Autumn. Leaves turning and falling. Misty mornings. Veiled evenings.
This ANZAC day was marked with a family cycling trip at Myrtleford. We were to ride the Murray to Mountain Rail Trail. The trail was full of gems to be discovered. We love the trail so much that we will make a return trip in the near future.
Day 1 :: Myrtleford to Gapstead Winery Return :: 17km
As car drifted through Benalla, our detour led to us to a rabbit. A rabbit in a white wedding gown by Anton Pulverenti as part of the Wall to Wall Festival. Benalla was the home for thousands of migrants that were displaced in World War 2. This mural was dedicated to his Aunt Serafina who was one of the unwelcomed aliens.
I love this colourful masterpiece by Julian Clavijo.
Benella is definitely a place for a spot of flânerie.
The pie was a pastry packaged deliciousness. The scrambled eggs with bacon was a double thumbs up! Well done Hide's Bakery!
Upon our arrival to Myrtleford, we wasted no time at all and did a little ride.
I wore my Specialised bike shoes with SPD clips for the first time. I was worried at first about not being able to stop as riding with the children normally meant that stopping quickly was essential. The shoes didn't take long to get used to and I wondered what the stress was all about!
Our ride was enveloped with warm colours. There was a rickety bridge that added adventure to our trip. Trip, trap, trip, trap. Who goes there, bellowed the troll! Colour coated horses were quiet lawn mowers. Bleating goats cheered us on. The sealed trail provided a smooth ride. In some parts, our wheels crunched the gravelly trail. Like a coloured paper confetti, the leaves floated down onto the path celebrating our arrival.
The path was quite well signed posted except for a few areas. We rode on the pavement even though the trail lead us towards the road. It was perfectly legal as we had under-12s with us.
There was a gentle but unceasing gradient meant that Ella Mae only wanted to ride for 5km. She was clipped onto my bike with the FollowMe Tandem for the rest of the uphill journey; then some parts of the downhill, she rode on her own again.
Throughout the ride, Ella Mae twittered like a little bird about school, teachers, friends, family etc. There were also thousands of questions that beckoned immediate answers such as "Where does rain come from?".
Kim and Thomas rode ahead and stop once in a while to wait for us to catch up. City Skyline no doubt was the subject of their discussion.
Upon our return, we drove our car to a supermarket nearby. We could have ridden here as the path went behind the supermarket but we were doing a big shop - so we could spend more time on our bikes.
We made dinner and had an early night.
Day 2 :: Myrtleford to Bright Return :: 60km
A quick breakfast. The children distracted themselves with totem tennis while the adults prepared the bikes and pannier bags.
There were a lot to see on the trail - goldmine ventilation shaft at Reform Hill, alpacas, hops, and disused tobacco kilns.
We stopped at Eurobin Station for a pit stop. It is one of the best toilet facilities I've ever encountered. The door is a security mesh door and that provided a good level of natural light and ventilation.
We stumbled on chestnuts that littered the trail like giant chocolate glazed with pistachio coloured burrs. The burrs were truly sharp and the fingers were stinging for a little while after.
We had lunch at Rail Trail Cafe, just outside Bright. It is a cute place with seating at the front and side. It also has a play area for the children. The hanging plastic bottles swung in the breeze under the veranda reminded me of the dried octopi in Naxos.
The corten steel urban architecture sat well with the autumn leaves.
We rode on to the centre of Bright. We did a quick loop around and headed back.
The children had a stretch at the playground by Ovens River. Thomas had a race with a man who was towing his child in a trailer. They were good friends by the time we left.
The kookaburras pricked the senses for a tasty morsel that evening. They flitted tho and fro and listened intently and were poised for the lightning swoop.
The sunset was so beautiful. The flat landscape were pockmarked with Angus cattle with hop frames and mountains in the background. The mist filtering the sunlight was as if this was all a beautiful dream.
While we cooked dinner, the children had a bubble bath. We were famished!
Kim and I sat by the woodstove fire and drank wine. Divine.
Day 3 :: Myrtleford to Beechworth Return :: 90km
We ate a hearty breakfast knowing that we were going for a bigger ride. Kim "guestimated" from studying the map that it would be about 35km from Myrtleford to Beechworth.
