Bairnsdale Rail Trail 2006

All together at Bairnsdale Station ready to go. We are still clean at this stage. (More on this later).

The rail trail goes under several roads on it's way.

I liked this photo so much I included  the back group in a separate photo.

The trail opens out towards Bruthen with pleasant views through farmland.

The bridges along the trail have not been repaired for bike traffic, and so the trail goes alongside.

This railway bridge outside Nowa Nowa is HUGE. The trail has been damaged by rain and we had to walk up the hill. I tried to ride up but lost traction falling into a rut. Crushed nuts...

On the hotel balcony the other members organised some munchies and wine for my big five o. Someone suggested a couple of bottles of wine to go with the bikkies and dips. Trouble is, several members independently took it on themselves to do the supply thing for the wine without telling the others. Later, after several bottles, I was informed we had a good time.

At Nowa Nowa we cooked up a huge pasta meal in the common room of Mingling Waters Park. By this time the wine thing was in full swing again.

Due to a good rain storm on our way back, those without mudguards on their bikes endured the wet brown  back syndrome. Ha ha.

Even with a rear mudguard, gritty mud was the order of the day. My bike's mudguard had been snapped off short by a rogue stick, and so I copped some too.  I have since fitted a replacement.

A change of clothes and a clean up at Orbost Station was in order before we headed back to Melbourne by train.