Traralgon to Bright - DAY 2

Maybe it was the lack of deep sleep or maybe it was just general laziness but I didn’t get up at 4am like I’d planned.

It was after 6am when I finally dragged myself out of the sack and started faffing around trying to get ready to ride. It was still windy. Dark. Cloudy. I could see silhouettes of gnarled trees, rocky outcrops, vague shapes down in the valley below. The sky was just starting to turn pink on the horizon. The first signs of dawn.

Traralgon to Bright - DAY 1

Visiting : Licola, Wonnangatta Valley, Dargo High Plains Road
Distance : 294km
When : Wednesday 29th May, 9:00am
Where : Click here for route map

I had a milestone birthday coming up so we decided to take the family to Bright for a long weekend of food, booze and chasing the kids around. I figured I’d do a single day ride while we were up there but someone floated the idea of me riding up the day before, camping somewhere and then meeting up the next day in Bright. Works for me! So, I plotted a course from Traralgon to Bright that would take me up a road I’d had my eye on for a couple of years now - Dargo High Plains Road.

Finally, I’d get to ride it.

Bundy Toolangi

Visiting : Bundy Track, Toolangi, Mt St Leonards, Pauls Lane
Distance : ~110km
When : Saturday 16th February, 10::00am @ Hurstbridge Train Station
Where : Click here for route map (subject to change!)

Another short hilly mission to some cool places around the Kinglake, Toolangi, Healesville, Yarra Glen area. Will visit the newly reopened Bundy Track and a bunch of dirt roads, fire roads, singletrack and some hike-a-bike.

It'll be roughly 110km with probably over 3000m climbing. There will be water at Toolangi but no planned food stops (unless emergency) so bring a big bladder and plenty of food. The forecast looks hot!

Run what you brung. I'll be on a singlespeed 29er.

Canberra to Bairnsdale - DAY 3

Visiting : The Barry Way, Snowy River, Buchan, Bairnsdale
Distance : 240km
When : Monday 1st May, 8:30am
Where : Click here for route map

The third day of my ride from Canberra to Bairnsdale was the “long” day, the final leg that would take me all the way to Bairnsdale. It was going to be long, scenic and remote - three things that make a ride great.

Kinglake Explorer

Visiting : Smiths Gully, Kinglake, Flowerdale
Distance : 120km
When : Sunday 17th June, 9:30am @ Hurstbridge Train Station
Where : Click here for route map

This is a short but hilly mission to check out some roads and trails that I should know but have never got around to visiting. We'll start off with some Smiths Gully trails before climbing up to Kinglake via Mt Everard Track. From there we'll check out the full length of Extons Road/Mt Robertson Road - maybe grab a beer at Flowerdale Hotel - before heading back to Hurstbridge via slightly different trails.

I'll be riding singlespeed so expect a slow pace on the flats (actually there are no flats) and lots of swearing on the climbs. I'd err on the side of fatter tires for this one.

NOTE: Start time changed to 9:30am to sync up with first train into Hurstbridge!

Canberra to Bairnsdale - DAY 2

Visiting : Mt Kosciuszko
Distance : 100km
When : Monday 30th April, 8:30am
Where : Click here for route map

The second day of my ride from Canberra to Bairnsdale was the “fun” day. It was basically a side trip up Mt Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. It started and finished in Jindabyne so it didn’t get me any closer to my destination but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Canberra to Bairnsdale - DAY 1

Visiting : Canberra, Namadgi NP, Cooma, Jindabyne
Distance : 180km
When : Sunday 29th April, 4:30am
Where : Click here for route map

Well, I was going to stop with the solo adventures and go back to the normal “everyone welcome” format but recently circumstances presented me with an opportunity. A few chats, a few emails and pretty soon I was planning a solo 3 day ride from Canberra to Bairnsdale.

Woods Point Epilogue

Visiting : Warburton, Reefton Spur, Woods Point
Distance : 355km
When : Wednesday 21st March, 7:00am
Where : Click here for route map

Last December’s ride to Woods Point was amazing but, for me, it asked more questions than it answered. I’d initially planned to have another crack at it next summer, maybe. Fortunately, I woke up to myself, realised that impatience can also be a virtue and decided to have another crack at it as soon as humanly possible. So, this was another solo ride with the same premise as last December : Woods Point return. No Sleep.

Same destination, different route, very different outcome.

Cathedral Run

Visiting : Black Spur, Cathedral Range, Toolangi State Forest
Distance : 220km
When : Sunday 19th February, 4:00am
Where : Click here for route map

Another solo ride. I wanted to visit Cathedral Range again and try a few new things.

Woods Point

Visiting : Toolangi, Marysville, Woods Point
Distance : 350-400km
When : Wednesday 30th November, 7:00am
Where : Click here for route map

This is the last TWBD ride of the year so I thought I’d give myself an early xmas present and do something I haven’t done in a long time - a long solo ride. I love riding with small groups but I also love getting lost in the bush by myself and I’ve been long overdue for some lonely time.

The rough plan was “Woods Point return. No Sleep.”

As always, some things went very right and some things went very wrong.