The Tour de Great Ocean Road
With the help of a detailed online cycling map and much research and accomodation booking, I drew out the Tour de Great Ocean Road! This gruelling 300km, 4 stage Tour started on Monday 9th April 2007.
Start of Tour de Great Ocean Road - Melb to Geelong by train
Stage 1 - Geelong to Anglesea, 40km
We packed our bagpacks with MINIMAL ESSENTIALS only:1 cycling jersey, 1 cycling tights, 2 sets of underwear, 1 running singlet, 1 running short, 1 pair of running shoes, 1 t-shirt, 1 sweatpants, 1 hoodie, 1 windbreaker, 1 pair of slippers. A camera, bike repair kit, mini sized toiletries, map and money. It weighed about 6kg. Clem brought the same, some Gatorade powder, energy gels and bars
Next to the train, all geared up!
We reached Geelong at 11.42am, ate a snadwich and a pie and headed off.
Map of stage 1. Thanks to my superior navigation skills, we found our way to Surf Coast Highway which led us to Torquay, gateway to the GOR. Torquay is the surfing capital of Aust, where Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Roxy origniated. We saw the Surfworld Museam and the whole street lined with surfing shops and posters. Coooool. Anyways there was not much to see coz the road travels inland.
Profile of stage 1. The left margin shows the vertical height above sea level, in 20m intervals from 0m to 120m. The bottom margin is the distance in km.Stage 1 wasn't very scenic since it wasn't along the coast. But boy was it TOUGH!!! We rode pretty fast and the weather was HOT. I'm guessing it's coz 1, the roads are VERY ROUGH. we were going over gravel, rocks, sand. 2, it was pretty hilly. 3, it was so hot. 4, the backpacks were heavy and straining our backs.
We reached Anglesea at about 2.15pm and checked into the backpackers.
Our room in the Anglesea Backpackers. It was a really neat and small backpackers. Very cosy and extremely clean.
Living room
Then we went to walk ard the village and shared a seafood basket for lunch.
Picnic lunch of seafood basket.
Waited for the bus to Bells Beach to watch the Rip Curl Pro Surfing Champs but the bus driver told us it didn't stop near the beach, much to Clem's delight (he was exhausted). We walked along the lake and the beach.
Anglesea lake. 2 men standing on surfboards rowing with an oar.
Anglesea beach. Noob surfers trying to stand up on their boards.
Kangeroos in the Anglesea golf course
We headed back to our room and for some unknown reason, we were knocked out from 6.30pm to 9am!! That's 14 and a half hours of sleep! We didn't even have dinner. Insane.
Start of day2
Stage 2 - Anglesea to Apollo Bay, 75km
Map of stage 2. We will be cycling along the coast the whole journey so there'll be great scenery and some wind.
Profile of the stage. Very hilly.
Start of stage 2, looking refreshed and cute.
We stopped at a scenic lookout for me to take my inhaler, which i forgot and was feeling breathless and weird.
The sea is sooooo clean and nice. It's all untouched. We could see the clear green waters giving way to deep blue further out into sea.
Taken at Mount Defiance, 100m above sea level.
A winding mountain road.It was again a warm sunny day. We stopped at Lorne (30km from Anglesea) for lunch. It's a small seaside town of population 1000. We had a sausage burger (me) and a big messy steak burger (clem).
We were kinda silly coz we didn't fill up our bottles when we stopped for a drink at Kennett River. So from then on, I was dehydrated and struggling coz i was SO THIRSTY! I was just looking for shops but there were none! I'm cycling right next to the sea and I have no water!?!
Oh yes, I was lagging quite far behind Clem while in my delirious state. Suddenly, I saw an ambulance whizz by with its siren blaring. Gave me a shock! I immediately started praying that Clem was ok, and I hurried pedal hard hoping I'd catch up with him soon. At the same time, Clem had stopped by the side of the road ahead and was waiting for me. According to him, he was wondering where I was and when he saw the ambulance, he thought "PIGGY!" (which is my other name). Then he saw this fierce looking cyclist in the distance but when I got closer, he thought "Oh, it's just piggy"?!?!?!
Finally, we reached Apollo Bay and got a drink at the petrol kiosk!!
Apollo Bay Bed & Breakfast
WOWWWWWWW. Check this out! Our room for the night, looks just like a hotel room.
