tanjil Ben and took the turn off to Moe to ride a road I've not used before. It was gorgeous. A wonderful forest road surrounded by magnificent trees and then at the top of the hill there were views that just seemed to go forever. I'll be back here at some point. Blue Rock Lake looks beautiful and it was worth the effort to stop here even just for a moment. Another spot worth visiting in the future.

 

Then it was up the hill to Rawson. I've been involved in a few camps at Rawson Village, so I know this part of the road reasonably well, and it is a very enjoyable ride. If you haven't enjoyed this road yet, do it when you can. I stopped at Rawson for lunch which was - how shall I put this nicely - disappointing.

I had planned to make some lunch to take with me so I could stop anywhere and enjoy it. But that time was lost this morning, so I needed to buy some food instead. Now I've visited the Rawson general store before, and I knew it wasn't going to be a food experience worthy of the Good Food Guide. But I don't think I've ever had a pie and potato cake as bad as this. But there aren't too many options here, and I needed to eat something before heading to Mt Baw Baw.

It was nice to sit under a tree for a while though.

From there it was the South Face Road to Mt Baw Baw. A few years ago I had come from the other direction and when I realised this was unsealed, I turned back. Today I faced the dirt, and it was fine. Yes, the road bike and road tyres make for a few uncertain moments, and the newly laid and very loose gravel early on was a little more 'exciting' than I had hoped for, but the surface is good and the road is wide. It was good to get to the end and then up to Mt Baw Baw for some more sustenance.

The view from the cafe here is magnificent. I wasn't too keen to sit in the sun and the shady balcony was a much better option.

From here it was down the hill, back to Noojee before a short stop in Powelltown. Always a good place to rest. I did realise that I was just focusing on the road and not enjoying the scenery, so that was a good reminder to slow down and enjoy where I was rather than rushing to get somewhere else.

When I got home my wife was a little reluctant to give me a welcoming kiss, which was a little worrying until she told me that I had bugs all over my face, stuck in my beard and around my mouth. I suppose that shows how much I enjoyed the ride.

About 344 kms and nearly 9 hours. It seems like a slow journey to use that much time. Worth it though.

 

See original map here which was created with Kurviger.

Respect. Is it a lost art?

In primary school, there have been times when the class work together to create class rules. These would often include statements like
Don't take someone else's things without asking.
Listen to the teacher when she is speaking.
Respect other people's feelings.
Generally, I always felt like these class rules could be summed up in one word.

Respect.

So we teach it to primary school children, and this is a good thing. But something seems to happen to people when they grow up and too many seem to resent respect, or maybe just forget how that is supposed to be lived out in everyday life.

Two incidents this week have shone a bright and exposing light on the lost art of respect in our society. One is appalling, the other more appalling and tragic.

On Wednesday evening this week, one of our Federal members of Parliament was enjoying a meal in a local pub when he was heckled by some - what shall I call them - drinkers. Senator Sam Dastyari is a public figure, and as such he probably expects people to come and speak with him before being invited to do so. But what he received was verbal abuse. I don't think we need to tip around the edges here, he was treated in an appalling manner by men who had clearly determined that there are some people in the community who do not deserve to be respected.

The fact that these men (must be a better word than this) filmed the exchange, and then made it public, seems to amplify their own lack of respect for the senator, for themselves, and for others in the pub who had to listen to this appalling ranting.

Is respect a lost art? It certainly seems to be for some who have a very narrow view on what it is to be a patriot.

The second incident is far more tragic, because it didn't involve any discussion, but I suggest it began with a simple lack of respect.

On Wednesday afternoon, a man was riding home from work on his motorbike. Nothing unusual in that. I do it myself some days. But as he was riding down a street in the leafy suburb of Mitcham, a four wheel drive did not slow down at a give way sign, hit him and dragged him and the bike under the car for over 60 metres. The bike caught fire and this man was terribly burned. He died the next day.

The driver of the car didn't stop to help. It was a stolen car and the people in it drove off quickly. It has been reported that they later broke into a home in another suburb so they could steal another car.

Go back to those primary school rules. "Don't take someone else's things without asking." Here is a situation when some young men (why is it always men?) chose to abandon respect, stole a car, killed a man, and drove off.

Do you teach children? Teach them to respect others. Use your words to teach them. And teach them by the way you live.

