CCW to Cowes & Back – A Trio’s Tale
We never miss the opportunity to get in on an adventure. So when Hallsy planted the seed, it didn’t need much watering to sprout shoots. With a few adventures planned in 2023, a late 2022 test of a few bike packing set up items was in order. Within a fortnight from a mere whisper of an idea we were heading off.
This is a route I had ridden before in various forms, always aiming to take the quietest paths, tracks and roads. Our route would include some bike track, single track, long gravel roads, rail trail and ultimately some tarmac.
A later than anticipated rollout for Day 1 and we were rolling along the local bike paths making for Belgrave. Out through Bayswater and Ferntree Gully, staying off the busy roads until we escaped suburbia. Ultimately this sector can be the most dangerous part of our ride Day 1. Lots of dogs, walkers and runners with headphones on and not really spatially aware.
By the time we rolled into Belgrave we were able to leave the tarmac and bike paths and hit the gravel we absolutely loved. Some of these roads are so good to ride. Smooth gravel and quiet! We hit the Emerald Rail Trail and after a sneaky toilet stop. Yes Dave had had too much coffee, we tracked through Emerald and out to Wright’s Track. Wright’s Track is one of the most beautiful spots to ride. Lots of ancillary tracks too, however our focus was on Cockatoo next.
We didn’t hang about in Cockatoo and was straight out on the rail trail to Gembrook. Hallsy hadn’t ridden out here before and was blown away by the rolling hills to the south of Gembrook. We stopped in Gembrook for what should have been a quick lunch. Unfortunately we got the guy who was trialing on his first day on the job. We were the only customers. He had supervision for our coffee order, but that’s where things got a little sideways. He took our lunch order and wrote it in his notepad. However that’s where the process stopped. If we hadn’t have asked 45mins later we would not have been fed because he didn’t pass his notes on to the kitchen. Not sure he made Day 2!
Leaving Gembrook, this is where the adventure really begins. After a shortish gravel and equally short tarmac session through the beautiful Bunyip State Forest, we arrived at Tyong North Rd. Our gateway to the gravel riding. The roads in this region are amazing, despite their lack of effort on their names. I’m just saying – Seven Mile Rd, Nine Mile Rd & Eleven Mile Rd would not have taken a long time to come up with on the name meeting day.
The landscape here is quite flat and open,… and so you get exposed to the elements. Today it was a howling cross headwind, that really made big conversation worthless. Nonetheless we still had plenty of laughs along the way. With just 5 kms to go to Nyora, I was out of water and getting a bit hungry again. Time to pump some fluids and sugar into the body.
With the sun now high in the sky, we rolled into Nyora (or the land before 4G) and headed straight for the Milkbar. Fluids and sugar were the priority, and like Milkbars of old I nearly asked for a bag of mixed lollies, but instead ate an entire bag of Allen’s Snakes! Ah come on they would have gone off by the time we reached Cowes.
With 100kms in the bank we had really broken the back of the day. Gratefully our backs were not broken too. While we started out on the gravel again, we crossed the South Gippy Highway and had a significant tarmac section of nearly 20kms, that would see us arrive in Woolamai. The tarmac roads scooted around the base of the Bass Hills, were uber quiet and gave us great views of Westernport Bay.
Once we arrived in Woolamai, we joined the rail trail that would take us to Andersen and the gateway of Phillip Island gravel trail. After a quick bathroom break, which may have been initiated by an entire back of Allen’s Snakes, we headed for San Remo. Once we got across the bridge we were on the home straight.
The path here is a little lumpy and keep an eye out for rabbits and the odd echidna. The final 30kms flew by as a cold ale and hot Chicken Parma, Chips and Salad were calling. After a shower and a feed it was time to tuck ourselves in and get ready for what dawned tomorrow.
