Random Thoughts

Hello,

Final blog from Australia before I return to Slovenia next week for 5 1/2 months. Some final observations:

My Experiences

I seem to have a problem with the size of my head. Last summer my hat was a tight fit, then later in the summer it was a perfect fit. Now my glasses, which fitted perfectly, are loose. One reason might be that my head is fluctuating in size. I will keep monitoring the situation.

Also, I am increasingly being asked whether I am entitled to a concession when I buy a ticket or visit an attraction. That wouldn't be so bad if I was actually old enough to be entitled to a concession.

On my way to an event (wedding) someone stopped me and commented (favourably) on my suit. I guess someone wearing a suit in Hoppers Crossing stands out like a clown at a funeral. 

Animals

In my travels I have noticed an increasing number of dog owners walking three or more pets. Owning two I can understand, for companionship for one dog, but three dogs is just hoarding.

I have also noticed quite a few number of llamas being kept with sheep. I wonder whether the llamas think they are just tall sheep. 

Interesting People

Went past a house in Bright a couple of times recently (located on the road to Harrietville) both times there was a man sitting on a log outside the fence and a woman standing in the driveway. I don't know what's going on there but they are scary. 

When I was at the barber someone came in wanting to buy a single cigarette. Just shows how expensive they are these days.

With the fire season over you don't need to get a permit to burn off anymore, so in my neck of the woods the knuckleheads have come out to play. There is nearly a CFA callout everyday to these fires (according to the CFA app). One decided to leave the fire and in the meantime it got out of control and nearly burnt his sheds down (luckily a neighbour called the CFA). On another occasion the fire jumped to State forest and burnt a hectare of it before being contained by the CFA. It seems like the major risk of bushfire is due not to climate change but people.

Shopping and Interesting Products

In the supermarket, at the checkout, seems to be a trend (particularly at Woolworths) for people in the queue to stand practically on your heels. No wonder there are so many assaults these days.

Also noticed a product I didn't know existed: Tatoo Guard, sunscreen for tatoos. I thought these things were permanent.

Interesting Company Names

On TV saw an ad for Spitwater Cleaning Equipment. If it was me I would have chosen a different name.

On the main road through Wangaratta there is an equipment hire place called 24 Seven Events and Partyhire. I have never seen it open on weekends.

Cycling Rail Trails

I try to avoid riding on them at weekends and public holidays, too many "Sunday" cyclists. These cyclists tend to:

• be oblivious to the existence of anyone else, usually riding across the breadth of the trail
• don't acknowledge greetings
• never look happy being on a bike
• stop in the middle of the trail to have conferences
• don't seem to know how to ride a bike. One group I passed swerved around a pole which was half a metre off the trail. Adults tend to be worse than children.

On one occasion there was a group of Chinese tourists conducting a photo session across the trail.

Public Transport
I have noticed that particularly on buses people clump together. The bus might be almost empty but they still sit near other people. I don't know whether they think that it is better to sit near other people so if it crashes they are not the only ones to die.
When I was on the bus a 30+ year old got on the bus with a bmx bike (and no helmet). A concern or perhaps it was just a young person who has had a hard life.
On the train the person sitting next to me was reading a big print book with glasses. I think he has a real problem with his eyesight - and also his glasses.

The giant trout outside the Harrietville Trout farm

The Ovens River, towards Harrietville

Views from Huon Hill, Wodonga. A lot of burning off happening up here causing the haze

A Rosella enjoying my crepe myrtle (seeds) in the front yard, but I am sure it enjoyed my apples, about a month ago, more

Hatching caterpillars attacking my deck

A very rare King Parrot (for here) in my Almond Tree - but too late for the almonds!

 

Cycle Tour Finale

Hello,

Well that's the end of my cycling tour. The last section was from Whitfield to Wangaratta via the main road, back farm roads (gravel), and the rail trail from Milawa to Wangaratta, a total of almost 60km. A much easier ride than the previous day! So all together there was 263 km covered over 5 days and don't my legs and butt know it.  The bike did well but was starting to squeak - it obviously had enough too. I used Google maps to plan the route between Mansfield and Milawa - the beta bike option. Well it got the route right but no way could anybody on other than a mountain bike go on the roads it suggested. Plus it assumed 20 km an hour on rough gravel roads - that might be fine for Cadel Evans but not for your average cyclist. Just as well it is in beta. But nevertheless it was an adventure but at times my lungs and heart were competing to see who could work the hardest.