Dining area. There was a living room with sofas, TV and video tapes! It was a really nice and clean place! Just what we need after 75km of riding and many hills!
tea and biscuits! I felt so Englishy. haha.
Then we wore our cycling tights and headed off to the beach for a cold dip to freshen up. Damn the water was cold. 16deg! We were shivering and chattering and screaming when a wave hit us. But we looked ard, every one else was in swim wear playing like there's no problem.
Ha! i love the waterproof camera!
A dip in Apollo Bay beach - 16deg water!
Clem showing off his hot tone bod. Sorry, he looks like he's screaming coz the water's too cold.
Clem swimming on the crest of a wave. It's fun!
After 30min of frezzing our muscles dead, we headed back to shower and out for dinner.
The pink and blue sky just after sunset.
Start of day 3
Stage 3 - Apollo Bay to Port Campbell, 100km
Stage 3 map. We move away from the coast and into the hilly foresty mountains Otway and Lavers Hill.
Stage 3 profile. Do not be deceived! The left margin is not the same as the previous 2 days, where it's 20m intervals from 0m to 120m above sea level. The margin for this stage is 100m intervals from 0m to 600m above sea level, 5 times the vertical height of the other stages' left margins. higher than Mt Dandenong. Check out those 15-20km climbs up to 600m above sea level.
A scrumptious breakfast! Cereal, muslie, fruit, milk, tea, orange juice, toast with jam and butter. Just what we need for a gruelling 100km ride!
Our ritual shot before the start of each stage. Still looking alright there.
Man it was insane. Just at the start we were hit was a BIG HILL. No, not Mt Faber type. MUCH LONGER AND STEEPER! It was never ending. Damn. in fact, it was uphill all the way. But we felt much better than the last 2 days, maybe our bodies were adapting to the heavy backpack and rough roads.
In between the 2 major hills, Cape Otway and Laver's Hill, there was a little flat farmland.
Farmlands. Smelly horses and cows.
View from the peak of Laver's Hill, 600m above sea level. We had lunch at a small cafeteria. It was damn cold.
We thought after 50km of climbing, it's time for some awesome downhill. The map said 18km of downhill. But DAMN, NO! It was down a lil, then a steep climb, down a lil then a steep climb. Man, i was tired and so frustrated! I felt cheated! In fact i went mad and started shouting and roaring! (when Clem was out of sight).
19km from Port Campbell! A lake with black swans.
OOooh, we're approaching Port Campbell, very scenic and fairly straight undulating roads along the cliff tops.
AHHHHH we finally finished 100km at Daysy Hill Cottage, where I booked the Rose Cottage for us. A lovely self contained cottage with a bed room, toilet bowl room, spa bath tub, dining table, kitchen, living room with TV, DVD and video player and a fireplace! There was a balcony too. Lovely!
The living toom and kitchen
Cosy living room. There's a basket of chopped up firewood next to the fireplace. we watched many video tapes we borrowed from reception. American Pie 1, 2, 3, Euro Trip and Deuce Bigalow. All brainless comedies.
The balcony.
We had to go to town to grab some dinner and munchies. But this cottage is in the country, 2km frm town! So we walked out and HITCHHIKED! Cool man, clem flagged down a pickup. Middleaged dude who recommended a value-for-money dinner place. We bought some snacks and headed back. It was PITCH BLACK, except for the ZILLION STARS in the sky and our torchlight. haha. We tried hitchhiking but no one would stop for us. damn.
Yep, we got home and watched 2 videos.
Day 4 - Non-cycling day!
Woke up and hitchhiked to town again! We realised something. 1, similar profiles of those who stop and offer us a lift-middle to old aged farmer like men who drive pick ups. 2, vehicles stop when clem flags but not me! WHY?!?! I smile sweetly, stretch out my arm and point with my thumb but nope, I must look too scary.
A little bay at Port Campbell where we had a picnic lunch.
After lunch, we went tot he Visitor Info Centre to check for tours to the 12 apostles. But nope, we missed the only tour for the day. So we booked a cab for 5pm. They had a little display of the shipwrecks around Port Campbell. Including the famous LochArd shipwreck. Very interesting.
Display of shipwrecks.We got groceries, walked home, watched a video then went for a jog, and down to the 12 Apostles. We got there abt 6pm, just in time for sunset. It was perfect. The landscape was really grand. Amazing. There were many ppl there with big cameras trying to capture the romantic sunset. Btw, I counted only 7 apostles left!
