Notes:
Finally got away from Portland after milking the cows and changing the hay.
Kinglake,Victoria: Final mileage = 18,769(US miles)= 30,030km
Travel was conducted from 6.22.2007 to 9.24.2007
Portland-Port Fairy-Warrnambool-Childers Cove-Bay of Islands-London Bridge-Port Campbell
On the Great Ocean road heading east. First stop was Port Fairy, a very up scale community where as soon as you drive in you realize that there is money here. The rest of the trip to Port Campbell was pretty much stopping taking pics and just enjoying the scenery.
The trips from now on are going to be so short in comparison to what I've done in the past that I need to expand my travel itinerary.
Port Campbell-Lavers Hill (gravel)-Colac-Beech Forest (gravel)-Hopetown Falls-Apollo Bay
All of the gravel roads were in excellent shape. Spent the night at a Big 4 caravan sight. It was another wet night but with the weather pattern that been around for the last few days it is to be expected. And you would think by now that I would take better care of my gear especially when you expect rain. Nothing is better then putting on wet gear the next morning for another day of travel.
Apollo Bay-Point Finders light house-Deans Marsh (dirt)-Moriac.
You could virtually spend weeks running the dirt roads up in this area. This is where the Motorcycle Atlas is of no help. You either have to have the forestry road maps or a more definitive set of 4WD maps and the GPS is no help either.
Geelong-Queenscliff - ferry to Sorrento- Portsea (after getting loss)-Rosebud- Flinders - Hastings - Bass Highway into Phillip Island.
Too many people and just a very busy route through out. It was the Big 4 site right after the bridge to Phillip Island. Being that I was the big spender for the next couple of days it was a cabin for the peace and quite. The Australia Motorcycle GP will be held at Phillip Island in October and the area will be a mad house for everyone but does the $$$$$$$$$$$$ come in!
Phillip Island
Early out the next morning following the road to Korumbarra then just north of Streelecki Rd there is a dirt track called the Grand Ridge Road. It carries you through farm country and logging areas. The view along this road is worth every bit of the ride. Gravel in the logging areas is a bit bigger then you would normally run across but take your time. Came across my first dead wombat, freshly killed and don't the farmers just love em! Getting back to the dirt track, you do go through Mirboo North and you best stop at the bakery for a proper fat pill and long black coffee. Leaving town you are back into the bush and some how some where I missed the sign for the Ridge road so I ended up on Budgeree Road(where do they get these names.....!). Needless to say I ended up making a large circle on myself and if I didn't end up back at Mirbo North. Total dirt track for that day was 360km. Got back to the cabin in time for another great glass of that fine wine out of the black cardboard box.
Phillip Island-Wonthaggi-Cape Patterson-Venus Bay-Tarwin Lower-Cape Liptrap-Yanakie-Tidal River(Wilsons Promontory).
It was a fair day ride trying to stay off the main roads as much as possible. Remind me to spend another night at a National Park when the kids are out of school...........
Wilsons Promontory - Kinglake (Victoria)
It was bloody cold this AM and remained so all of the way to Kinglake.
Had to stop in Melbourne to pickup another set of tyres for the bike. Of course the GPS had me going through down town Melbourne to the Mitas tyre dealer(wasn't that fun). Got there and loaded the set of tyres on me bike.....didn't I just look grand going down the road with all of my camping gear and tyres on the back. Took the Western Ring Road to Hurstbridge then followed the road through the Kinglake National Park(good place to grind your foot pegs down on your bike) to Kinglake. The town is small but it has an outstanding bakery, enough said and if you have a problem with this try your local roadhouse food for a while (Mrs. Mac's Beef Pot Pies!)........isn't life just grand.
Kinglake
BMW: changed out the tyres, sparkplugs, oil & filter, brake pads, air filter. This is it for this year of travel.
Plans are to be back in January(mid) head down to Portland then over to Adelaide return to Melbourne to catch the ferry for Tasmania. Return from Tassie and run the Victoria mountains then off north to Canberra and stop with another bunch of groupies. Drink their wine and run naked around the neighborhood. Finally get the bike back to Sydney by mid March for shipment home to Hawaii.
Future plans for OZ is to buy a second hand Toyota Trooper and cover all of the dirt/4WD tracks in OZ over a 4-5 year period. Looking at coming back to OZ and traveling between June and October time frame each year.
When I get back next year and someone hears of a vehicle for sale please let me know.
The Gray-Haired Yank.....
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