Recce Trip 3, day 2

 

Some mushrooms ......

emerging.

Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Coleraine Community Centre

Coleraine Community Centre looking good: This art installation had just been an abandoned bicycle the last 2 times I visited.

Melville Forest is between Cavendish and Coleraine, and had this abandoned primary school and a Country Fire Authority shed.

Cavendish Post Boxes

Day 2 of my trip blog is continued from here

I was up early the next day - it was still dark at 7am  - and rode out toward Coleraine in early morning drizzle. It's possible I'm a bit fitter now than I was when I did this ride last as I made it to Dunkeld (about 74k) without much of a break. I stopped there for a pie and a drink and observed a small bird skittering around some old shop fittings.

Then it was on to Cloeraine via Cavendish. This route avoids the Glenelg Highway which runs through Hamilton and is quite busy. It was good to stop at the Cavendish cafe for a cup of tea and a pizza slice, and I was there about 2 - it closes at 2:30 winter weekdays! 

From then on it was fairly easy going, and I thought it was mostly downhill. (Correct, Coleraine is 60m below Cavendish) This was great, I didn't have too much energy left. I was in Coleraine about 4:30 in plenty of time to check into the hotel. I'd met Rodney the last time I was in Coleraine, and he was at the Hotel again, and I saw him off and on during my stay. He was visiting his mum who is in aged care in Coleraine. He is a keen cyclist and was interested in the challenge I was there to organise.