Wedderburn to Maryborough

Wedderburn to Maryborough = 79km

Cummulative total = 1666km

Whew I am glad today is over - it was a lot harder than what I thought it would be!

But first I thought I would take a photo of my current suntan line on the legs ...

I was reading my book in the tent last night and I couldn't help but notice that the light in the tent really made the suntan line obvious! and no mum I am not wearing white shorts under my green shorts!

We got up a little earlier this morning and made a lunch as we knew that we were going to have a longer day than usual. The forecast last night was for northerly winds so we thought that would help us along. Unfortunately it wasn't the northerly we hoped for it was more an easterly and since the road was going in a south easterly direction we had a cross wind most of the day with a cross-head wind to begin with.

The first 22km is up hill mainly on a very quiet Wedderburn-Dunnolly road - hardly any traffic and really only road that is a 1 1/2 car width wide. So it was nice. Along the way up I looked up and saw a black wallaby grazing by the edge of the road - Neil didn't see it until I pointed it out and I wasn't sure if Kouta had seen it - it was about 3m from us when I said that there is one but what suprised me was that it didn't even hear us coming and when it heard me it was just dumfounded and couldn't figure us out and usually they bolt but this one just looked, chewed and then casually skipped off! I didn't get enough time to get the camera out. It is downhill to Rheola and from there the surface of the road becomes quite noticeably bumpy all the way to Maryborough! Just after Rheola you begin to climb again and then down into Moliagul.

It is beautiful riding along here as the road is lined with tall gum trees that offer heaps of shade.

We had a cuppa at Moliagul and this is the birth place of John Flynn the founder of the Royal Flying Doctors Association.

there is not much to Moliagul except for 2 very old buildings - a church and school and off course the memorial to John Flynn. The rest area where we had our cuppa was nice.

From Moliagul it is more open country but nice and lucky for us the wind was blowing a more north easterly and the road was going more south for most of the way to Dunnolly. so that made things a little easier.

we took another break at Dunnolly - we came here last year but decided to push on to Maryborough. We stopped at the small park next to the town hall.

Kouta and I sharing a moment together!

off course any moment between us involves me sharing my food with him!

this is the town hall at Dunnolly. Dunnolly is a lovely old town and is part of the goldfields and all that historic things that go along with the goldfields.

In fact you can tell you are in the goldfields as there are heaps of scrubby trees, stoney ground and absolutely no grass anywhere outside a town!

It is quite pretty country really if you like that sort of stuff. Sometimes you pass historic gold mining area as you can see the slag heaps and sometimes, especially just outside of Dunnolly on the way to Maryborough you can see existing mining area - there was one heavily fenced area that had signs up saying it is a private mining area!

I am assuming all the people in the caravan parks in this area are novice prospectors and have some sort of interest in panning for gold whether it be the old fashion way or the modern way with metal detectors!

Mum if you remember you came in this area once - Ballarat is nearby - remember I dragged you up there because I wanted to go to Soveriegn Hill with all the old time things and you got Caleb that 'wanted' poster? Anyway we are in 'that' sort of country!

Tomorrow we are having our last rest day before we get back to Colac on Friday. 1 week earlier than planned and 10 days earlier than the original draft itinerary!!!