A crisp morning quickly dissipated by the warmth of the sun. Again, the continuous gentle uphill meant that even though Ella Mae tried her best to ride, she was struggling. 5km later, she was latched onto the Followme Tandem.
We were in awe of a flock of straw-necked ibis, also known as Farmer's Friend and stood to admire them for a little while. They were circling over the green pastures.
Taylor's Gap was suddenly a downhill run. We kept reminding ourselves that we had to reserve the energy at the end of the day to ride back up!
There in the middle of the fields was a graveyard for cars. It felt quite surreal. These would be useful for someone who is looking for a part for their pride and joy. Kim found one that was very similar to his first car.
We stopped for a snack of banana chips, dried apricots and chocolate. We found the "choc stop"s spur the children to cycle further. Our legs, feet and arms also welcome the change of body position.
We found one of many Hume and Hovell monuments. There are over 30 to be discovered!
There were only two farm gates that required to be opened and closed that crossed the rail trail.
Once we arrived to Everton, it seemed that we were back tracking as we were riding towards Beechworth. The landscape changed from open farmland to hill cuts. The shade was most welcomed as the sun was bearing down on us as we climbed through farmlands. The vegetation changed from grass to shrubs and trees.
Thomas was talking non-stop all the way up the hill about City Skyline. Suddenly he stopped his bike and said, "I think I saw a koala... or a lemur..." Upon inspection, there was indeed a koala. It was very close and very awake. Our normal experience with these grey ball of fluff at an animal sanctuary or zoo is them being asleep.
We packed lunch of sandwich filled with cheese and ham. We were really hungry! The rainwater from the water tanks were drinkable but we were advised by the signage to excercise caution.
This part of the trail required us to scout for our own toilets.
When we finally arrived to Beechworth, it all looked very familiar. We were here a few years ago. The ice-cream at Beechworth Ice-creamery gave us congratulatory pats on the backs! This was where I found out from Kim that we already had ridden 45km!
We almost flew downhill all the way home. But one cannot be complacent as there were bumps and dips in the road.
Thomas and I went ahead first and our goal was to look for the koala. Eureka! It bid us farewell. And away we went.
No long after, I shouted for Thomas to stop! Screech! A cloud of dust veiled my eyes from the sunset. A mob of kangaroos were jumping across the rail trail.
Another beautiful sunset. The brown cows shone in the golden fields in the magic hour of the sunset.
We switched our lights on. It was pretty much pitched black . There were some areas where the road ran parallel to the trail, but some areas that were in the middle of nowhere. Our headlights lit the front. Ella Mae turned her helmet light on and swung her head from left to right for better view of the trail.
We saw some kangaroos with the headlights. In the dark, we heard quite a few rustling in the undergrowth. My imagination was running wild. I kept very quiet and pedalled on. It was particularly hard work climbing up to Taylor's Gap. But once we conquered that, it was pretty much home sweet home.
Again, the children had a bubble bath while we cooked dinner. The food was inhaled with little effort.
Kim and I enjoyed the woodstove fire with a glass of wine and a cuppa.
Day 4 :: Myrtleford to Nut farm via Eurobin (plus Myrtleford Loop) :: 40km
It was a slow start for us. We rode the Myrtleford Loop and crossed Ovens River about three times.
Lupo's Kiln Cafe beckoned us to stop for lunch. Who could resist homemade pasta and cake? It was very relaxing sitting on the decking that overlooked the playground. The children loved the treehouse and the train.
We also found a friendly visitor at our table.
Ella Mae rode 22km all on her own. This is a new personal best for her. Lots of encouragement was required though - singing, story telling, jokes, and stopping.
We stopped to watch rabbits playing hide-and-seek in their warren, to regard the cows, and to inspect bees in thistle.
The children were very excited about the nut farm. There was no one there to serve. The kids loved to crack the almonds and hazelnut with the mallet. We bought giant hazelnuts and giant chestnuts. Luckily we had the right amount of money for the honesty box.
Like a giant glowing citrus in the sky, the sun painted the sky. The children had so much fun for the past few days that they didn't want to go home. They were thinking of relocating to Myrtleford!
