In the rearview, Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria, Australia
Last week, my trans-Swiss Alps-riding friend Janushka and I had the opportunity to check out the first completed section of the planned 60km of cross-country mountain-bike trails. They'll be progressively finished and opened over three years. Summer 2008 is going to be the official opening, after the snow and skiers of winter have compacted what is currently nearly as soft as beach sand into something hard and fast.We started our trip in Benalla, at the excellent Benalla Regional Gallery, which has an expansive Sidney Nolan tapestry (made in Portugal), among other things, and a gallery director who's well in touch with the public. We spent the night at the cosy Rotherlea Lodge, a self-contained luxury villa overlooking a grazing pasture, and then I drove to Buller while Janushka rode 115km right up to the mountain's summit. As you do.
After a guided ride on the new trails we spent an afternoon and evening chillaxing and Jan drove to the spanking new Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park while I rode down the mountain. A forty-minute descent is more my style than his three-hour climb.
By the way, Janushka is training for a 2000km+ ride across the Swiss Alps in June/July, starting in Graz, Austria. He's opted for off-road, and is fairly loony, but nonetheless inspiring.
And in other news, WOMADelaide is less than two weeks away!
