Ararat to Mortlake

 Ararat to Mortlake = 96km
Cummulative totals = 8416km and 28,417km
Mortlake Caravan Park = $19 unpowered

Our 2nd to last day today and tomorrow we think we will almost certainly reach Colac ... that depends on a certain hairy little 4 legged dog, who shall remain nameless, it depends if he can cope with yet another long day - 80km by highway, 86km by a combo of back road and highway, 105km by back roads ... I think I will go for the happy medium of the combo!
Kouta is really struggling with the longer days in the trailer, today he was almost balistic when we took him out of the trailer.  On our last break he refused to get in the trailer and Neil had to chase him and then for the last 20km he was moving from side to side for no reason at all except to be out of the trailer and in his basket asleep!  If he is still unsettled tomorrow I will bite the bullet and do the shortest option of the highway the whole way from Camperdown.
So onto today ... again we didn't get our north westerly winds like forecasted, instead they were more from the west and they were strong (not as strong as our notherlies the other day!) so they came across us with just a very slight behind to make it so it is not a headwind.
There is a short nasty uphill out of Ararat and we were on the Warrnambool road which is really crappy and I am ashamed to say that we tell everyone that Victoria has the best roads - I will have to stop saying that!  At Maroona we turned off to a marginally better road that took us to Lake Bolac.
this road is rolling and the countryside is so green but unfortunately we could not see the Grampians for the low cloud lying around.  It is very cold and the clouds build up, threaten to rain and then move on.
The only highlight today was coming across 2 little lambs that had escaped from their field, so we stopped and Neil tried to encourate them back over the fence but they kept running away from him ... hilarious to watch!

 plenty of canola fields out here ...

 and here is a close up of the canola flower ...

 We had a cuppa at Lake Bolac and no one came up to me to ask me if I was the one that threw the keys away to a white ute a few years ago!  See Mum no worries!
We continued to Mortlake and at Woorndoo we took another quick break and Neil decided to go a bit 'artsy' with this photo ... he thinks this photo epitomises our trip ...

I can understand how the bikes and I epitomise our trip but the toilets?  when I asked him he just said the rec field and toilets we relied on alot during this trip!  yeah right Neil.
so onto Colac tomorrow - the back roads to Camperdown, a little on the highway, then onto the back roads and back on the highway ... don't be surprised Ray if you get a phone call from Kouta begging you to come and get him as he is just 'over it!'