Day 5 :: Drives
We packed, cleaned the house and checked out.
We drove straight to Beechworth to Beechworth Honey. The children's eyes lit up with each tasting stick. There were only a few that they didn't really like. After the obligatory honey tasting, we went to watch the 20 minute show.
Our favourite honey: the applebox.
The line for lunch at Beechworth Bakery didn't reflect the quality of the food. Next time, it would be best to go somewhere else.
We stumbled on a kiwi farm, Jade Quality, and decided to get some fruits (390 Whorouly Bowmans Road, Bowmans Forest).
We were given an impromptu tour by Glenys. She was a fabulous host and made the children felt really welcome. Thomas was clearly more interested in the chickens and Ella Mae was chuffed that she plucked her very own kiwi from the vine. These vines are over 30 years old.
As advised by Glenys, when we arrived home we left some kiwi fruit in the fruit bowl with some apples to let them ripen. They are the best tasting kiwi fruit! The ones that are in the fridge will slowly make their way to the fruit bowl.
It was essential to drive to Milawa for the mustard. We love it enough to return again.
As we approached Pizzini cellars, the view of the vine with mountain as a backdrop was as if we were on a page of a winery magazine. They had a big selection of wines to taste from. They were very good wine and the sommelier was very knowledgeable and made us feel relaxed. It was a shame that the architecture did not pay homage to the views of the vines and mountains.
The children were engrossed in the tablet - Kipper the Dog. After our purchase, we played soccer on the lawn. I treasure days like these.
The sun was setting as we drove home. We had takeaway McDonalds at one of the petrol stations. I wish that real food will be on offer in the future. It was Ella Mae's first taste at golden arches and I am glad to confirm that she didn't like it.
Accommodation Review:
57 Great Alpine Road Myrtleford
Pros:
- close to the rail trail
- close to amenities
- clean
- spacious
- use of garage to secure bicycles/car
- bath
- separate toilet
- woodfire with plenty of wood
- welcome pack breakfast
- washing machine, dryer and dishwasher
- wifi
Cons:
- on the main road, quite noisy quite early in the morning
- fumes from the petrol station nearby (only present during the day)
- check out time inconsistent. 10am on website, 11am on folder in the house
This ANZAC day was marked with a family cycling trip at Myrtleford. We were to ride the Murray to Mountain Rail Trail. The trail was full of gems to be discovered. We love the trail so much that we will make a return trip in the near future.
Day 1 :: Myrtleford to Gapstead Winery Return :: 17km
As car drifted through Benalla, our detour led to us to a rabbit. A rabbit in a white wedding gown by Anton Pulverenti as part of the Wall to Wall Festival. Benalla was the home for thousands of migrants that were displaced in World War 2. This mural was dedicated to his Aunt Serafina who was one of the unwelcomed aliens.
I love this colourful masterpiece by Julian Clavijo.
Benella is definitely a place for a spot of flânerie.
The pie was a pastry packaged deliciousness. The scrambled eggs with bacon was a double thumbs up! Well done Hide's Bakery!
Upon our arrival to Myrtleford, we wasted no time at all and did a little ride.
I wore my Specialised bike shoes with SPD clips for the first time. I was worried at first about not being able to stop as riding with the children normally meant that stopping quickly was essential. The shoes didn't take long to get used to and I wondered what the stress was all about!
Our ride was enveloped with warm colours. There was a rickety bridge that added adventure to our trip. Trip, trap, trip, trap. Who goes there, bellowed the troll! Colour coated horses were quiet lawn mowers. Bleating goats cheered us on. The sealed trail provided a smooth ride. In some parts, our wheels crunched the gravelly trail. Like a coloured paper confetti, the leaves floated down onto the path celebrating our arrival.
The path was quite well signed posted except for a few areas. We rode on the pavement even though the trail lead us towards the road. It was perfectly legal as we had under-12s with us.
There was a gentle but unceasing gradient meant that Ella Mae only wanted to ride for 5km. She was clipped onto my bike with the FollowMe Tandem for the rest of the uphill journey; then some parts of the downhill, she rode on her own again.
Throughout the ride, Ella Mae twittered like a little bird about school, teachers, friends, family etc. There were also thousands of questions that beckoned immediate answers such as "Where does rain come from?".
