Day 4- Beechworth to Wangaratta 50 kms

27 Oct

Today we had an early start at 6.00 am ... for many it was after a long night of very little sleep with the band in the pub going until about 3.00am. Also there were a few die hard rugby supporters with the surprising English win over the Kiwis

After a brief breakfast at the hotel it was off at 7.00am towards Wangaratta. We were promised a good downhill and we certainly got that!

The downhill was about 15 kms with a fall of about 450 metres. I was getting speeds of over 50 kms/ hr and I am a slower descender than many in our group. The only real issue was the cool and crisp morning with temps around 5 degrees.... the effect of the wind as we descended made for cold fingers despite long fingered gloves,

The trip to Milawa was through some lovely green country with mainly dairy cattle. Despite the green paddocks the creeks and dams seemed quite dry

We stopped first at the Milawa Cheese Factory for a coffee and cakes then proceeded on to Brown Brothers winery where we enjoyed the wonderful surrounds of the remarkable winery with restaurant and community areas. Well worth another visit sometime

After this we made our way to Wangaratta to complete the 59 km ride and the 4 day sojourn through northern Victoria

After a light lunch it was time to say goodbye to those journeying by train back to Melbourne so Dave Bonnett Abdy and I made our way home to Melbourne in the Ute

Now being home for a few hours I can reflect on the 4 day trip which was well organised by Stephen Seymour and he must be congratulated on making sure we all had a terrific time

The weather was a mixture of the very hot (day 1) and the

Cold ( today and yesterday)

We were challenged on the climbs particularly the Towong Gap but all accepted the challenges and responded magnificently

The road conditions were very good and we had very little traffic to contend with. The real joy was the comaradre we enjoyed with the group and the fun of enjoying a wonderful journey together

It will now be rather hard to get back to life again in Melbourne although the legs will certainly enjoyed the rest

So to my fellow Wheeliebinners on the ride I say a real thank you to you all for being such great mates and to Steve a big thanks for bringing this all together

Early morning line up as we were about to leave

A frosty and cool morning!!!