Cummulative total = 589km
I couldn't find a map and profile of the rail trail so I haven't included it in this post. It has been a tough day today and we were suppose to be bush camping but we could not find a suitable site but more on that later. But first let me tell you about last night ...
I have decided that there is something 'wrong' with people sometimes either it is the smoking and alcohol that is doing the damage or the air they breathe I am not sure. But first let me give you the general impression of the majority of campers last night - there were a few tourist like Neil and I but the rest were all part of an Anglers club (as they were all wearing the same shirt). Now this group varied in age and sex but the majority had a few common characteristics - most smoked, most were very overweight and all were drinking from when we arrived until when we went to sleep ... which you can imagine that by then they or some were very intoxicated. Now we all know that the majority of caravan parks have a no noise time of around 10pm now this park didn't tolerate any of that and basically said no parties but for some strange reason our neighbours and their counterparts in the 2 cabins opposite us couldn't read ... at all ... maybe it was the smoking, drinking and excessive weight that causes this to happen ... I don't know ... but can you tell by the way that I am writing this that I am not to happy with our neighbours - well let me tell you, you know I apply the philosophy of 'some people shouldn't be allowed to breed' well this applies to this group!
I tell you we went in the tent around 6pm as there was a heavy shower and our neighbours had returned and so they all congregated in the caravan near us. They then decide they want to be Shania Twain and John Cougar-Mellan (spelling?) Camp wannabes. But the problem is two fold - first they are using a tiny portable cd player that when turned up too loud it begins to screech. The second problem is that they try to sing along to the songs - now there in lies my problem ... let me describe to you the sound off their singing - first the Shania Twain wannabes - can you imagine the screech of 2 cockatoos? now multiply that by 10 and throw in nesting season (the sound of them at nesting time seems to be alot worse than any other time of the year!) that is what it was like ... now for the John Cougar-Mellan Camp wannabes - can you imagine the screech of 3 cockatoos? now multiply that by 20 and again throw in nesting season - I know I am going on a bit here but it was awful and loud. Jude do you remember that St Kilda game with the feral St Kilda women sitting behind you? Well we are sure it was them!
Believe me Neil is beginning to worry that this is going to go on all night and if it wasn't for him going up to the managers when we were ready to go to sleep (around 9 so we put up with it for 3 hours) so we listen for the manager and he tells them to turn it down, so they turn it down a little bit and he firmly says down, and a little more until he really firmly tell them to turn it down that even they can barely hear it! Then the dominant female cockatoo screecher pipes up what time is it and someone says 9 and then she rants and raves that it is only 9 blah blah blah - funny that they can read their watch but not the brochure with the park rules about noise and parties! So they quieten down by 9.30 and a few retired to their cabin only to chat all night but we slept through most of it thanks to the rain that drowned their chatter out. So we didn't exactly have a great night and were delighted to get out of there this morning.
Now on to todays riding - sorry about that just some people really irk me (what am I saying most people irk me!) don't worry I will get over it.
So this morning we woke to a lovely beautiful day only the odd grey cloud left over from the rain last night.
The rail trail is only across and up the road abit and easy to find.
At the start we meet a man that has both his legs amputated below the knee on a recumbent and he starts chatting. So after about 15mins we set off. The first 9km to Nicholson is sort of sealed with thin bitumen and while riding along Neil decides that next time we pass through here we will camp on the trail about 5km along and we have already found the perfect camp spot!
As you can see there are a few bits of grass and weeds coming up through the bitumen but it was okay.
At Nicholson there is a fabulous bridge to cross and gives great views - below is Neil on the bridge
and me and this is the view looking inland and up the Nicholson river
From here the trail becomes lilydale topping and gravel sometimes either/or or both mixed in. It is also climbing very gently for around 10km but with the bikes loaded and last nights rain which soften the top layer of lilydale topping it was hard going ... in fact it is a bit like riding through sand! So we were grinding all the way to Bruthen (20km on). Here we stopped for a cuppa and the town was very busy - being a weekend. Last time we came here on a weekday only the general store was open and the bakery, cafe and boutique shops all closed but today since you have the weekend traffic stopping they were all open and the place was humming!
From here the clouds were beginning to build so we stopped by the sports field to let some showers passed and then set off on a long gradual climb up Mt Colquhoun. After a morning of riding through sand the legs felt a little heavy and again the track was sometimes very soft and was hard going. Although this part wasn't as bad as the morning one as it was more stony but in the future I think we will do it at the end of summer when the track it harder! What we did notice about the rail trail was how much it had changed in 2 years and I suppose after 2 years of rain the grass and shrubs are alot bigger and there is more of them. the sides of the trail are thick with small bushes when last time it was clear and even on the track there is alot more grass and weeds. We also noticed alot of rain damage to parts of the track. But it was okay. You certainly had to watch where you were riding! While on the down hill Kouta was throwing himself around so we let him out for a run and I think one of this legs fell asleep as he was limping then he seemed okay. In fact he trotted off so we let him go for a bit ...
It is very difficult trying to take a photo as you ride along with one hand! but Koutas independence didn't last very long ... less than 100 meters! So back in his chariot he goes. By now I am getting weary and I think Neil is a bit too - even he said it was hard going this morning.
We get to the trestle bridge where we thought it would be a good spot to camp but due to the influx of bush growth what previously was idea clear bush camping land is now over grown and inaccessible! So we decide to chance it and go to Nowa Nowa to see if they take dogs.
because the trestle bridge is unsafe to ride they make the track go down a small steep hill and back up an even steeper hill to get out! Here is the photo ...
Last time we had to walk up it and this time was no exception but for Neil getting stuck and not being able to restart again! I went up first and it was tough especially since the bike is full of water and my food bags are very full (Bairnsdale is the last big supermarket for a while so there was a bit of a 'stock up' on things!). I got through the first bit and Neil began his - now we are pushing the bikes up a hill gradient of around 25% and the weight of the bikes (I would say mine is about 40kg and Neils 45kg) pushing back agains you almost makes your arms cramp up! I just managed to get to the top of the 2nd bit and Neils yells out that I will have to help. So I yell back that he will have to hold on while I got up the hill a bit to more even ground for the bike so I push on for around another 30m, put the bike on its stand, tell Kouta don't move a muscle or else the bike will fall and go back down to Neil to help him push his bike up ... while waiting for me he has both his brakes on and I think his hands were about to give way for all the brake squeezing! but we manage to get up the hills! Only a little further up and there is a great down hill to Nowa Nowa and lucky for us the campground takes dogs.
This is outside the restaurant/campground - cool bike aye!
Exhausted when I got here and at first I didn't want to stay as it looks really old and run down, but once in here it is still old and a bit run down but it is clean and has a fabulous rec room with a magnificent kitchen so I will never judge a campground by its cover again!
Thinking of jumping on the road to go to Orbost as the 2nd half of the trail is very rough. Only 2 other tourists here and they are well away from us so I know we will sleep well tonight!
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