Cycling Holiday Photos. 2nd Installment

This is the second installment of photos related to the cycling holiday mentioned in the last few previous posts. The photos on this page relate to the time I was camped at Mountain Creek, near Mount Bueaty / Tawonga near Mt Bogong.

Mountain Creek campsite

Towards Eskdale Spur ride

Creek crossing bypass track

4×4 track heading towards Eskdale Spur

A beautify mountain stream

One of the many bridges on the walking track that parallels the 4×4 track over a number of the creek crossings.

Creek crossing where no parallel walking track / bridge existed. It was near here that the rear derailer on the bike had an altercation with a rather long stick which caused the ‘vital part’ to fail.

A rough walking track – not designed for bicycles at all!

Trappers Gap road ride

Trappers Gap Road with mountains in the background

Mt Bogong from Trappers Gap Road

Mt Bogong from Trappers Gap Road

The only turnoff on the ride. I rode along this track for a while, but as it started descending not long after I turned back and kept riding along Trappers Gap Road. I remembered this being the end of the climb, but there was a still a bit more climbing on Trappers Gap Road to do before it started it’s long descent towards Mitta Mitta.

Flowers beside the road

Tree Fern Walk

This walk starts and nears near the Mountain Creek Campground.

Tree Fern Walk – big stump hole

Tree Fern Walk – big stump

Tree Fern Walk – Tall Tree

Tree Fern Walk – Fern

Tree Fern Walk – log decay

Tree Fern Walk – fungus and moss on a log

Tree Fern Walk – walking amongst the ferns

And that was it, for now

Note: photos will be added in a  later post…

Last Friday I left home early in the morning and found the James Reserve near Swanpool in Victoria where Rebecca, Eliana and I would be camping for the weekend, got camp set up, put a new mountain bike tyre on the back rim of my bike, took it for a test ride, then waited for the girls to arrive, which eventually they did.

Sabbath morning we went for a bit of a walk after breakfast and I tried to explain to Eliana what it meant to have a sense of ‘wow’. Later we went for a drive around the area and were greeted with rain, rain, and more rain. Wow! But it was good to have a Sabbath out in nature without any artificial stimuli. After the rain stopped Eliana decided that it would be fun to climb up and down the earth embankment on the other side of the creek with the girls camped next to us. If the level of mud she collected on her clothes was any indication then she really enjoyed herself.

Sunday we woke early, had breakfast, packed up the girl’s camping equipment, and while they headed home I headed to Yea to ride to Alexandra with 2 Strava friends on the Great Victorian Railtrail. By 8am we had started the ride, and we passed through the Cheviot tunnel, then down to Molesworth. From there to Cathkin proved interesting as the recent rains had made the trail somewhat boggy. From Cathkin the trail was better, AND uphill to within a few km of Alexandra.

We stopped there for a while, had some sustenance, and then started to head towards Yea. For the first few kms back I went ok. But then I seemed to run out of energy which didn’t matter too much until the climb out of Molesworth. But by then the lack of energy really took it’s toll as I ever so slowly slowly pedalled up the 10km or so to the Cheviot tunnel. By the tunnel I was exhausted, thankfully there was some downhill most of the way to Yea from there.

At Yea we discussed the ride, and it was suggested that I might have been dehydrated or not properly fuelled for the ride, both of which I had the opportunity to test later on my holiday.

From Yea I travelled back to camp and made myself some soup / noodle / veggie concoction which tasted great. The next day I packed up camp and travelled to Mountain Creek Campground near Mount Beauty and set up camp.

From there the 4×4 track beckoned so I took the bike for a spin towards the Eskdale Spur. As there were a number of creek crossings I chose to use the bridges on the parallel walking track for the creek crossings where they existed. Even still, I had to traverse at least one creek where there was no walking bridge. About 5km into the ride I decided enough was enough – those hills just seemed to be getting steeper! And so turned and headed towards camp. At one point a stick jammed itself into the rear derailer which caused a failure of one of the many vital components. Not to worry, it was mostly downhill back to camp.

The next day, Tuesday, my plan was to ride along the Trappers Gap Road from the campsite until it stopped going up hill, which was about 8km, and then return back to camp. But first I had to make the vital component that failed the previous day not-so-vital.

Wednesday, and this was to be a real challenge. The plan: ride the ascent of Mt Buffalo. I decided to have a high protein breakfast to start the day – 2 x Nutolene sandwiches, an Up-n-Go, and a banana. And before the ride I had 600ml of water. So dosed up on carbs, protein and water I started the ride from Eurobin Creek Picnic Area. This ride should have been harder than the railtrail ride, but overall my energy levels were better than the railtrail ride and more consistent over the 20+ kms of climbing probably helped by the more regular sips of water along the ascent and the banana and Up-n-Go I had at the Mt Buffalo Chalet. And I guess the promise of 20km of downhill roll on the way back spurred me on somewhat too. I suspect I need to pack some low-GI snacks and plenty of water on long or hard rides in future and not be reluctant to actually partake of them enroute.

