Yambuk to Portland

Yambuk - Portland = 58km
Cummulative total = 414km

A little bit late with getting yesterdays blog up but we had some serious rain yesterday!
But first let me continue on with our evening at Yambuk (after I did the blog). We decided to go for a short walk and near the campground is a lookout point so we ended up climbing the stairs up. About half way up is a community slide and as tempting as it is to go down it or send Kouta down it we decided not to give it a go just incase either of us injure ourselves! After a days ride it is pretty hard climbing stairs but we managed it and at the top we were greeted by glorious views (despite the seamist) and a black wallaby watching us!


Kouta has no trouble going up stairs - he just bounds along as if they are nothing! Whereas I still manage a smile at the top! or is that a grimace!

It is a shame the evening was so cloudy as the coast line would have been spectacular to see. Below is a photo taken from the top of the lookout tower looking inland to the Yambuk lake.

And the photo below is looking out to the coast.

We had an early night since we were both tired. By the morning the clouds still hadn't lifted and listened to the radio to hear reports of wild storms in Melbourne and North of there ... lucky we weren't in those storms.

So it looked like we were going to have a nice cool day cycling with no sun. Actually we both thought that the cloud would lift and the sun would come out ... but no.

We began quite early and both of us had tight legs which didn't really loosen up until the first break at around the 18km mark. Unfortunately we had to stay on the A1 for most of the days ride as there was no alternative back roads to Portland. So the riding was 'so-so' all day as the shoulder was pretty bumpy and so we rode on the actual highway itself and everytime a truck overtook us we just pulled off onto the shoulder so it was pretty hard cycling in the sense that you constantly had to concentrate on keeping a straight line and controlling the bike so you don't waunder out into traffic! and since the dog moves in the trailer it causes the bike to move as well - so basically I spent the whole day trying to keep kouta and I as close to the white line as I could. In doing this I missed most of the scenery!

At Alletree we turned off to go on a nice quiet coast road that led us into Portland. This was around lunchtime and by then there were threats of showers but none had occured. Once on the coast road the wind had swung around to a southerly and so slowed us down alot. At around 2km to go it just bucketed down. We sheltered under some huge pine trees but the rain was so heavy that we ended up getting drenched. We hoped the rain would ease but after standing under these pine trees for around 30 mins Kouta and I began to turn purple, so we thought we can't get any wetter so we continued on to the campground.

We waited until there was a slight easing of the rain to put of the tent. We managed to get it up without getting the inner too wet and again it just poured. Poor Kouta he was drenched and his basket was soaking! So we dried Kouta with the tea towel (the only towel we have unless we use our towels!) and threw him in the tent along with the bedding, clothes and sleeping bags. Lucky my bags are waterproof so the food was okay but Neil didn't put his waterproof liners in his bags so the contents were a little wet - in fact is was my pillow that was wet and nothing else! (typical isn't it).

So it rained for most of the afternoon and the everything felt a little damp and the inside of the tent smelt of wet dog!

Kouta felt very lost without his basket and wanted to sleep on the thermarests! Once it stopped raining Neil ducked out to get dinner - marked down dry chicken pieces from Woolworths and bread!

This morning we took a walk and noticed that a ship had docked last night (as it wasn't there when we walked last night). We think it is being filled with wood chips for paper. I wonder if it will be there tonight and will the lower red part of the ship be showing or will be below the water line as the ship is filled up with the weight of wood chips?!!!

We walked into town to find an op shop to buy some books as the campground laundry has no library in it! While there it began to rain lightly again and we had left a few bits and pieces out in the hope that the wind will dry it ... but with the sprinkling of light rain it got wet again! On our way back we saw the Portland community tram and I tell you this is a very expensive tram to take $35 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children to go a few kms up a road to no where but that pass will last you all day! $15 for an adult! damn no wonder the tram was empty when I took this photo!

Depending on the weather this afternoon we may take in a few of the sights around Portland - the pier, the aluminium smelter and a few other things. There is quite alot of things to see here in Portland (it is the oldest town in Victoria I think) and there are lots of lovely old buildings (of which most have been converted to Accomodation!)

Fingers crossed the weather clears to dry everything!