A romantic sunset at the 12 Apostles.
Some other rocks. Dun think they are apostles. haha.
I climbed over a barrier onto the "unstable cliff edges". It was nice but i was scared i'd trip and fall off or get blown away by the strong wind.We went home and Clem made me dinner while i took a hot bath =). I'm so sorry I forgot to take a photo dear. He made and set up my bowl of Campbells Minestrone soup, his bowl of Cream of Chicken and a plate of nicely arranged biscuits on the dining table =)
We watched American Pie 2 and 3, some E! channel Dr. 90210 (gross plastic surgery) and went to bed.
Start of day 5
Stage 4 - Port Campbell to Warrnambool, 70km.
We had yummy brekky of a Milo energy bar, low-fat berry yoghurt and hot tea, watched The Simpsons on tv and started on the last stage of the Tour.
Stage 4 map. Peterborough, Nirranda, Nullawarre and Naringal are all ghost towns! haha no, animal towns coz they're farmlands.
Profile of Stage 4. Steep climb out of Port Campbell then after that rolling hills. Compared to the other stages, this stage is relatively flat. Note: Left margin is 0, 20m, 40m to 120m.
Outside the Rose Cottage, ready for the final stage!
Overlooking Port Campbell.The first 16km was awesome. Along the cliffs overlooking majestic rock formations. But after that, it was CHEESE FARMS! boring! Weather was very warm too. almost 30deg i think.
The Arch
The London Bridge. The bridge is broken (Clem's body is blocking). Apparantly that part fell on 15Jan 1990. No one was hurt but 2 guys were stranded on that piece of rock and had to be rescued by helicopters.
A shot of Clem cycling. It's a pity we din haf a photographer! I wanted like shots of us cycling together, with the sea or the GOR as the backgrd. So just imagine: a long road, Clem riding in front, me behind him and the sea and cliffs in the backgrd. And we also din manage to get shots which actually do justice to the beauty and the harshness of the terrain! Friggin steep uphills which are never-ending!
Me looking cool on my bike
Bay of Martyrs.
Clem and I at the Bay of Martyrs.
Someone trying to look comtemplative. Is that your best shot?!?!Along the farm roads we were getting smacked by insects like bees, beatles and flies. There were so many, and as we charged ahead they blindly smacked in to us. One gross beetle flew into the middle vent in my helment and i could feel its gross wings/legs clawing on my head. gross. i immediately pulled over and flung that fella as far as i could.
We took a 5min pitstop under this shadow of a big tree. The shade is hard to come by!
My Clemmie eating Jelly Belly Sport Beans. They're good source of fuel and taste like Gatorade powder.
After riding hard the last 50km, we FINALLY COMPLETED THE TOUR! We arrived in Warrnambool at 2.30pm and Clem started singing very loudly.
The view from Merrie St
Beautiful eh?
We picked up our reserved tickets from the train station and went to look for food!
Smiling happily. 300km!
Lunch was a MASSIVE MESSY BURGER and coleslaw for Clem, a grilled chicken breast with salad for me. And we shared a plate of scrambled eggs and fries and strawberry milkshake. YUM! We walked ard Warrnambool and back to the train stn.
End of the Tour de GOR. We made it!
On the train back to Melb.I can't believe we completed the Tour. And I can't believe we've completed the Tour! It was TOUGH! 1) We had big 6-7kg backpacks. 2) The roads were super rough and bumpy, many gravel, stones, sand, glass and portholes. 3) It was super hilly. Big steep long climbs. 4) The weather was warm.
Lugging an extra 6-7kg uphill is no joke. The rough bumpy roads don't help coz it's really hard to ride coz of the added friction. Roads in Melb are damn smooth and roads in Singapore aren't roads at all. Are they marble roads? On a smooth road you can easily drop 2-3 gears heavier. When we were riding my bike was rattling and my body was feeling the vibrations, which induced fatigue. The hills were worse than Mt Dandenong and many stretches there were no rideable road shoulders. So while struggling uphill at 8-9kmh, you have to try to cycle straight as close to the side as possible. Well, thank God for the perfect weather. We were expecting cold, windy and rainy weather but we got none of those. We had bright sunny warm weather which made it safer to ride.
WE CONQUERED THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD ON 2 WHEELS AND 2 LEGS.
posted by aine at 4:21 PM
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