After completing the Mt Buffalo ride, I headed back to camp and as I had heard that there was going to be rain I decided that it would be better to break camp while everything was still dry, and so packed up and travelled to my parents-in-laws for a few days to see if there was likely to be any more fine days before the weekend.

Winter Wonderland Cycling and Railway Holiday

What follows is the diary of a mid-winter train and bike adventure, each day’s entry written on that day…

Tuesday 4th August

The start of this winter wonderland adventure started in character – the overnight temperature was about -2C. After a reasonable sleep in a warm bed I arrived at Albury (New South Wales) station around 6:10am, put my bike into the luggage van and then found my seat. The train ride was good (could a train ride be otherwise?) and it was good to see that the train was often travelling faster than the road traffic travelling on the Hume Freeway that is next to the railway. The plan for this adventure is to travel by train to Bendigo, then spend a day and a half there exploring by bicycle, then (weather permitting) ride along the O’Keefe rail trail to Heathcote, the day after that continue on to Seymour where I will to catch a train to Wangaratta where I will rendezvous with Rebecca and have a romantic weekend away to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. If the weather forecast for Thursday or Friday is nasty then I will head back towards home early and meet Rebecca at a different place.

The train journey from Southern Cross to Kangaroo Flats could not have been more different than the train journey from Albury. Where the journey from Albury was at a somewhat sedate 100 – 110kph (or thereabouts) with as much as 20 minutes or so between stops and the train itself was a 5 car deisel-electric locomotive hauled train the Southern Cross to Kangaroo Flats journey was in a deisel multiple unit (DMU) train called a VLocity travelling at up to 160kph with stops about every 10 minutes. The first part of the journey in the VLocity train was somewhat boring, being on suburban-standard track. But after we left Sunbury the VLocity was able to stretch it’s legs and there were a number of times it must have got close to it’s 160kph maximum speed. I had been in VLocity trains before, but I don’t think I have ever been on a train trip that was so un-nerving as the Kangaroo Flats journey. Exactly why, I don’t know. But the journey was finished safely.

Kangaroo Flats Goods Shed (disused)

Kangaroo Flats Railway Station

After buying some lunch and booking into the motel, I went exploring on the tredlie. The Bendigo Creek Trail, and 2 loops around the Crusoe and No 7 dams were the subject of my exploration. The 2 loops around the dams were interesting with lots of historical vistas. The Bendigo Creek Trail is like many other urban bike trails with many different vignettes and experiences – suburban backyards, bridge underpasses, losing the trail, bike lanes on roads. Overall, though, it was an interesting trail.

Central Deborah Mine

Bendigo Creek Trail Brick Bridge

Crusoe and No7 Dams Water Works

Crusoe Dam Water Works

No7 Dam – Old Pipes

Crusoe and No7 Dams Water Race

No7 Dam Basin

No7 Dam Cistern

Wednesday 5th

I awoke to the sound of rain. And the sound of water cascading off the roof. Hmmm! But I needn’t have worried. By the time I had finished breakfast it had abated somewhat. And by the time I had attempted to book my train ticket online and successfully booked accommodation for Thursday the sky had cleared up and there was even a fair bit of blue sky. I needed to somehow check that my attempt at booking the train ticket was successful and felt the best way to do that would be to visit the Bendigo train station. As it turned out I had not successfully booked the train ticket, so booked it while at the station. While I was doing that it was raining quite heavily. But a few minutes after I had booked the ticket it had almost stopped. So I continued on my ride.

One Tree Hill Tower

Railway Workshops

Railway Workshops

Through the suburbs of Bendigo I peddled, and then turned south towards One Tree Hill, one of the highest points in the area. The ascent up One Tree Hill was somewhat difficult, but I figured there would have to be some downhilll upon reaching the top and so tried to ignore the aching muscles, rapid breathing, and thumping chest. From the top of One Tree Hill there was indeed some downhill. Yay! From there I rode to the Geographical Centre of Victoria, the location of Mandurang. It even has a snazzy plaque and a big X (which, incidently, ‘marks the spot’). From there I went back to the Kangaroo Flats Rd via a dirt road whose name I don’t recall.

