OzHpv Rally Day 4 Saturday

 

Wes, Lloyd, Mark, William

Rob, Helen. Richard, Lloyd, William

Wes and Lloyd's trikes, Mark's Rotovelo (background)

Eurobin Station, converted to a cyclist's rest stop.

Dome, Mytleford Caravan Park

The trike mob....

approaching Myrtleford.

Porepunkah

Near Eurobin

Wes's trike at Eurobin. Some serious electrics there

Trackside near Myrtleford

Riding towards Bright

Lloyd

Saturday was the day with the most riders on the rally but we were strung out like a herd of cats. Wes, Lloyd and Geoff had arrived from Albury and everyone else rode too. This time we rode to Bright then on to Wandilagong. It was great riding, with the few k's into Bright and on to Wandilagong some of the best rail trails I'd been on.  The trail is a hard surface and runs under trees, and there was plenty of activity all around, from paragliding to mountain biking.  Sydney Geoff and I rode almost directly back to Mytleford. At one stage the electric trikes were in front of us and much faster than us when on power. Later they rode with the other tikes, they eased up on the throttle a bit and we could pass them.

OzHpv Rally Day 3 Friday

 

Everton Station, Geoff, Pete, Alex

Staggering home from the pub.

Lloyd's trike, an oldie but a goodie

Another Lloyd trike, this one was owned by Geoff, but Dome tested it on day 3

Lloyd sets up camp, William and Rob in background

Bike Hire Beechworth

Brewery Beechworth

Dave had a puncture, these were the parking arrangements for Pete's bike

... And mine

Hill up to Beechworth

Alex foreground

Heard about but never seen, this is an Efneo bottom bracket gearbox as...

fitted to Alex's Raptobike

Bowman's with Geoff

Rest Stop near Bowman's

Pete with his bike and David's. He had made David's bike 20 years previously.

Heiner's Bakery

Friday was day 3 of the rally and began by poking my head out of the cabin to see what action was taking place. The days of the rally always started with a trip to the bakery for a 2nd breakfast. Ride distances were about 80k, obviously needing fuel, and the extra food was welcome.

So we met in the Heiner's Bakery, and we rode as quite a coherent group along the rail trail all the way to Beechworth. We met Alex McNee at the (abandoned) Everton Station. The rail trail is mostly uphill to Beechworth so the Myrtleford to Beechworth direction is what needs to be tackled first. Tired and downhill go well together.

Along the way, near Bowman's is a "Car Bank", hundreds of abandoned cars and trucks lying in a field waiting for restoration. Holdens and Fords are no longer manufactured in Australia, so many may be destined to become classics.

Lunch was at a Beechworth Brewery, and Pete Heal had spied a closing-down bike shop which we visited on the way home. Notable was Geoffs ride in a pedal prix velomobile. He is in his mid 60's and an outstanding rider.

Our old mate Lloyd had arrived from Albury when we got back to the caravan park, complete with trailer, 2 trikes and battered Mercedes. It was good to see him. 

Myself, Alex, Simon and Richard all headed to the pub for dinner. I had eggplant parma, quite good!

Ozhpv Rally Day 2 Thursday

 

Geoff's velomobile was a big attraction to the kids staying in..

the Myrtleford caravan Park. Compare the picture 6th down here, same as it ever was!

Glenrowan

Glenrowan

Solar farms, complete and

under construction.

Sign to construction site.

Thursday was reasonably uneventful. Deb was off to work early and I left at about the same time she did, heading North to Glenrowan, then east to Myrtleford. This was about 50k, which I'd done by about midday. Visited the Myrtleford op shop, then the caravan park. I couldn't book in so just carried myself off and slept under a tree for an hour or so. After that I could book in. A few early arrivers, Pete Heal, Geoff, William Reid, Helen Curtis, Dave McCook were already in, so I schmoozed over to catch up. All for now!

OzHpv Rally Day 1 Wednesday

 

My friend Deb

Deb's garden, bathtub and sink are reused after a bathroom renovation.

Lurg Hall

Near Lurg

Lurg Church

Benella, the Healthy bites Cafe owner and a passer by were curious about my trike.

Benella, Healthy Bites Cafe. These are the sweet wheels of an older Benella resident.

Benella Station, detail of ....

this train model

A cut up bike tube acted as a handbrake for the ..

train trip up from Southern Cross station.

Red lines shows my travel, Train to Benella, then Benella - Winton - Lurg - Winton. Overnight Winton. Winton to Mytleford via Glenrowan, Oxley, Milawa. 3 nights Myrtleford with Ozhpv crew & bonus rides. Myrtleford to Wangaratta via Everton, Train home from Wangaratta.

Hi

The photos show the story backwards, but the pics show the first day of my ozhpv gathering trip last week. I got the train to Benella, then had an op shop visit and some lunch in a caf before riding out to Winton. That was only 10k, and my host Deb wasn't due home till 5, so I rode about 20 bonus kilometres out to Lurg which is out in the forest.  Like Lurg, Winton is hardly a town, but it does have a car racing track which can make Deb's place noisy from 9 to 5. By way of contrast, Lurg is known for birdwatching.

It was good to catch up with Deb. We lived next door as neighbours for about 20 years and we've stayed in touch through occasional wisits to northeast Vic over the years.