The last day was a variety of terrain: bitumen for 13km, then gravel roads, some of which were quite rough. What I have learnt is that those vibration fat reduction machines can't possibly work; the amount of vibration I was subjected to along those corrugated gravel roads led to no reduction in my weight. The last part of the trip was on the rail trail from Milawa, through Oxley, to Wangaratta (actually the old train line didn't go to Milawa it went to Whitfield via Oxley from Wangaratta). A lot of that trail appeared to be made with pebble mix, looked nice but was abrasive and bumpy. But then by this stage my backside expected better. Had one adventure, a big dog came after me but gave up the chase pretty quickly: either, smart, lazy or old.
 
When I finished the trip in Wangaratta I came back to reality. At the toilet where I changed an interesting person came up to me and started talking to me. He seemed jovial and friendly but I am still not sure what he was talking about. I smiled and nodded in agreement. He then went into the toilet briefly, then decided to came back and give me a loud farewell. I quickly moved on. On the bus to Bright I had the privilege of a loud talker - of course they had to sit opposite me. Seven phone calls in an hour, most of them telling people she was on the bus and that she will meet them later. She also had a cold, and kept coughing. She is obviously a very important person and probably had to catch up with people n order to give them her cold.

Some final pictures..... 

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Part 2

Hello,

The next stage of my rail trail trip was from Alexandra to Mansfield, a long day as I almost did more kilometres than I had the previous two days. Disappointing was the crossing of Lake Eildon - it was more like the crossing the Eildon desert (see photos below). Pretty uneventful day which was a bit tedious on occasions - was passed by a couple of school groups (must be a form of punishment making them cycle)  And when I came into Mansfield I had a parade of honour from the local kindergarten which was in the local park through which the trail goes. Mansfield itself is large and very busy. But again has excellent bakeries but this time I wasn't tempted.

The next day - today - was the trip from Mansfield to Whitfield (on my way back to Wangaratta). No rail trail - just roads - and it was horrendous, 1300m of climbing over 65 km and some crazy downhills, with my top speed being 52 km/h - it felt more like 100. When I got into Whitfield had to wait for a group to be served lunch - at 2.30pm - before I could check in at the pub. They were mainly British, so perhaps they were still operating on UK time.

I really like these country towns because they have still have bakeries (that have real cakes and bread) and genera stores which just about have everything in a small space.

Last day to Wangaratta tomorrow - ready for a rest!

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Part 1

My latest trip is cycling the Great Victorian Rail Trail (from Tallarook, near Seymour, to Mansfield). A bit of a grandiose name for this rail trail which roughly runs the course of the Goulburn River and naming it after that would make more sense. But it equally could be called the bridge rail trail - with all the bridges it has, or the dung rail trail with all the horse manure left behind by horse riders (they are supposed to remove it). Anyway it is a gravel path, which is rough places. This blog covers the trip from Tallarook to Yea (day 1) and Yea to Alexandra (day 2) - a side trail from the main trail.

The trip has been uneventful so far despite one bus and two trains to get to the start of the trail. Vline staff have been helpful, even loading and unloading my bike on the train from Wangaratta to Seymour. At Tallarook a local pointed the way to the start of the trail after I obviously didn't know where I was going. On the trail to Yea, which goes through farmland and bush, and occasionally meets the Goulburn river, I came across a group of cyclist wrinkles having a break, I went past them a little bit too quickly across a rough downhill hill part of the track, as I was distracted, which caused some astonishment. And not only to them.

Yea is an interesting place - 

- most of the pubs close on Mondays and Tuesdays. Perhaps they have better things to do.

- they have two excellent bakeries. I had some Viennese Chocolate thing. Which consisted of 1mm of biscuit topped by 1cm of chocolate fudge. Who can argue with that combination?

- in the Yea wetlands (which currently are not very wet) saw a young kid randomly whacking tree branches with a stick. Probably already know to Yea police.

- when I checked out of my hotel just before 9 - the person at reception came out in a bath robe. They open at 6.30am, so I guess he went back to bed. Also had a small problem - my milk for breakfast had frozen overnight - the fridge was supposed to be on low - no wonder it was working hard (loudly) all night. I am no fridge mechanic but I think it's not working properly.

Alexandra has its features too:

- well it's pubs don't close on Mondays and Tuesday's. Seems to attract a different clientele

- I came across a man with a long grey period wearing bright orange plants and matching shopping bag, twice. Both the times I went to town. I don't know whether he has a set itinerary

-  came across a domestic dispute, one side was very angry but it didn't kick off as the other parties didn't appear to be interested in a boxing match at the front fence.

Now some pictures...