Sydney Journey Pt3 - Canberra to Home

Day Eight (Jan 9) - To Home

When I was planning the trip, I wasn't sure what I would do with today, so I hadn't booked anywhere to stay. I thought I might see how I was travelling and just travel to wherever I could. But there's no place like home. Today was a varied day with great riding and tedious riding, with great weather and with poor weather, and with what was, in hindsight, a poor decision.

I left Canberra and greatly enjoyed the ride to Cooma. Again, it isn't a difficult ride, but well worth doing. I wondered about filling up here, but the day was young and I had enough fuel and didn't need to stop, so decided I would keep going to Adaminaby. It was good to stop in this little town and enjoy a pie before filling up. There are some beautiful church buildings in this town too. 

Riding the Snowy Mountains Highway was amazing. I felt so free with magnificent bends and curves and to be out of the trees. No doubt it gets cold at other times of the year, but in January, it is magnificent. It was cool and it was beautiful. I was almost feeling sad  when I turned off, but I knew what was ahead of me and I was excited about that.

The ride from Adaminaby to Corryong was pretty much everything I hoped it would be. Tight corners, great views, and a few places worth stopping for a photo. This stretch of road is what I had been looking forward to, and it was great. It wasn't a wide road so I knew I needed to be wary in places in case something was coming the other way. I am very pleased that I checked this road with the members of Netrider and was confident that the road was worth travelling.

Signs like this bring a smile to a biker's face

I arrived in Corryong in time for a late lunch, which I don't think I really needed, but it was good to get off the bike and have a stretch while trying to find somewhere to buy a sandwich. (Why was it so hard to find somewhere to buy a sandwich?) I knew the weather was going to turn bad at some point, and looking at the clouds, I knew it wasn't far away. This meant putting the wet weather gear on again and preparing for a tedious ride. Annoyingly, a cattle truck drove past as I was preparing to leave which meant I caught up to it just as the rain started and the road narrowed. Getting caught in road spray is bad enough, but when you're behind a cattle truck, you never know what you're being sprayed with. I was very happy to finally reach a place where I could over take.

The clouds are building up over Corryong

It was on this part of the journey that, in hindsight, I made a bad choice. I had decided that I would once again use the GPS and just aim for home. I chose the option that would take me through Beechworth to the Hume Freeway and because I was in rain, I was ok with that. Coming to Wangaratta I needed to get some petrol, and I just needed to stop because I was tired and wet, so I rode into town hoping to find a petrol station that might also have a cafe attached to it. I didn't find one, which might reveal just how tired I was, but I did get petrol, and even that stop was good.

Back on to the freeway and even though it was raining and I wasn't enjoying the ride, I felt much safer on the freeway. With double lanes it meant I could pass anyone and anyone could pass me without risk. And it was hosing down so I might as well be here where the road is straight. I just felt safer.

I stopped in at Seymour at the golden arches, and it has never tasted so good. One reason I stopped here is because there were outdoor tables and I was dripping wet. It had stopped raining by the time I was here, but I was still wet and didn't want to be dripping all over the floor of another place. It felt so good to eat something warm, and to stand up for an hour. Let's face it, by the time I got to Seymour my rear end was starting to feel really sore, even with the Airhawk on my seat.

With the weather now clear, it was good to get off the freeway and head to Yea, Yarra Glen and home again. All up, I was on the road today for well over 12 hours. This is the longest one day ride I have ever done. And while I was sore when I got home, I loved it.

What was my poor choice? I knew that from where I was I needed to travel west and south to get home. I chose to travel west to Wangaratta and south from there. In hindsight, I should have travelled from Corryong down to Omeo and Bairnsdale then back along the Princes Highway. It would have been drier.

Oh well.

Conclusion

All up I rode over 2400 kilometres, with a huge chunk of them done in the final day. My bike, the trusty Honda NC700SA was amazing. It never skipped a beat and I was very happy to keep on it. My new jacket (Rjays Sprint) was good in hot weather and I greatly enjoyed the vents this jacket has, even though it wasn't as hot as I thought the trip would be. My new helmet (Arai Vector2) also showed itself to be brilliant, particularly in the rain.

I have learned there are many more roads to ride and much more of this country to see. Now I think I can. 

Sydney Journey Pt2 - Merimbula to Canberra

Morning at Merimbula

Day Four (Jan 3) - To Port Kembla

It was very busy in Tilba, but a beautiful place

I had originally planned to just head up the highway, but a look at the maps suggested I could take a more coastal route at least part of the way, so I took that option. In doing so I learned a valuable lesson - use a paper map as well as a digital one. I missed a couple of turns and when I got back to the highway, I wasn't sure which way I needed to turn to get to Tilba Tilba. I took the wrong option.
Tilba was amazing, and well worth the time to stop. Just make sure you know where it is before getting started.

