GVRT: Yea to Tallarook Return

Day 2: Yea to Tallarook return 86 kms

"Things is (sic) crook in Tallarook". Well apart from the 'meat' in Ray's hamburger, things seemed pretty ok. There is one pub, one cafe and public toilets, what else does one need?  

We had ridden about 3 kms when I remembered the water bottles. Ray rode back to get them, while I chatted to a friendly old guy on the path, whose dog was named Ned Kelly. 

The ride today didn't appear to be as hard as yesterday, although Ray's watch set me straight. Apparently today's ride was longer and had more climbing. I still beg to differ. It certainly felt easier. It might have had something to do with cooler weather and the ups may have been more but they were definitely shorter. 

We followed the Goulburn River for most of the way. The bellbirds were singing, the rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, white cockatoos and the ubiquitous magpies were flying around. I even had a collision with a butterfly. It was quite a lovely journey, until the snake appeared. Luckily I didn't run over it and it slithered off into the undergrowth. 

Tomorrow we return to Mansfield on the same path as yesterday, I am sooo looking forward to those long climbs.

Pics

A Crying Tree

Another artwork. This one represents the Yam Daisies that the Tangurung women grew. Each plant had three flowers representing the grandmother, mother and daughter (the third here is obscured). They would pick the first flower and leave the other two, so that the mother could look after the daughter.

The Goulburn River at a sharp bend.

One of the many creeks that flow into the Goulburn

Another in the "My Arse" series.The gums growing alongside the track are a little bit bigger than normal. They are often scrawny and deformed from having to grow through the compacted embankment which, no doubt, would also be dense with ballast.

Mmmm... Bowls.If you're ancient, you might remember the saying, "Things are crook in Tallarook" which is how they were in the early 1930's. Intinerant workers (of which my Dad, Ted, was one) would carry some basic blue plates and bowls with them when they were carrying their swag, moving from town to town trying to earn enough to survive on a day to day basis.

Never seen a unicycle with disc brakes before. DId not see it ridden but it looks like it is a working device.

We are so lucky it wasn't raining today otherwise  there would have been plenty of swearing.

Idyllic

Art work

Never seen cows like this before. Each one had a perfect band of white around their stomach. Almost like they had been joined together from three parts. I wonder what happened to the heads and arses of the white cows.

Ride Notes

• Although no really big climbs this route was gently up and down all day.
• Much of the route were false flats so you found yourself struggling or accelerating when you thought you were going along the flat.
• If it is wet, you might have to slush through some pretty ordinary granititic base (see pics). It could be a struggle.