Mandurang – Centre Of Victoria Plaque

Mandurang – Centre Of Victoria – X marks the spot

I arrived back at the motel a bit after noon, and then proceeded to dry out my riding attire. And then I availed myself of some lunch time sustenance which amounted to a cheese and tomato roll, some nuts and some fruit. The afternoon was spent doing some shopping and relaxing at the motel.

Thursday 6th August

The original plan has changed. Instead of cycling to Heathcote today and then on to Seymour tomorrow I have decided to travel from Kangaroo Flats to Southern Cross (Melbourne, Victoria) then to Wangaratta today and spend the night there. Then explore around there by bike. The major reason why I made the change was that I didn’t want to ride along the McIvor highway for about 20km east of Heathcote and the alternative routes suggested by Google Maps may be through a restricted military area. The last thing I need is to have to turn back about 10 or km into the ride, or worse. So the safest option was to not include the Bendigo – Heathcote – Seymour ride in the itinerary.

I installed a GPS Speedometer app on my phone last night with the express purpose of seeing how fast the train travelled on the journey into Melbourne. The train reached it’s maximum speed of 160kph on a number of occassions according to the app, even on the suburban trackage south of Sunbury although the track in the section was noticably rougher. Once at Southern Cross in Melbourne I had a 2.5 hour wait, so sat at the platform the train to Wangaratta was going to depart from and watched the trains come and go – a pleasant way for a rail fan to spend a few hours in spite of the drizzle and cool temperature. The journey to Wangaratta was uneventful, until a car collected a train going the opposite way to the train I was on. So the train I was on stopped at Benalla and we were all herded onto buses. I really wonder at the level of intelligence people must have every time I hear or read about a car collecting a train. When will people learn that those red flashing things on poles near railway lines means STOP before the silver parralel things so that the big heavy fast articulated metal thing on wheels doesn’t hit your car! It must be said that through the whole saga the Vline railway staff were great at keeping us informed and getting us to our destinations. They had buses available within about 30 minutes of us stopping at Benalla – no mean feat in the country where a bus may have to come from up to an hour away. Multiple kudos to them for the awesome job they did, and for the bus drivers that got us to our destinations.

So by the time I got to Wangaratta I was about an hour late. After riding to the motel via a wrong turn, and making some dinner, I proceeded to do some serious relaxing.

Friday 7th August

After collaborating with Rebecca, I decided that I would attempt to ride from Wangaratta North to Whitfield or further in the King Valley. So about 10am I left the motel and headed south. The first 20km was on a separate trail near the Whitfield road. I always prefer to ride on a separate trail rather than a road when cycling if one is available. After the Oxley turnoff I had to use the road. And it was a lot busier than I had expected.

Moyhu Church

Moyhu Church

Hume and Hovell Marker south of Moyhu

Lunch at Moyhu at the iNeeta Cafe

After a stop for lunch about 1/2 way at Moyhu I continued on towards our accommodation at Cheshunt South. When I started at Wangaratta North I had ‘some energy’, but the further along the road to Whitfield I got the more ‘tired’ I felt, especially after I had stopped for lunch and started riding again. At a place called Edi Cutting, so named because the narrow gauge railway that once travelled through the area travelled through a cuttung there, I decided rather than going up along the road to go down and along the flats. This went well until I encountered this…

Edi Cutting Creek Crossing

I tried to ride through, but the rocks in the water were too big and so I got off the bike in mid stream, getting my feet all wet, and proceeded to trudge through the crossing on foot.

At Whitfield I considered stopping and waiting for Rebecca to pick me up on the way through, but when I found out she was still about an hour and a half away I decided to keep going. I passed through Cheshunt, and turned towards Cheshunt South, and by that stage was stopping every few kilometres for a rest and by the time I got to Glenmore Springs, our accommodation for the weekend, I was puffing and panting with legs that wanted to give up, struggling along on a flat road in first gear! But I made it – almost 70km with full touring kit which must be some sort of distance and endurance record for me.

Old Whitfield Railway Engine Shed, I think

Inside the old Whitfield Railway Engine Shed, I think

Inside the old Whitfield Railway Engine Shed, I think

Rebecca arrived about 45 minutes after I did, which gave me a chance to have a shower and freshen up, and stock up the fire, before she arrived. A very interesting week of railways and cycling! And now the romantic 20th anniversary weekend getaway begins…

Glenmore Springs – entrance

Glenmore Springs – tobacco kiln converted to a two storey 1 bedroom apartment.

Inside – ‘lounge’ room

Inside – the roaring fire and the edge of the dining table.

View from the balcony acessible from the bedroom on the upper floor.

Old Friends?

