Victoria Bike Ride 2022

Well that was a hard day. We left our hotel quite early, as we were concerned that the forecast strong winds later in the day may prove a little tricky for cycling.  It was quite early when we left this morning The wind was forecast to be quite strong Because we left so early, we had to forego breakfast at the hotel. We grabbed a quick cup of coffee and a pastry at the Crusty Loaf in Yarrawonga, and hit the road.  Supporting a small business at breakfast time We then started pedalling. We rode into a strong headwind of about 35kmh, our plan being to ride as far as we could before it got even stronger. So we rode west to Katamatite without stopping for the usual photos (of the wonderful landscape, the iconic or unusual animal life, the quirky landmarks, etc) on the way.  We did find a small business in Katamatite to support on the way through After a short stop in Katamatite, we continued westward into an increasingly strong wind. We shared the headwind duties, taking turn...

We bade farewell to our friends and family, and continued our tour under rainy skies.  Ready for a day in the rain Farewell, family and friends The start of today's route saw us retracing our steps from a few days ago - on the rail trail to Wahgunyah and on to Corowa. In Corowa we enjoyed a morning coffee with friends, while supporting the local bakery.  Back on the Rutherglen to Wahgunyah rail trail Healthy fruit for morning tea - from the Corowa Bakery Spending time with friends while supporting a local business Moving on from Corowa, we found a bike path which took us almost all the way to Mulwala. We later discovered that the path is part of the Murray River Adventure Trail, a bike and kayak trail planned to extend the length of the river. We were unaware of its existence until we rode on it.  Bike path between Corowa and Mulwala  The path took us between the road and the Murray River. While the adjacent road was not particularly busy, the spray from the large tr...

This was our second day touring the Rutherglen wine country. We started riding in mid-morning in quite a heavy fog. We went first to The Wicked Virgin, intending to sample their olives and olive oil. When we arrived we found they were closed for crushing (despite their listing on Google indicating that they would be open). Although not exactly crushed ourselves, we were certainly disappointed, as we had identified this establishment as a potential highlight of the day.  Cyclists looking downcast at missing out on the Wicked Virgin We compensated for our disappointment with a wine tasting at the nearby Chambers Rosewood winery.  Cycling to Chambers in the fog Wine tasting at Chambers Suitably fortified, we rode in to Rutherglen to find a local business to support for lunch. We found one.  This one After lunch, some of us cycled up to Gooramadda Olives, about 16km from Rutherglen. The road was largely flat, with little traffic and attractive farmland on the sides of the roa...