Geelong To Rye

April 12, 2024

The Touring Begins

Out the door at 8:30am after re-juggling the apartment doors. It seemed harder to get out than in. Good time as there was no tents etc to pack up.

I planned this trip months ago and some days just fall out easily and I never revisit them, other sections takes days to puzzle out. Today was the former so I was surprised to find most of the ride is on a rail trail. A very nice start to the trip.

Lots of local cyclists out too.

In no time at all I was in Drysdale. Well that called for the first bakery of the trip.

There will be other days where I won't see any towns between camps. Sad.

While having morning tea, I purchase my ticket for the 12 noon ferry to Sorrento, it's $1 cheaper if I buy it online. Now I have a schedule, yicks!

The rail trail turns into a gravel surface, nice and compact so doesn't slow me down much.

Mmm maybe it switched to gravel because they spent the budget on that bridge.

We made it in a nice time and lined up with the cars in the motor bike lane.

Lexi is waiting, it's her first ferry crossing lol

The ferry ride was uneventful and I was soon on my way to see the Mornington Peninsula national parks version of London Bridge. I dubbed it the 'little one'. It was mesmerising watching the water swirl around through it

As I was heading off a guy started to fly, he just lifted off the ground!

I'm not sure what he was using but I'm going to call it a kite. There was no structure it to, looked super dangerous as I imagine it could just ball up if there wasn't enough wind. I wouldn't want my kids doing that.

Ok now it looks dangerous. Does your mother know you're doing that?

I headed to Rye my destination for the day. I had some curiosity to satisfy.

My mum spent her childhood at Rye all Christmas school holidays and every weekend until Easter. Initially just in a caravan on the foreshore but later they also built a small 2 bedroom holiday house walking distance for the caravan. My mum doesn't like the beach as she sunburns way to easily. I spend several of my school holidays there too, only a week or so though, but I have fond memories. My puzzle was to find my grandparents holiday house. I think I did but someone add a second storey to it!

I asked a lady weeding her garden, yes she looked old but more to the point her house looked original. There has been a lot of renewal going on and the new houses are huge in comparison. She has been in Rye for almost 50 years. Anyway she confirmed they did add a second storey. Wow!

As part of my nostalgia tour I booked to camp in the Rye Foreshore campgrounds. Near were I remember my grandparents caravan used to be. Nice idea, but in the 1970's and 80's there wasn't a main road right next door. The cars did eventually quieten down as the night clubs music starred up, oh and the lights from the petrol station across the road never turned off. I honestly wouldn't recommend this spot for tent camping.

I brought ear plugs and an eye mask. I might need both night.

Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 70 km (43 miles)

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