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

Gippsland Plains Rail Trail

Hello,

Completed day one of my Gippsland rail trail tour today that was the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail from Traralgon to Stratford (67 km). The major issue was getting to the start of the the trail at Traralgon  with a bus and two trains, took me almost 8 hours to get here but no hassles with all transport having provision for bikes. Stayed at Traralgon yesterday, I like Traralgon and so do a lot of other people as is evidenced by all the new housing estates. Hotel owners were very friendly and asked me to email them on how I went on my trip.

No major incidents on the trail today, it was cool and cloudy with lots of birds and cows and nice views of the Victorian alps. It's a good, graveL trail with lots of towns along the route offering accommodation and food but I did it in a day. Saw some interesting signs. In Maffra there was a sign outside a shop stating "diabetics Victoria...available within". I am not exactly sure what you get there. Also in Stratford, the hotel has a sign prohibiting animals. I am wondering whether they are using the word  in the narrow or broad sense.

Arrangements at the hotel in Stratford where I am staying today are interesting; key is just left in the door and when you check out you leave it in the door and go. Interesting that the major town in the area is Maffra (about 10km away) but it is Stratford that has the railways station and the main highway running through it. 

Tomorrow is a transitional stage, going via back roads to get to Bairnsdale and the start of another but longer rail trail. 

Now for some pictures....

More Random Thoughts

Hello,

Only trips to Melbourne recently to go to the soccer etc. but looking forward to the next big trip which is a cycle trip next week along a couple of Gippsland rail trails. But I have a few observations nevertheless.....

Public Transport
Where seat belts are fitted on some buses I have observed that, particularly, old people struggle to find them and then put them on. An idea: a device that clamps them in as soon as they sit in the seat. No thought needed.

Melbourne trains always offer entertainment: on one trip there was a disco happening on the train as well as someone on the phone who appeared to be calling a horse race. On the same trip the driver apparently was trying to set the new speed record between Newport and Laverton, you could smell the brakes as we slowed down near Laverton. 

Hoppers Crossing
I used to live in this suburb and I stay there when I am in Melbourne. It's an interesting place. On my last visit noticed a few things apart from the kids that apparently felt the urge to open the doors while the train was in motion. There were two motorists driving parallel down the road while conducting a conversation. Then there was the person on a disability scooter. Nothing unusual apart from the fact that it was black, had mag wheels with the driver wearing a black leather jacket and hat. Living the dream. In Hoppers Crossing you can tell who the renters are as their front yard is usually covered in at least knee high grass and weeds, with usually a couple of cars parked there as well.  

Buskers
I think the standards are slipping. I don't think it's right for them to have taped backing music (where do they get the electricity from anyway?). It's like they really can't be bothered. Also saw a small child playing a violin (badly) - obviously relying more on her cuteness than her musical ability. I blame Oprah Winfrey. 

News Stories
Saw a TV news item where a woman leaving court was covering her face with a piece of paper. But she was wearing a burka. Maybe she thought somebody could identify her from her burka?
Another item concerned a suspect they were looking for who the witness said had a lazy eye. Maybe the witness was an optometrist as lazy eyes aren't always obvious (and I should know)
In local news, an outlaw motorcycle gang raided by police and closed down in Albury a while ago has applied for a permit to set up a function centre on the site. I wonder what sort of functions they plan to hold there? Anyway police have objected to the application.
In Slovenia the latest strike is that of the philharmonic orchestra. They cancelled the regular New Year's concert. Somewhow that threat didn't have the desired effect. Talking about New Year there were many great fireworks displays around the world but Melbourne's fireworks were more like a world war one battlefield than a fireworks display.

TV Ads
Can someone please explain what the Ford ad is about that involves a car slaloming around giant water sprinklers? I just can't imagine the scene at the ad agency when someone said "I know, why don't we have a car slaloming about giant water sprinklers?" The latest Holden ad is somewhat curious too. It features someone saying that the new Astra has taken on a real European styling. That might be because it's built in Germany and its just a rebadged German car.
I saw an advertisement for the big bash cricket, but its main message, though, was to come dressed up. Not sure whether they are promoting a sporting event or a fancy dress party. 

Soccer
Sometimes it's obvious when non-regular spectators attend Melbourne Victory matches. The last time I sat next to a few people that needed to occupy not only their seats but the seats below them too. Most of the time they were more interested in their phones, what the crowd was doing or catching up on gossip. They had those giant phones, you know, those apparently designed for the visually impaired or people with poor limb control. All this was interspersed with random shouting at the players and insightful comments like: "If the goalkeeper hadn't touched that it would have gone in". 

Lycra
Apparently these days you need to wear a singlet and tights when you are walking a dog or pushing a pram. 

Rail Trail

The local rail trail here offers a lot of "entertainment" during the holidays. One cyclist had a structure on her helmet to ward off magpies which was more like something from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Apart from that, it was useless anyway - magpies don't swoop in the middle of summer unless you offend them by wearing hideous headwear. Then there was the woman with big hair, probably a foreign tourist, who was not wearing a helmet at all. In any event even if she tried to put on a helmet there was no way it would be of any benefit in protecting her head as it would have just sat high atop all that hair. And of course there is the usual cyclists riding on the wrong side of the track, I even had a big dog blocking my path on one occasion. Not the dog's fault - he didn't know what his owners were shouting about. But something that I have noticed recently is that some people don't seem to understand that the rail trail (which is pretty busy this time of the year) is probably not the best place for toddlers to be walking or playing with their toys. I thought parents were supposed to be risk averse these days? Maybe I just came across parents that are probably going to end up being reported to Child Protection for neglect anyway. Having said that there are a few parents that gave their children what for when they did the wrong thing on the trail, probably somewhat harshly. 
It was a bit quieter this week but nevertheless some road cyclists managed to cut me off, they only had eyes for their stop at the Rail Trail Cafe. But prior to that I noticed a shadow across the trail. I thought it was a hand glider but it turned out it was one of the biggest birds I have ever seen (looked like a wedged tail eagle). It obviously checked me out but, thankfully, figured I was too big. Just as well I have put on a few kilos recently. It was big.

And finally, some pictures...

Mount Buffalo, from Porepunkah (rail trail)

Ovens River, Cherry Walk

Ovens River, Cherry Walk. Until the recent floods the river was not visible at this part of the track

You'll need to squint...para-gliders during the recent Bright Paragliding Open

Pretty sky during a recent Melbourne Victory game

Stick insect on my front door. Had me fooled until i tried to flick it off

Views from Huggins Lookout

Ovens River, from the Rail Trail near Bright