DAY 33 - RUTHERGLEN to MULWALA

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 trucks would have made road riding rather unpleasant, and we were very glad to have the unexpected alternative. We were able to relax and enjoy some of the interesting sights along the way. 
Like this flock of drenched sheep, for example
Or the attractive bark on this tree
The path followed close by the river for large stretches, and then ran alongside Lake Mulwala. There wasn't a lot of water in the lake, but there were a lot of dead trees and stumps. 
An early glimpse of Lake Mulwala 
The views of the lake became more expansive as we approached Mulwala
Lake Mulwala
We arrived in Mulwala early in the afternoon, and spread our clothes out to dry.  
The view from our hotel room . . . 

 . . . included this golden carpet of leaves
Once we had dried out a bit, we headed across the river, back into Victoria and the town of Yarrawonga. There were extensive views of the lake from the bridge as we crossed. 
Lake Mulwala from the bridge
We walked along an attractive looking foreshore at Yarrawonga, pondering the apparent lack of water in the lake. 
Yarrawonga foreshore - not much shore
A cruise ship looked like it had nowhere to go, while it was hard to imagine anyone swimming in the swimming pool. 
A luxury cruise ship
Lakeside swimming pool at Yarrawonga 
The lack of water didn't seem natural, so we took the opportunity of asking a passing local in a hi-vis shirt (and therefore an authority) what the story was.  He explained that the lake had just been drained. Apparently this happens every five years or so to kill the weeds in the water.
An authoritative source explaining why the water's gone
We took a few more photos of the rather shallow lake, then wandered the streets of Yarrawonga. 
An atmospheric photo of a shallow Lake Mulwala
A few more photos of Lake Mulwala 
Some sights in Yarrawonga
Then it was back across the bridge for dinner at our hotel complex, spreading more clothes out to dry, and preparing for tomorrow's stage. 
Back across the bridge
With a few more lake photos on the way
A cycle tourist enjoys a hearty dinner after a day in the rain
And here are some birds. If they look wet it's because they were. 
Day:  33
Distance: 52.55 km
Cycling time:  2 hrs 40 mins
Elevation gain: 679 metres
Cumulative Distance: 1566.38 km
Day 33 - Elevation profile 

Day 33 - Route 

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