Normally we think of friends as being those fellow human beings that we have a bond of friendship with, people we have something in common with. And certainly those fellow human beings are friends. But maybe friends can be more than just human beings. Dogs are often referred to as “mans best friend”, so maybe other non-human things can be friends too in some way? When I was growing up in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), my dad and I would sometimes spend a Sabbath afternoon exploring the national parks / state forests not far from where we lived. My parents still live there, and it is good to go back from time to time and experience the fond memories of days gone by, days that somehow seemed to be more relaxed, less stressful.

Interesting gum tree

Over the New South Wales September 2014 School Holidays I had an opportunity to go on a mini-holiday with Eliana, my youngest offspring, to visit my parents and re-discover some old friends that I haven’t connected with in a long time. At church on Sabbath I had an opportunity to catch up with a number of ‘old friends’ (‘old’ not referring to their age, but rather how long they have been friends!). In the afternoon after lunch mum and Eliana went for a drive and I took the opportunity to do some hiking in the nearby forests. The plan was to hike from my parents’ house along Paddys Track and Neumanns Track to Grants Picnic Ground in Kallista then loop around via Coles Ridge Track and Welch Track back to my parents house through the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It had been many many years since I last walked that loop – at least 30 years I think. Some things stay the same and some things change. Near the start of the walk, just past the bridge that spans the Monbulk Creek there is a location called Jack the Miners in Selby. I have memories of going there for family picnics when I was young, and of it being a big expanse of open space with nicely mowed grass. But today it looks like the photo below.

Jack the Miners, near the Monbulk Creek bridge and Paddy Track.

The obvious source of the name would be that it is named after a fellow named Jack who was a miner. And I have heard that there was once a hut there. But I also read that there was a timber tramway through the area at some point in the early 20th century that ran through the area, and Welch Track seems to follow that tramway for at least part of it’s distance. So Jack the Miners might have been a timber storage area or something else at some point as well. There is no real evidence of what it was used for evident today. So exactly where the name came from or what the clearing was used is not entirely clear. The track itself seemed little changed from what I remembered of it.

Paddy Track joins Jack the Miners and Neumann Track.

I remember the hill in the photo above a bit too well! But I didn’t remember quite how long it was. But in spite of doing virtually no excersize for the previous month I still managed to get to the top of the hill with only a little breathless-ness by the time I got to the top. At the top I heard some lyrebirds – at least I was pretty sure they were lyrebirds. Lyrebirds have been known to mimic all sorts of sounds including steam trains, car horns, chainsaws, someone chopping wood, and all sorts of other sounds. They look a little like a peacock, especially with their tail fanned out.

Lyrebird

And it must have been breeding season as it was doing it’s dance and song to try and attract a mate. I managed to get reasonably close to the lyrebird I heard, but before I could take a photo of it close up it would scamper off further into the forest. I managed to get this photo of it’s mound.

Lyrebird Mound

About this time I saw a fellow walker who was walking in the same direction as me. It turned out he was from Ringwood and was spending a day hiking in the forest. For the rest of the walk into Grants Picnic Ground we talked about all sorts of things including religion (he was a Christadelphian), the state religion (Australian Rules Football) and the worship in the temple of sport happening that very same day (I still don’t know who won, but I suspect the Hawks going by the shear number of Hawks colors flying from cars, trains) and how that meant less people in the forest and more serenity for those who were walking in them, our different walking experiences, different places worth a visit (he had walked in the Little Desert near Dimboola, Victoria), the history of the tracks we were walking on, etc.

Dead but majestic looking tree

At Grants Picnic Ground we parted company and I continued along the Coles Ridge Track. Some months ago I purchased a Shofar (probably best described as a rams horn trumpet). The Shofar was used to sound a warning of attack, to call warriors to arms, to call people to religious feasts, and to announce important events. I took it on the walk with me and along Coles Ridge Track, and in a nice quiet spot I got it out and started ‘playing’ it. The echo of it’s sounds in the forest was pretty cool to listen to!

Crimson Rosellas

Then I continued on to Welch Track, through Jack the Miners again and back to my parents house. Are you are still wondering about the ‘non-human friends’ idea I talked about at the start of this post? In this particular case, the ‘friend’ would be the forest surrounds – the sort of friend that expects nothing of you except maybe a visit every once in a while. The sort of friend who continues to surprise with new experiences, while evoking old memories of past time spent together. And while walking in the forest, it’s hard to forget the ultimate friend, the “friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24), a Divine friend who guides our steps and watches over our path (Psalms 23), who knows our innermost secrets (both good and bad) and remains the most stedfast, truest and loyal friend.

(For some more info on the weekend, see: http://www.jimsmodeltrains.ws/blog.php?id=390 .)