Southern Region midweek ride report, 4 Jan

Southern Mid-Week Club Ride –  4 January 2022

First one for the year, Welcome to 2022. Melbourne weather overcast. Traffic is light as I make my way to the start at Chirnside Park. People must be on holidays or staying home to continue digesting their Xmas pudding.

A good collection of riders at the start when I arrived, and a total of 13 bikes departed for the ride. Mike, our ride leader, was reassuring some concerned riders that even though Kinglake was the lunch destination, snorkels would not be required today. Must be something to do with previous inclement weather at Kinglake.

We headed out via Edwards Road, around Lilydale airport, through Yarra Glen flats passing through the Yarra Glen township. Then onto Healesville via the scenic Old Healesville Rd. Progress through the black spur slowed by holiday traffic (or perhaps someone just taking in the splendid scenery). The pace offers the opportunity to gaze up through the eucalypts (well a series of quick glances), to see patches of blue sky. Over the Dom Dom saddle and blue skies are with us.

Exiting the spur, we increase our speed to make it to the Buxton recreation reserve for a comfort stop. I sense the collective easing of the ‘full bladder bumpy road grimace’ when we continue north to Taggerty.

At Taggerty we take a right turn of the highway towards Thornton, a left turn when we reach Thornton towards Alexandra. A couple of k’s out of Thornton we pass over the Goulburn River, which is flowing fast with clean clear water as we are only a few k’s from the Eildon weir outlet. Another few k’s and we slip into Alexandra the back way to the local reserve where we park our bikes in the shade and partake in some morning tea.

After a relaxing morning tea the migration continues to our lunch destination, Kinglake. Mike led us via Whanregarwen Road, a scenic winding back-way from Alex to Molesworth. The countryside around Alex is looking parched which is typical for this time of year. We meet the highway at Molesworth and turn left towards Yea. Another left turn just before the Yea township to head south down the Melba Hwy. The diversion around the Murrundindi loop, pops us back out onto the Melba HWY, adjacent to the Yea River. South along the Melba HWY only to leave it again to take the back road to Kinglake. A winding road up to the heights of Kinglake where the air temperature drops slightly to provide the perfect riding temperature.

Lunch is in the shade of the park opposite the café. Kinglake looks busy for a Tuesday, but the weather remains clear. After the requisite eating and chatting, we depart Kinglake in a scatter approach. Some continue to the ride’s conclusion at Yarra Glen. Others take the opportunity to take a more direct route home. Reg, Arthur and I descended the St. Andrews Road, which is very windy with steep drop-offs. Several k’s down this track the police and recovery crew were attending to an accident. A motorcyclist had run off the road. Their motorcycle 30m down the slope, inverted and stopped by the trees. Hopefully no one was seriously injured. It’s a reminder how unforgiving this road can be.

So, first ride for 2022 was a great day out, and as usual the company welcoming and friendly; and the Kinglake weather very agreeable.

Riders