Big hills and heavy legs.

April 22, 2025

Cooryong to Paddy’s River

Finally a good quiet nights sleep was had by all. The supermarket was open early so we ate breakfast in. Muesli, yoghurt and fresh fruit hit the spot although we ate it with forks as there was not a spoon to be found anywhere (except in the dishwasher where we forgot to look).

After a quick coffee at the bakery, made less memorable by the bloke in front of me ordering a boring cappuccino, we headed out of Cooryong into the mountains. It’s another big climbing day. After days of headwinds in Central Victoria we finally had a solid tailwind which stayed with us all day.

This part of North East Victoria is a really special place. It’s wild and remote and even though it’s very dry it has a certain beauty that draws me back regularly.

There’s a little bit of traffic heading out of Cooryong but most turn off towards Khancoban or a little further on towards Walwa on the Murray. After that there were empty roads for us to enjoy.

There were no towns anywhere on today’s route so we stopped every ten kilometres for a breather and nature break and at twenty for a proper Aeropress coffee break. No mistakes this time. It was quarter strength lattes all around. This is no Tour de France where the riders can urinate by standing on their pedals and swivelling at 90 degrees. We need to dismount gracefully and find a tree.

Lunch was in NSW at Tooma where there’s a long shut pub and a fancy guest house that’s not open on Tuesdays. There was a nice picnic table by a babbling brook so it was a pleasant place to have a break.

After lunch we had two big climbs in front of us to get us up to Paddy’s River. They both necessitated stopping every kilometre but eventually we summited them both and with a few more undulations reached Paddy’s river by four o’clock.

Three honest riders at the first summit bump into Gilligan heading to the fancy dress restaurant in Cooryong.

There were quite a few campers set up as it’s a beautiful spot and it is school holidays. We found a really nice spot right on the river and collapsed into our chairs. In Ross’ case he collapsed onto a log as the chair he ordered on line didn’t arrive in time. It was a big day of climbing and we’re totally exhausted.

Attempting the forward somersault chair mounting technique. Ironically I did a reverse somersault inadvertently out of my chair later in the night.

Making eating an apple look sexy. (For you Penny).

Not long after we arrived the guy in the van next door came over for a chat and very generously offered us his firewood so we could have a fire. We accepted his offer gracefully as it was already getting chilly. My winter woolies, that I’d been carrying for the best part of two weeks finally got an airing tonight.

Dinner was cous cous with a Korma sauce and zucchini, olives, beans mushrooms and chorizo. Dessert was the Easter eggs that were meant for the traditional Easter egg hunt on Sunday but somehow they ended up in the bottom of a pannier and suddenly resurfaced today.

All in all it was another great days cycling. I’m nodding off as a type this blog in front of the fire. The other three good blokes are already snoring in their tents.

Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 802 km (498 miles)

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