Attack of the Bees

Ghostriders Central Victorian Cycling Adventure - Day 6.
Today it was time to check out of our motel in Myrtleford and move on to the next stage of our adventure.

We all packed our cars and our bikes and drove to Bright. This was the designated start point for today's ride from Bright to Harrietville and back - a distance of around 56 km.

The route took us along the comparatively recently constructed bike trail along the Ovens Valley. This surely must rate as one the most scenic trails in Victoria. Not only is it sealed for the entire length, but it meanders closely along the bank of the Ovens River. Combine this with the towering mountains as a backdrop and the spectacular autumn colours and you have an unbeatable combination.

Once again, the weather put on its very best behaviour, with blue skies and a top temperature of about 24C. This is the sixth day in succession with these sort of conditions, and we all hope that it will continue for the remaining two days.

The outward ride is a gentle climb from Bright to Harrietville, but the gradient is slight enough for it to be hardly noticeable. It does make the return ride easier however.

Everything was going exactly according to the script, until Greg and Maggie both got stung by bees about 10 km from Bright. It did add a degree of excitement to the ride, especially as Maggie is quite allergic to bee stings.

After completing the ride, we loaded the bikes back onto the cars and drove for around 90 minutes to Benalla. That will be our home for the final two days of our trip. Tomorrow we ride the bike trail from Benalla to the Winton Wetlands and back again.Read more