On this part of the journey, I hit a lot of holiday traffic. This slowed the journey up more than I thought it might and meant I was reluctant to stop at crowded places even though I probably needed to stop. Bateman's Bay was crazy busy so while I did stop to get something to eat, trying to get petrol meant queuing up, and I wasn't interested in that. I did find a petrol station a bit further up the highway and was able to stop without crowds around me. I like that.

Got stuck in more rain, but fortunately I could see it coming. There are roadworks around Berry, and that seemed a good place to stop for a cuppa. I couldn't believe cafes were closing when there were so many people walking up the streets, but I was thankful for the chance to stop while it was dry, have a cuppa and then put my wet gear on under cover of a cafe before continuing on.

Tonight was my first experience of Air BnB and it was a good experience. I confess it was a bit strange staying in someone else's house, but again it was a good, cheap stopover.

When I planned this trip, this seemed like a good distance to travel. As the day rolled on though, I felt like I could have kept going a lot further. I'll take this as a good sign.

Day Five (Jan 4) v- To Sydney

The conference I was attending in Sydney was starting earlier than I had realised when planning, so I just took the easy option of putting the address into the phone GPS and following the blue line. Some of the riding was good, and some wasn't. But I got there in good time. And it didn't rain!
There was even some motorbike parking available just outside the University which meant I wasn't worried about where the bike was in this strange city called Sydney.

Day Six (Jan 7) - To Epping

I had decided I would do something iconic and ride over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I'd hoped to have some interesting footage of this, but the camera I was having trouble with the camera I was using and couldn't get it to start. Turns out the battery was flat, but I couldn't work out what the problem was. Anyway, as I rode across the bridge - which was one of those magnificent things I'll probably not do again - I got to the end and wondered, "Which lane am I supposed to be in?" Followed my nose and ended up in the right place. Nothing else interesting about this, but I did get to a friend's place where I was to spend the night.

Day Seven (Jan 8) - To Canberra

Today was hot. I had planned and expected to be  in dry and hot weather for most of this journey, but today was the first real hot day. After visiting a church with my friends, and a good lunch, it was time for me to leather up, pack the bike and get going. Again, I needed the GPS so I could follow the blue line to get me out of the Sydney suburbs and onto the highway to Canberra.

A stop at a service centre on the highway gave me a chance to have an ice-cream and a SMS chat with my wife who was now in Tasmania. My son gave me a water bladder thingy for Christmas, and today it proved invaluable. The ability to keep hydrated while on the go meant I could keep riding for a much longer period than normal. Winner.

The ride into Canberra around Lake George is brilliant. That is a big lake! I stopped at a few places along the way to take a few photos and really just to try and take it in. It is so very big.

A view over Lake George

I arrived in Canberra in good time and thought I might head up to the lookout. My memory failed me, so instead of going to Mt Ainslie I went up to Telstra Tower where there is nothing to see but trees. So it wasn't really worth the effort. I knew that I needed to find a petrol station but they seem hard to find in Canberra. In fact, it is the only place that I have had to use google to find where I could buy some petrol. Anyway, once the tank was full I rode into my cousin's place for the night. Always good to catch up with family. 

New friends in Canberra

Part three of the journey is here - http://sitwonder.blogspot.com/2017/01/sydney-journey-pt3-canberra-to-home.html

Sydney Journey Pt1 - Home to Merimbula

Day One (Dec 27) - Home to Rawson

The plan was a simple one - strap the bag onto the bike and ride to Rawson via Powelltown and Neerim South. But the straps I bought from Andy Strapz are too short. (No one to blame but me) so I needed to find an alternative. As it was a public holiday, most of the shops were closed so I strolled into Supercheap to find something that would work. It wasn't what I wanted, and I determined to do something different for the rest of the journey, but it meant I could get started.

Leaving late meant changing my plan for an interesting ride and just went down the highway. Once I turned off at Moe and started up the hill to Rawson I could feel  my mood changing and my spirits lifting. This is a good road to ride with a lovely surface, good curves and some good views.
I arrived at Rawson, parked the bike, and settled in for a six day youth camp I was leading.

