Rain and leeches

Don't worry.. no photos of leeches.

Quite a bit of rain overnight but we remain hopeful that it won't be so naff during the day. Our can be tricky to forecast apparently add the are so many areas which have micro climates.  Also we are a bit remote,  a bit out of town for detailed information from the weather bureau.

The ride today is a loop ride through a rainforest area on the Errinundra plateau.  The trees and other flora are beautiful.  There are some pretty special species up here. Peter, one of our riders, is very familiar with the forest and takes us off the road to have a look at a Mountain Plum Pine which is probably around 1000 years old.  Though it looks pretty nondescript we are suitably impressed. We're are in the only area where our grows to tree height.

Another regional plant is the Gippsland Waratah, a stunning crimson coloured flower, and there are plenty to see as each tree flowers prolifically.  Great splashes of colour among the green.

The track we are riding along is wet, slippery in part rolling through the park.
It takes some concentration.  One stretch is closed to cars and consists of two wheel tracks through the forest - beautiful.

Each time we stop we search each other for leeches which seen to be falling more heavily than the rain.  I have never seen so many,  it seems they are coming from everywhere,  getting into people's socks,  up sleeves, wherever they can. Ugh, bring it the salt.

I set off after lunch but after a while decide to cut my ride short as my brakes are wet and muddy and I don't fancy sliding on a bit of track unable to stop.  I was thinking downhill when I felt as if I had no brakes needing to put my feet down to actually stop.  Not a good prospect so stopped riding. Back to the hotel to clean off the mud, grit, blood.

Hills and scenery

It's going to be hot today,  and turns out to be humid as well. We're starting in farming country, moving to Alpine Park forests areas and crossing into the much drier Deddick Valley along a long downhill.  Of course that means up first but it's worth it.
Our first diversion is a short walk to Little River Falls, a very pretty run of falls with a bit of water in it. It is easy to imagine it would be magnificent after a heavy rain, Rain would be welcome here as the area is in drought .

Little River Falls

Leaving them the road is uphill  in fact it is beginning to feel that today the only way is up but there is of course some down. 

The McKillops Bridge is our lunch stop  after another short detour to walk to a magnificent lookout across the valley we are heading into.  Looking across you can see the change in vegetation on the drier rain shadow side. 

The bridge was built in 1935, to replace the original built in 1932. That bridge was built to withstand flood, based on records of past floods.  11 days before our was to open a flood 3metres higher than any recorded flood hit the bridge and demolished it. 

Of course as rivers lie at the bottom of valleys they form we ride up above it, rewarded by a long and wonderful downhill along a narrow road.  We're headed along the Delegate River to end our ride at the Ambyne Suspension Bridge which no longer carries traffic but was restored about 12 years ago as a prime example of this style bridge.

Back into the bus and off to Delegate where I can stay that the Delegate Hotel had s very pleasant verandah on which to enjoy a pre dinner drink

How do you say Gelantipy?

You can look that up if you want to but pretty well everyone gets it wrong.  We just went with the flow. And we drove here in a bus this morning before setting off uphill you will be surprised to hear.  The result was a wonderful plateau ride with just the sort of views you can imagine. We stopped for a picnic lunch looking across the Snowy River Valley to the hills on the other side.  Picture perfect.

At the end of our ride we had a walk to enjoy the view from Tulloch Ard Gorge. Magnificent overlooking the Snowy.

Tonight we are staying in a school camp and adventure camp which tomorrow will fill up with schoolchildren.  In the meantime I am relieved to hear that there is a beer available in the main dining room.  So that's that on  this warm spring day.

Off on another ride

Arrived in Orbost Friday night prior to starting a small group ride on Sunday.  The tour heads up into the high country and we anticipate a hill or two.
The weather today,  Saturday,  is sunny and clear so after a very  leisurely breakfast in town and taking the local shops Diane and I rode over to Marlo. Marlo is a tiny coastal village which is a popular tourist destination in summer. 

The local pub has a marvellous upstairs verandah from which we enjoyed the views right up until we saw an inebriated naked young man riding around on Diane's new mountain bike.  Idiot!
Naturally we raised our voices ordering him off the bike.  He did so.  Trish,  who had driven over to join us,  and I insisted that Diane should at least rinse the seat before getting on. 
With a tail wind taking us back to Orbost alongside the Snowy River all in all it was a top afternoon on a beautiful sunny day.
Tomorrow we meet our fellow travellers and guides and head for the hills