Those who are prepared the make the 90 minute drive down to Gippsland to ride the Great Southern Rail Trail are amply rewarded with what must be one of the finest rail trails in Victoria. In addition the drive down to Meeniyan takes in the best of Gippsland's rolling green hills. Since this was my first chance to ride with the Ghost Riders since my return from the 2007 Great China Ride, I was really looking forward to catching up with everyone to share traverller's tales. In addition I was also expecting some riders who had completed their China Ride just as we were starting. It would be a great chance to compare our respective experiences.
At this time of the year it is possible to get just about any type of weather, from pouring rain to beautiful blue skies. You can imagine my relief when I awoke to find the sky clear from horizon to horizon. It promised to be a perfect riding day. I quickly packed the car and waited for Glenda to arrive. To my surprise she arrived right on time allowing to look at a few China pictures before we headed off to Meeniyan.
The drive went by quite quickly and we arrived in Meeniyan at about 20 minutes before the scheduled start time> i had hoped that we might have a chance to duck into town to grab a cup of coffee before the ride, but the town centre was blocked off with Anzac Day activities. I was also pleased to see that there was already a sizeable number of cars and riders already in the car park.
I was introduced to Peter & Cheryl and Peter & Amber (not the same Peter) who were the two couples who had also just returned from China. They quickly made themselves at home and we were able to swap a few of our China experiences while we waited for the ride to start. By the time everyone had arrived we had over 20 riders - enough to make a really decent peloton. With the sun still shining overhead it all augered well for a great day on the bikes.
The surface of the Great Southern Trail is finely packed and mostly hard, making it an ideal ride for almost any type of bike. The first 15 km to Fish Creek undulates several times but there are no climbs of any significance. We did find that we were pushing into a head wind but the trees helped to protect us from the worst. We maintained a relatively slow pace allowing everyone to ride in formation and chat together whiule their legs warmed up.
At Fish Creek it was time for a drink stop and a (vain) search for a coffee shop. With such a pleasant day it was no wonder that everyone was in good spirits. I cannot think of a better way to spend a sunny autumn holiday.
The first time we rode this trail, back in January 2005, we had been forewarned about the "mighty climb" between Fish Creek and Foster. The Hoddle Range, we were told, was steep enough to break the spirits of even the made dedicated cyclist. It was therefore with much fear and trembling that we set out on that day, expecting that we would end up walking much of the way up the Hoddle Range. To our surprise (and not a little disappointment) we discovered that the climb over the Hoddle was little more than a doddle, henceforth to be called the "Doddle up the Hoddle".
Although there is a gentle climb for about 7 or 8 km it seldom rises about about 2 to 3 % and is easily achievable by most weekend cyclists. Once you make the "summit" you are rewarded with spectacular views out over Bass Straight and Wilson's Promonontory. We stopped for a few minutes for a chat and a couple of photos before commencing the long downhill roll to Foster.
On the downhill section we spread out a little as some riders lost their pelotonic concentration and bolted into the distance. The rest followed at a more disciplined pace and it did not take long for us all to be gathered at the end of the trail. All that remained was for a short ride along the road into Foster and lunch at the local pub.
Andrew immediately ordered a couple of pints of Guinness (he must have been thirsty) while the rest of us ordered our lunches. We grabbed a few bread rolls and settled down at our tables to wait (and wait and wait). After what seemed an inordinate delay, the meals slowly started doming from the kitchen. Since, apart from us, the dining room was almost empty, I wonder what some of these chefs would do if the place was actually full. I thought that good chefs were supposed to be able to produce a large quantity of well prepared meals in a short space of time.
I had thought that by ordering the "roast of the day" I could have expected my meal to be served quickly. Wrong ! It still took the kitchen over 35 minutes to produce a plate with two sad slices of meat, 1 potato and a corn cob - rather poor value for $17 I thought. After some had been waiting for 45 minutes their impatience was starting to show. Eventually Lisa told the kitchen to forget about her lunch - after eating some garlic bread and half a dozen bread rolls she was no longer hungry. For a large country pub this is just not good enough.
In spite of the rather indifferent lunch, the fact that the sun was still shining strongly and the prospect of a strong tail wind on the return leg, helped ensure that everyone was still wearing large smiles. It was a nice feeling to be able to to climb up the Hoddle with the wind on our backs, and even better once we reached the downhill section to Fish Creek. In fact I think we were able to maintain about 30 kph without even turning the pedals. Pure cycling heaven !
After Fish Creek the riders stretched again in the traditional sprint to the finish post. Lothar and Ben quickly established an unassailable break on the rest of the peloton and were not seen again until we were on the outskirts of Meeniyan. Werner set off in pursuit and seemed determined to either catch Lothar or die trying. With his legs flying he pounded up and down hills, his face set with a grimace of steely determination.
I could have saved him the trouble and told him that no -one catches Lothar, but I decided instead to sit on his tail for a free ride back to the car. Each time I pulled up alongside him he pushed himself harder to get back to the lead. It is good to have riders like that in the peloton as it gave me the perfect excuse to just tuck back in behind him. If he wanted the lead so bad he was welcome to it.
All too soon we were back at Meeniyan, packing the bikes and exclaiming what a great ride we had shared together. No one seemed it too much of a hurry to leave and I had to agree that it really had been a perfect ride. The two Peters and their partners also seemed to enjoy their first ride with the Ghost Riders and I hope that they will be joining us on future rides.