Weather today was cloudy all day with some light rain for an hour about midday and then continuous heavy rain from 4.00 for the rest of the day and evening. At least it was warm rain with temperatures reaching 24C. Wind was generally a SE tailwind.
Today was specially notable for the wildlife and can be summed up as follows. 4 Kangaroos a hopping, 1 echidna a scurrying, 20 Cockatoos a screeching 30 cattle a stampeding and 18 Emu a running!!
The route today was longer than it might otherwise be in order to take quiet backroads
I left early and took back streets through town beside the lake. I spotted 4 Kangaroo which quickly hopped off into the bush.
I took the only route into town back along the spit of land between sea and lake down to Golden Beach and a stop for a break. The next 15 miles to Seaspray continued along 90 mile beach with the occasional overlook but mainly between scrubby trees with the constant sound of surf. There were a lot of entrances to camp sites and at one an echidna (spiny anteater thingy) scurried across. It was the first time I had glanced the things legs and head. All other times we have seen it the only part visible has been the spines. It was well hidden in brush by the time I stopped the bike. On this road traffic averaged a car every 10 minutes.
At Seaspray I stopped for an early lunch at the shop/caf?. Then on to an even quieter road, a single width byroad to Shadbroke with one car an hour. At one point about 30 bullocks and cows were grazing the wide grass verges as sometimes happens in Australia. One started running away from me and then it was a mass stampede and it looked to be difficult getting past. However the farmer and his dogs came along and I was able to get past them.
When the road reached the main road the map showed a road straight ahead to Rosedale which turned out not to exist. I decided to take the byroad on the other side of the valley which I knew to be gravelled for part of the way.
The route was exceptionally quiet with about 2 cars an hour. White Cockatoos were the only noise screeching in their trees. I came round a bend and saw a flock of 12 Emu in a field. They spotted me and ran off at speed over the brow of a hill. Later I saw another 6 which also fled.
After joining a main road at Gormandale I rode north to Traralgon. The road went through the middle of the gigantic Latrobe Valley Power Station with enormous humming generators and 6 cooling towers.
91 miles for the day and 1673 feet of climb.
Edwin
Posted by Edwin
at 8:03 AM EADT