Kim and Thomas rode ahead and stop once in a while to wait for us to catch up. City Skyline no doubt was the subject of their discussion.
Upon our return, we drove our car to a supermarket nearby. We could have ridden here as the path went behind the supermarket but we were doing a big shop - so we could spend more time on our bikes.
We made dinner and had an early night.
Day 2 :: Myrtleford to Bright Return :: 60km
A quick breakfast. The children distracted themselves with totem tennis while the adults prepared the bikes and pannier bags.
There were a lot to see on the trail - goldmine ventilation shaft at Reform Hill, alpacas, hops, and disused tobacco kilns.
We stopped at Eurobin Station for a pit stop. It is one of the best toilet facilities I've ever encountered. The door is a security mesh door and that provided a good level of natural light and ventilation.
We had lunch at Rail Trail Cafe, just outside Bright. It is a cute place with seating at the front and side. It also has a play area for the children. The hanging plastic bottles swung in the breeze under the veranda reminded me of the dried octopi in Naxos.
The corten steel urban architecture sat well with the autumn leaves.
We rode on to the centre of Bright. We did a quick loop around and headed back.
The children had a stretch at the playground by Ovens River. Thomas had a race with a man who was towing his child in a trailer. They were good friends by the time we left.
The kookaburras pricked the senses for a tasty morsel that evening. They flitted tho and fro and listened intently and were poised for the lightning swoop.
The sunset was so beautiful. The flat landscape were pockmarked with Angus cattle with hop frames and mountains in the background. The mist filtering the sunlight was as if this was all a beautiful dream.
While we cooked dinner, the children had a bubble bath. We were famished!
Kim and I sat by the woodstove fire and drank wine. Divine.
Day 3 :: Myrtleford to Beechworth Return :: 90km
We ate a hearty breakfast knowing that we were going for a bigger ride. Kim "guestimated" from studying the map that it would be about 35km from Myrtleford to Beechworth.
A crisp morning quickly dissipated by the warmth of the sun. Again, the continuous gentle uphill meant that even though Ella Mae tried her best to ride, she was struggling. 5km later, she was latched onto the Followme Tandem.
We were in awe of a flock of straw-necked ibis, also known as Farmer's Friend and stood to admire them for a little while. They were circling over the green pastures.
Taylor's Gap was suddenly a downhill run. We kept reminding ourselves that we had to reserve the energy at the end of the day to ride back up!
There in the middle of the fields was a graveyard for cars. It felt quite surreal. These would be useful for someone who is looking for a part for their pride and joy. Kim found one that was very similar to his first car.
We stopped for a snack of banana chips, dried apricots and chocolate. We found the "choc stop"s spur the children to cycle further. Our legs, feet and arms also welcome the change of body position.
We found one of many Hume and Hovell monuments. There are over 30 to be discovered!
There were only two farm gates that required to be opened and closed that crossed the rail trail.
Once we arrived to Everton, it seemed that we were back tracking as we were riding towards Beechworth. The landscape changed from open farmland to hill cuts. The shade was most welcomed as the sun was bearing down on us as we climbed through farmlands. The vegetation changed from grass to shrubs and trees.
Thomas was talking non-stop all the way up the hill about City Skyline. Suddenly he stopped his bike and said, "I think I saw a koala... or a lemur..." Upon inspection, there was indeed a koala. It was very close and very awake. Our normal experience with these grey ball of fluff at an animal sanctuary or zoo is them being asleep.
We packed lunch of sandwich filled with cheese and ham. We were really hungry! The rainwater from the water tanks were drinkable but we were advised by the signage to excercise caution.
This part of the trail required us to scout for our own toilets.
When we finally arrived to Beechworth, it all looked very familiar. We were here a few years ago. The ice-cream at Beechworth Ice-creamery gave us congratulatory pats on the backs! This was where I found out from Kim that we already had ridden 45km!
We almost flew downhill all the way home. But one cannot be complacent as there were bumps and dips in the road.
Thomas and I went ahead first and our goal was to look for the koala. Eureka! It bid us farewell. And away we went.
