East Gippsland Rail Trail 3

Hello, back at Bairnsdale now and the end of the cycling! Yesterday from. Orbost to Bruthen was wet for most of the day but the bonus was that I saw lots of lyrebirds and wallabies. If was also a long day being almost 70km. Orbost was an interesting place, it sits on a hill and has a bit of a Wild West feel. A kid came riding past on a bike with music blaring from his back pack. Also strangely the pub owns the combined bottle shop/petrol station across the road. An innovative business model. I went to the community club for dinner and saw sone German tourists who didn't complete their meals. Seems like Australian pub food might be a bit exotic for them. I was glad to get to Bruthen after a wet day and the bonus was I had, accidentally, booked a very nice two bedroom flat for the night. And I can say Bruthen' s fish and chips was not actually awesome but very good. I like the fact that Bruthen, although only small, has looked after its original buildings.

Today from Bruthen to Bairnsdale was only a short day (32 km) but was very windy which made it difficult in the exposed bits of the trail. Overall it has been a good trip - one really hard day. The trail is a good one, but for mountain bikes, the roughest and prettiest section being from Nowa Nowa to Orbost. Much more undulating than the other rail trails I have done but runs through more bush land than the others. It's a pity that some of the cuttings and most of the trestle bridges are bypassed, it makes the trail harder than it should be. Apparently the bridges are too costly to restore but I would think some remedial works could take place to make use of them (trees going out of them doesn't help their integrity). In Nepal these bridges would be perfectly serviceable bridges! It's clear they don't put as much money into this trail as they do into the Wangaratta - Bright trail.

Pictures from the last two days....

Orbost to Bruthen

Bruthen to Bairnsdale

East Gippsland Rail Trail 2

Hello, back on the trail today, short section from Nowa Nowa to Orbost which is the end of the trail (40 km). Trestle bridges and wallabies today on an undulating trail but cloudy and humid. The wallabies are a bit sharper than kangaroos and they clear off the trail quicker.

Spent the day yesterday in Lakes Entrance, the weather was a bit strange it being foggy, in the morning, and humid. It's a pretty place and has a lot of shops and hotels. Must be really frenetic in the height of summer. Saw a restaurant called the Pinocchio inn, not sure you can believe all their claims. Ate at Awesome Fish and Chips. It wasn't so much awesome as mediocre. Saw some Chinese tourists, why do they have to shout all the time? Maybe they come from noisy cities. Also saw a couple of tourists with lenses half a metre long. Once you need lenses that long it is no longer photography but surveillance. Also my hotel had an innovative policy, they would not service your room during your stay unless you requested it and then you were charged $7 extra each time for a maximum 10 minute tidy up. The hotel I stayed at Nowa Nowa was very different, the room - actually it was more a series of rooms - was huge. It looked like an old converted house. I thought there would be partying all night at the pub next door but there was a bit of music and bit of loud philosophical discussion then everything went quiet by 10. It was a nice place apart from the mosquito that regularly targeted me, without success, during the night. It was desperate, there were very few guests staying. I also say a tv program on human pups - I won't explain what that is, you can google it. But what was more incredible than the actual concept was the fact that they made a documentary about it with willing participants. Back on the trail tomorrow heading back from where I came from.

Anyway, photos from the last two days...

Lakes Entrance

Nowa Nowa to Orbost

East Gippsland Rail Trail 1

Hello,

Two very hard days  on the trail. Yesterday rode from Stratford to Bairnsdale via back roads selected by Google. Google selects the most direct way and assumes you will be doing 20 km/h on all terrain, gravel, bitumen, dirt tracks, up hills and down hills. It hasn't got a clue. Also had an encounter with a big kangaroo and dogs. A huge kangaroo leaped from bushes at the side - lucky it was thumping so loudly I saw it coming and braked. Then there was the inevitable encounter with farm dogs. A lot of dogs don't like bikes, farm dogs loath them. Luckily on this occasion I heard and saw them coming, so detoured around the back of them on another road at about 30km/h. 

But today from Bairnsdale to Lakes Entrance along the East Gippsland Rail Trail and the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail was even harder; it was very hot and hilly too. I got so desperate I stopped at an accommodation place to beg for water. They were very kind. I intended to retrace my steps tomorrow back to the main rail trail (the trail to Lakes Entrance is a side trail) but it's even steeper on the way back and I'm knackered and so have arranged transport to Nowa Nowa, my next stop. I wont be missing anything as I am doing the main trail there and back. I need a rest day!

At least I get to see more of Lakes Entrance. 

Anyway, when I got to my hotel at Bairnsdale yesterday I got concerned as there was a trolley outside and bikies staying there too. I got even more concerned when a policeman came in after me at reception. But things were alright and the police station, handily, is located next door anyway. The hotel was into economising, they put in a lot of thought is using as few doors as possible in the room. There was only the one door that you could close the bathroom or the toilet next door - you couldn't close both. Lots of livestock trucks go through the centre of Bairnsdale and your nose knows about it well before they come past you.

Another thing, I think they must teach country kids to be friendly; once at a supermarket and at the hotel today, toddlers have said hello to me - but the conversation doesn't go very far after that because of limited vocabulary (theirs) or perhaps it's my accent.

Now for some pictures for the last two days....

Stratford to Bairnsdale

Bairnsdale to Lakes Entrance