MTM: Wangaratta to Beechworth Return

Day 5: Wangaratta to Beechworth return 86 kms

Fortunately it was quite cool yesterday for our long ride. We drove the 38 kms to Wangaratta from Beechworth so that we could ride back up the very long hill to where we started. You know it wasn't my idea. Not only were we slowed down by my enthusiasm, but we had hundreds of freeloading flies sitting on our backs. We passed a few cyclists nearer the end, who looked longingly at our fly nets. 

Thankfully Phillip phoned me half way up the hill. Whilst I was stopped, Ray decided to ride up a further kilometre, before turning back to wait for me. See what I have to deal with? We finally arrived in town and made a beeline for gelato.

After a short breather, we turned around for the easy descent. However Ray was disappointed that we couldn't go as fast as anticipated, as a headwind had sprung up. At least the flies couldn't land on us.

Back at the car we were headed for Mansfield for the start of our next ride on the Great Victorian Rail Trail. We made a detour to Glenrowan so I could get a picture of Big Ned. After arriving late and exhausted in Mansfield, we decided to have a rest day before riding another 80 kms. 

Taking a walk around Mansfield this morning, we discovered that Ned had been declared an outlaw at the Mansfield Courthouse and that they make great coffee here. We took a drive up to Mt Buller. Thank god we were not on bikes, although we did take the bikes up (in the back of the car). We mused with the idea of getting the bikes out to ride the last kilometre, in order to impress onlookers, but couldn't be bothered. We are now resting up for another big ride tomorrow.

Pics

As we approached the content cows chewing grass, Brenda just had to stop for a shot. As I started to slow down, I could see that a couple of them were starting to be concerned, so I kept riding in the hope that they wouldn't be spooked. By the time Brenda stopped they were in full stampede mode and all she got was a truck full of rump steak.

Not to be confused with it's more famous counterpart in the UK, this station saw its last train passenger long ago, but the bike passengers still stop to drink from the tap and use the long drop toilet at the faux railway station.

This pic does not quite convey the impression it is supposed to. The old rail line up to Beechworth goes across some very deep gullies and huge embankments have been compressed to form the rail corridor. This is one such gully, probably about 6 to 8 metres from the rail trail to the gully below. This is why I speculated yesterday that a lot of the dirt that they dug up in search of gold was used to create these embankments as there are no obvious quariies where they dug up the soil.

As we rode up the hill the dry sclerophyll forest of the flatlands below changed gradully to Stringybarks, Cypress Pines, Red Gums along with bush peas, grevilleas and wattles some lillies, orchids and other wildflowers on the forest floor.   

 

Coming off the mountain, you get a glimpse of more mountainous terrain beyond.

 

Looking back the other way it gives you a taste of the terrain we conquered!

 

Ned has it in for any Bracken, so as soon as he spotted Brenda, he swung his gun around and told her to piss off!

Ride Notes

• Sorry, I forgot to record the trip for the first 10 klms or so out of Wangaratta. however you can see the profile in the last 10 klm.
• I also did a couple of short back and forth rides during the trip which will have stuffed up the distances by a couple of klms, so sorry about that.
• Quite a long climb up to Beechworth, but no steep ramps so if you go at your own steady pace it will not be a problem
• Unfortunately, there was quite a strong headwind coming back, so unless you wanted to pedal hard downhill, you could not get any decent speeds going
• We started/finished about 1 klm after the nominal start of the trail as works were being done to the start of the trailand that section was closed.