No long after, I shouted for Thomas to stop! Screech! A cloud of dust veiled my eyes from the sunset. A mob of kangaroos were jumping across the rail trail.
Another beautiful sunset. The brown cows shone in the golden fields in the magic hour of the sunset.
We switched our lights on. It was pretty much pitched black . There were some areas where the road ran parallel to the trail, but some areas that were in the middle of nowhere. Our headlights lit the front. Ella Mae turned her helmet light on and swung her head from left to right for better view of the trail.
We saw some kangaroos with the headlights. In the dark, we heard quite a few rustling in the undergrowth. My imagination was running wild. I kept very quiet and pedalled on. It was particularly hard work climbing up to Taylor's Gap. But once we conquered that, it was pretty much home sweet home.
Again, the children had a bubble bath while we cooked dinner. The food was inhaled with little effort.
Kim and I enjoyed the woodstove fire with a glass of wine and a cuppa.
Day 4 :: Myrtleford to Nut farm via Eurobin (plus Myrtleford Loop) :: 40km
It was a slow start for us. We rode the Myrtleford Loop and crossed Ovens River about three times.
Lupo's Kiln Cafe beckoned us to stop for lunch. Who could resist homemade pasta and cake? It was very relaxing sitting on the decking that overlooked the playground. The children loved the treehouse and the train.
We also found a friendly visitor at our table.
Ella Mae rode 22km all on her own. This is a new personal best for her. Lots of encouragement was required though - singing, story telling, jokes, and stopping.
We stopped to watch rabbits playing hide-and-seek in their warren, to regard the cows, and to inspect bees in thistle.
The children were very excited about the nut farm. There was no one there to serve. The kids loved to crack the almonds and hazelnut with the mallet. We bought giant hazelnuts and giant chestnuts. Luckily we had the right amount of money for the honesty box.
Like a giant glowing citrus in the sky, the sun painted the sky. The children had so much fun for the past few days that they didn't want to go home. They were thinking of relocating to Myrtleford!
Day 5 :: Drives
We packed, cleaned the house and checked out.
We drove straight to Beechworth to Beechworth Honey. The children's eyes lit up with each tasting stick. There were only a few that they didn't really like. After the obligatory honey tasting, we went to watch the 20 minute show.
Our favourite honey: the applebox.
The line for lunch at Beechworth Bakery didn't reflect the quality of the food. Next time, it would be best to go somewhere else.
We stumbled on a kiwi farm, Jade Quality, and decided to get some fruits (390 Whorouly Bowmans Road, Bowmans Forest).
We were given an impromptu tour by Glenys. She was a fabulous host and made the children felt really welcome. Thomas was clearly more interested in the chickens and Ella Mae was chuffed that she plucked her very own kiwi from the vine. These vines are over 30 years old.
As advised by Glenys, when we arrived home we left some kiwi fruit in the fruit bowl with some apples to let them ripen. They are the best tasting kiwi fruit! The ones that are in the fridge will slowly make their way to the fruit bowl.
It was essential to drive to Milawa for the mustard. We love it enough to return again.
As we approached Pizzini cellars, the view of the vine with mountain as a backdrop was as if we were on a page of a winery magazine. They had a big selection of wines to taste from. They were very good wine and the sommelier was very knowledgeable and made us feel relaxed. It was a shame that the architecture did not pay homage to the views of the vines and mountains.
The children were engrossed in the tablet - Kipper the Dog. After our purchase, we played soccer on the lawn. I treasure days like these.
The sun was setting as we drove home. We had takeaway McDonalds at one of the petrol stations. I wish that real food will be on offer in the future. It was Ella Mae's first taste at golden arches and I am glad to confirm that she didn't like it.
Accommodation Review:
57 Great Alpine Road Myrtleford
Pros:
- close to the rail trail
- close to amenities
- clean
- spacious
- use of garage to secure bicycles/car
- bath
- separate toilet
- woodfire with plenty of wood
- welcome pack breakfast
- washing machine, dryer and dishwasher
- wifi
Cons:
- on the main road, quite noisy quite early in the morning
- fumes from the petrol station nearby (only present during the day)
- check out time inconsistent. 10am on website, 11am on folder in the house
Comments
Post a Comment