Australia 42 till the foot of the alps

till the foot of the alps

Melbourne – Ilydale – Warburton – Yarra dam 66

I stay 2 days relaxing in Melbourne, in Kim home (warmshowers) . Then I take the train till Ylidale to avoid all the suburbs. From here I take the highway, and quickly turn on right, just under the railway bridge, in the old ralway lane, nowdays used as a bicycle lane. It goes by farms land with a lot of trees, wineries and fields, nearly flat and smooth, for 42 km, till Warburton.
Warburton is a tourist village. The sport ground and the supermarket are 1 km further, on road C511. I continue by the road C511, easy climbing, undulating, by the forest, with fern trees. 5km after there is Warburton East, with a community hall, and 15 km after there is a picnic area at Little Peninsula tunnel. Then Mac Mahon is just an hotel, and Grafton a few houses.
I join Yarra river bridge, where there are 2 tables. I turn on right to Yarra National Park and dam, 3 km ahead, where I camp in the picnic area, all confort. In the morning the ranger explains me the road ahead, which would be a hard day.
Yarra dam – Matlock 40

In fact there are 85 km, but I get a lift. It start by 9 km steep climbing and then 11 km very steep up and down, till the cross. Here I turn on right, I don’t go to the village. It is 850 m high. Then the gravel road starts, yet climbing, and hilly, and about Triangle, the gap is 1150 m high. Here there is a picnic area. Then the hilly climb continues till Matlock. Here there is a good place, big shelter, toilets, water tables, where I camp.
It is all by the forest with fern trees. The weather is horrible, hailing, raining, foggy, fortunatly i have a lift.

Matlock – Wood Point – Gaffney creek – Kevington 55

The road is all by forest. It starts by 8 km steep downhill till Wood point, which is a village. Just after there is a free campsite, shelter, toilet, water, table. Then comes 6 km of steep climb, gap 1025 m high, and 6 km steep downhill till the gold mine, a few houses. Then the road connects with a river, and follows it by a slow downhill till Kevington. There are picnic areas all along, with tables and toilet, but no shelter and no water. Kevington is a village, with a good free campsite, just after, shelter, toilet, water from the river. A big storm bursts just after I arrive, and it hails and rains for hours.

Kevington – Jamieson – Mansfield – Bridge creek 61
The road is hilly for 30 km by forest. Then it flatters by fields, with some views on the arms of Eldon lake, rounded by hills covered by forest. Jamieson is a village with a store and a picnic area. Mansfield is a touristic town, where I meet a couple of cyclists. After lunch, I move, way to Whitefield, road C521. 11 km later, I turn on left, to Samara State park, 4 km by gravel road till the campsite, toilet and tables, but no roof and no water.

Bridge creek – Whitefield – Eldi 71
From Mansfield till Whitefields, there are 12 km undulating by farms land. Then comes 10 km of steep climbing by the forest till Tomie, with picnic area, shelter, table, water, toilet. Then 8 km steep hilly till the gap 850 m high. Then comes 16 km light downhill by hill, gap 750 m, and 10 km of steep downhill till Whitefields. All that is by forest, with some farms and wineries.
Whitefield is a small town, with sport ground and store. Then there is 14 km flat undulating by a large valley, farms, crops, fields, and winneries, rounded by hills covered by forest. I arrive in Eldi, where there is a free campsite.

Eldi – Wangarrata – Rail trail – Tarrawingee 57
It is all by flat farm land with a lot of trees and winneries, with hills coverde by forest in the distance. There are picnic areas in Moyhu, and on road C522 in Oxley.
Wangarrata is a town, with free shower in the toilets at the top of the park, on the main street. But there is no place to camp. Then I follow the main street way to East, pass the tourist office, the park and the bridge, and just after I turn on right in the rail trail, which goes till Bright. After 21 km I stop in a picnic area, shelter, table, toilet and water, to camp.

Tarrawingee - Beechworth – Everton 44
I follow the rail trail by farms land, till the cross to Beechworth. I go up by slow climbing for 15 km till Beechworth, by forest and winneries. Beechworth is now a touristic little town. It was a gold mine, and it keeps some stone building, and a main street with timber buildings, western look like. Also there is a beautiful tourist drive for 5 km, by pine forest, with boulders, waterfalls, and an orange bed of river. And a lookout on the plain. It is worth a visit.
Then I go back to the rail trail, and camp in Everton picnic area, as confortable as yesterday.

Everton – Myrtleford – Eurobin – Porepunkah 56
It is the same large farms land valley till Myrtleford. Myrtleford is a little town with a nice park in the entrance, good to camp. The valley narrows between 2 ranges of hills with forest, orchards, farms land, and winneries. There is a big peak with a cliff, upper than the others, Mount Buffalo.
I arrive at Eurobin rail trail station or picnic area. The place is confortable, but without intimacy and noisy, wide open on the graat Alpine road. So I continue till Porepunkah. Here along the river there is a picnic area with all confort, where I camp. The storm burts by the afternoon.

Porepunkah – Bright – Hariette 46
The trail gets off the Great alpine road, and goes along the golf by a nice backroad, and enters in town by side streets. Bright is a noisy little town, mostly hotels and cafes. I go away quickly, and stop 6 km further in Inbrouck, in the community hall, nice place to camp, shelter, table, water, but no toilet.
I follow the Great Alpine road till Hariette, barely climbing, by a narrow valley with crops and orchards, rounded by high hills with forest. Harriette is a village, with a basic store, a sport ground and a nice park, shelter table toilet water, where I camp.

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