Hot Chocolate Dreaming

On Another Rainy Day

Sometimes a bicycle ride turns out to be not about the bike at all. Thus it was that my ordinary ride to Stoney Point turned into an epic and ultimately unfulfilled quest for a hot chocolate on a cold and rainy day.

It all started when I cycled all the way to Frankstone and realised that Frankstone was not, after all, the end of the line. A very kind railway official told me that Frankstone was merely the end of the electric line and a diesel rail motor continued all the way to Stoney Point, thereby bursting my bubble of satisfaction about having ridden all the way to the end of the train line. This unfinished business nagged at me all night and resulted in a bright and early start next morning, catching the train to Frankstone so I could start where I left off yesterday and finish the job properly this time.

I brought a set of warm clothes in a waterproof bag, having learnt my lesson regarding wearing cold wet clothing when catching the train home.

Officially I was on the Frankston-Baxter Rail Trail, the start of which wasn't easy to find in Frankston. I may have gotten temporarily misplaced, but I found my way there eventually. And I just discovered that I was spelling Frankston wrong too!

Alas the Frankston-Baxter trail finished at Baxter (surprise!) so I put on my hi visibility vest, girded my loins, and took to the road only to be halted by a big 'ROAD CLOSED' sign. I didn't want to take the detour because I didn't want to miss the 3:24 train at Stoney Point, thereby sentencing myself to a 2-hour wait for the next train. I wasn't convinced that Stoney Point would have enough to keep me entertained for two hours in the rain.

'Excuse me" I said to the Hi Vis man doing Important Roadworks Stuff with traffic cones near the ROAD CLOSED sign. "Can I get through on a bike?"

"Where do you want to go?" He asked. "Bunnings?"

"Is it at the other end of the closed road? Then Yes."

"Sure" he said. "Go ahead."

I had no idea where Bunnings was but he had just given me the go-ahead to pedal on past the ROAD CLOSED sign, so I didn't stick around to quibble about my (lack of) DIY needs.

Don't like double roundabouts in cars, let alone on a bicycle.

Local traffic was still allowed but on the whole the road was really quiet, if a bit muddy at times. I like closed roads.

There wasn't a lot happening due to the rain: the road workers stood around chattering into radios and telling each other that a bicycle was coming through. There was no heavy traffic other than what was coming in and out of the Inghams Chicken Factory and that was easy to dodge. Even better, the roadworks ended right at a convenient coffee shop which made tasty toasties. I didn't have coffee with my toastie: I had a plan which involved having a hot chocolate while I waited for the train at Stoney Point, and I was willing to deprive myself on the journey so the end would be sweeter to savour.

I followed the Western Port Trail as it followed the railway (mostly) down the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula.

I pedaled past paddocks of race horses hanging out in the rain,

and T-Rex at a Christmas Tree farm; an interesting combination.

The trail led me into the Hastings Foreshore Reserve, where I had a choice of a straight bitumen path or a happy meander through coastal heath, wetlands, and mud. Of course I chose the latter, and in the process pedaled blithely past the last available coffee shop without one thought for the impact this would have on my hot-chocolate-related future plans.

I foresee a bike-washing session in my future.

Over the water lay Long Island Point, home of assorted heavy industry including Western Port Bluescope Steel, Long Island Fractation Plant, and Long Island Crude Oil Tank Farm, but I could ignore all of that and pedal happily along the boardwalk in Warringine Park, being briefly scared out of my pyjamas by two swans who hissed loudly and burst out from under the boardwalk in an explosion of feathers and water. Taking sudden evasive action was not advised given the lack of guardrails on the boardwalk, but I managed to stay out of the water and both the swans and I lived to tell our terrifying tales.

I saw a Shelduck! I got very excited. The Shelduck ignored the momentous moment.

The Warringine Wetland path popped me back out onto the bitumen just outside of Stoney Point. I sped up in anticipation of hot chocolate just around the corner.

Back to civilisation, or somewhere with sealed roads at least. Time for my long-awaited hot chocolate.

Arriving at Stoney Point, I went looking for the cafe. Alas, Stoney Point had a jetty with a few trawlers and a festoon of fishermen, a tired caravan park, a scatter of tireder houses, a fair sprinkling of pelicans, and no cafe at all. I contemplated cycling back up the line to Crib Point, but that would result in me being one stop short of having ridden the train the whole way home, and there was no guarantee of a hot chocolate at Crib Point anyway.

A pelican, because pelicans are always worth a photograph.

Dealing bravely with the lack of hot chocolate.

I saw the sights of Stoney Point, all the while struggling with the destruction of my hot chocolate dreams, before retiring to the Stoney Point Railway Station, where I changed into my dry clothes and found a spot out of the wind. Rummaging through my bags, I found dry crackers and a slightly squashed muesli bar to sustain me while I waited for the train.

The train rattled home past what seemed like hundreds of cafes, all dripping with hot beverages, but of course by the time we pulled in to my station all the cafes had closed for the afternoon.

I went home, parked my bike, boiled the kettle, and finally had a hot chocolate.

All was good.

Heart

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Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 77 km (48 miles)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	2

Steve Miller/GrampiesGlad you did finally get that hot chocolate!
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1 year ago

Rich FrasierGreat writing! I loved it!
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1 year ago