Day Two (Jan 1 2017) - to Lakes Entrance

While at camp, I had ordered some Gotcha Straps from Biker Bits. These did a great job, though it did take a few efforts to work out the best way to strap my pack to the bike.  I was one of the last to leave the  campsite, so got away a bit later than I planned. After 6 days with teenagers, which was great, it was a delight to get on the bike and head down the hill to Tyers. Seeing a wombat crossing the road and then a wallaby on the side of the road reminded me I need to look out for more than just other road users.

Why are you closed now???

I was looking at the clouds and knew that I would be riding into rain.  So I stopped at Maffra to get petrol, hide from the rain to see if it would pass, and put my wet gear on if it didn't. But the petrol station was closed! So after a walk to a toilet stop and then something to eat, I put my wet gear on and rode on into the rain. Filled up in Bairnsdale while the rain was getting heavier. By the time I arrived at Lakes Entrance, I was sodden. It also took me much longer to get here than I had planned, so it was nearly dark when I arrived at my aunty and uncle's house. Anyway, we hung out the wet stuff under cover and hoped things would dry overnight.

I should add that when I stopped at Maffra I realised that one of the straps had slipped off completely and was just hanging off the bike. I was grateful that the velcro on these straps is so strong and this meant it was not long enough to get under the wheel. I don't want to think about what might have happened if it did.

Day Three (Jan 2) - to Merimbula

After a good night's sleep (the first in a week!) I strapped the bag to the bike using a different method, pulled on my wet gloves and began what was to be my best day of the whole trip. I hit more rain between Lakes Entrance and Cann River, which was frustrating, but it wasn't cold so I didn't stop to put my wet gear on. A quick break in Cann River should have made me realise that there are a lot of people on the road travelling on their holidays. This would become very clear later.

Sometimes you just need a cuppa

I left the Princes Highway here and turned north towards Bombala on the Monaro Highway. In doing so I left most traffic behind and felt like I had the road to myself. And what a great ride this is! It may not have the tight twisties that some people look for - and which I was going to find soon enough - but I really enjoyed being able to ride this highway at good speed, see some amazing views, and not have interminably long stretches of straight boring bitumen.

Bombala was a highlight, although as it was a public holiday most everything was closed. I was pleased to find one cafe that was open and able to supply me with a magnificent hot chocolate. I spent a bit longer here than I planned, but would like to come back again one day.

From there I headed east towards Merimbula. This is where I hit the tight twisties. Now, I can enjoy twisty roads, but when there is a car behind you being driven by someone who clearly knows the road better than you, it can lose the fun value pretty quickly. I was pleased to find a spot where I could pull over and let them pass and then enjoy the ride at my own pace - which I didn't think was all that slow anyway.

Spent the night at Wandarrah Lodge, a hostel in Merimbula. It was cheap, and it was comfortable.  A good place to stop if you're in this area. It was the best thing about Merimbula too.

At least the sun was shining in Merimbula

Part two of the journey is here http://sitwonder.blogspot.com/2017/01/sydney-journey-pt2-merimbula-to-canberra.html

Riding motorbikes, not cheating death.

We've all done it. Whether driving a car or riding a motorbike, we've all done it. Done what? We've all had one of those situations where we did something wrong which could have ended badly but it didn't. It could be going through an orange traffic light and realising it was too late as you watched the light turn red. It could have been missing the stop sign and going straight through an intersection. It could be turning a corner with too much power and ending up on the wrong side of the road.

We've all done it.

And most times nothing happens.

But this year for too many people on bikes, something did happen, and when it happens on a bike it doesn't end well.

A couple of days ago three bike riders died in 12 hours in completely separate incidents in Victoria. I don't know what the circumstances were fully, but it would seem that in at least two of them, rider error meant a terrible outcome for the rider, their families, and for other road users. Motorcycle riders are too well represented in the road toll in Victoria this year. At least half of these were unlicensed or on a stolen bike or both. 

You can't just jump on a bike and believe you won't get hurt. You might. Or worse.

Now I know that most people don't ride motorbikes or scooters, at least not in Australia. The danger here is that those in cars can easily forget there are bike riders on the road just driving to work or to an event somewhere. Most of us aren't racing or trying to set a best time on a freeway or even chasing thrills. We're just riding.

Please keep an eye out for the riders.

Riders, be wise in how you ride. Are you wearing solid black? Why? Are you lane splitting above 30kmh? Then you are breaking the law, and scaring the bee-geebers out of everyone else. 

Here is my riding prayer:

Lord, give me the wisdom to ride safely, and the courage to ride confidently. Amen.