There are a few rides that we’ve talked about doing for many years, the two main ones, Tasmania and Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Both iconic destinations in their own right and both great riding destinations. We’ve had plans for Tassie a number of times over the last three decades but they’ve always fallen through, and while I’ve done the Great Ocean Road a few times we haven’t ridden it together.

With Deb having a conference in Melbourne on the same weekend as I was going to Echuca to catch up with mates, we booked ourselves a week off to ride the Great Ocean before I drop her at the conference, and I continue on to Echuca for our annual muster.

Getting to Melbourne

Getting to Melbourne from Canberra there are a few options. The shortest and fastest is the Doom aka the Hume Highway, a divided 110km/h highway all the way. A good way to cover miles but a bit soul destroying on a bike. It’s certainly the easiest way but 650km of fairly boring divided highway.

The better (although longer) option is the scenic route down the Monaro Highway to Bombala and then you can either continue on the Monaro Highway to Cann River, or opt for the really tight, will this never end, windy road of the Bonang Highway.

The Bonang has had a reducing amount of dirt on it which was always quite loose and slippery, always fun on a big road bike.! But in the last 12 months roadworks are completed and it’s now all bitumen. 

This  sinuous ribbon of tarmac winds its way through the fern lined wooded National Parks. But the surface is varied with mid-corner dips and bumps and loose gravel so you have to be always paying attention.

My bladder is leaking… um what.!

With temperatures up to 39 degrees C we were glad we grabbed our hydration packs because it was hot going.!

And when Deb’s hydration bladder started leaking it took me a moment to realise what she was talking about. Leaning against the top box the seal of her hydration pack came apart and water was running down her back. 

We rolled into Lakes Entrance with 450km on the trip meter just as the low fuel light started to flash. We found our motel and jumped straight in the pool in an effort to reset our body temperature. Then we set off exploring the town.

Sunday was just stifling.!!!

Our first mistake was starting with hot coffee and a hot breakfast when it was already over 30 degrees. And the temperature just got worse from there.

We stopped in at the Sale music festival and grabbed a milkshake and sought refuge under the trees by the wharf for a while to cool down.

Then we pulled off the freeway to Drouin and found a restaurant with air conditioning and cold drinks. In retrospect we must have looked a sight, all the patrons in their Sunday best and we walk in dishevelled, drenched in sweat while trying to peel out of our hot clammy bike gear. It was like a scene out of Wild Hogs.

The air conditioning was so nice.

Entering Melbourne the temperature was 40 degrees and our GPS conspired against us and decided to be especially mean and thought it’d be fun to route us the shortest way through slow moving traffic with heat just building. By this stage we’d sucked our hydration packs dry and were willing the traffic to part to get some airflow.

The Great Ocean Road

On Tuesday we set off south at 8am hoping to skirt Melbourne and Geelong with minimal fuss. Luckily, we dodged most of the traffic, and the weather was much more conducive to riding.

This isn’t a fast road and all the tourists and caravans mean it’s a road to just chill and take in the views.  Well for Deb anyway… but there are heaps of places to stop and take it all in, which is exactly what we did.

There are many big touristy spots well marked with heaps of parking and then there are lots of little tracks to hidden gems not visited by the hoards which felt secluded like our own little secret place.

After an overnight stay at the Warrnambool Hotel we did a return trip taking in more of the Otways National Park, we went for a walk in the treetops at the Otways Fly, and returned to the coast via the Turtons Track which is a 40kph narrow twisty road, filled with blind corners.

Before dropping Deb off at her conference in Melbourne we met Mick from Piece Meal Adventurer for lunch and shared travel experiences and travel stories. It’s always good to meet fellow motorcycle travellers / bloggers.

IBA Muster

After dropping Deb off at her conference accommodation in Melbourne and swapping over Deb’s luggage and motorcycle gear I head out of Melbourne on my leg of this journey to Echuca to catch up with friends in the long-distance community.

While it is encouraged to complete an IBA ride when attending these events, I have not completed a big day on the bike since injuring my tailbone last year, so I didn’t want to push myself too far. So, I put together a route (with an extended option) to photograph more painted silos around Victoria and South Australia.

Map key

In total photographed 25 silos but I missed a couple of silos I should have bagged. The Melbourne silo was only 30mins away but due to the heat and timing I just didn’t get my act together. The other one was Brim, no excuse for that one! I left it off my planning map and just missed it.

Thursday afternoon – 530km

Racing the sun to Kaniva I made it just before I lost light to photograph the silo. With the Kaniva silo bagged by 8pm and 150km to the next silo I pulled up on the foot path of the Kaniva Commercial Hotel and was greeted by Bob the manager who was out admiring the beautiful sunset. A really cool pub if you’re out that way looking for accommodation and a chat.

Friday – 1,100km

Up and out the door before sunrise I had 350km before I had to decide whether I’d do a 400km detour for an additional three silos further west in South Australia.

Heading north from Karoonda to collect the Copeville, and Galga silos there is a significant section of gravel making them feel very isolated. For the hour or so I only saw one vehicle, and that was a road train with dust billowing out everywhere from its 62 wheels making it impossible to get around so I just hung back until we went out separate ways. The ST handled the gravel nicely and we able to make pretty good speed but you certainly don’t want to have a problem out here.

Coffee in Waikerie and I don’t have another 400km in me, so I turn east and head back to Victoria.

The thing I love about the long-distance riding community is you just don’t know who you’re going to come cross and where. A wave to Martin and Rebecca who were stopped at the Yamba Quarantine Station gates (I’m not turning around and getting stuck there) and then another bike I recognise … a FJR coming at me … a wave, a quick u-turn, and a chat by the side of the road before we continue on our way.

And I continue my silo run…

The next decision, grab a room somewhere or push into the night for the last 150km to Echuca my destination for tomorrow.  A beautiful afternoon turned into a great night for riding, so it was an easy decision.

Rolling into Echuca at 9pm I really just want to keep riding. There’s something about rolling through the darkness, all the distractions hidden in the darkness. All you have is a tunnel of light and kamikaze bugs intent on dulling your light one splat at a time. Well until one runs the gauntlet and finds the gap in the screen and the opening in you jacket and t-shirt and starts to walk around. Not cool man!

Saturday was a great day of catching up with like-minded crazies who love the riding I love. Where you don’t need to explain why you do what you do. Often, we only have fleeting catchups in far-off places, but it was nice to have extended time to just sit with my people, talk bikes, lights, next trips, and life.

It was also a chance to chat to Ian following his and Wendy’s epic adventure covering two countries and 100,000 miles. An adventure like this that goes off without any problems is great, but when the universe seems to have it in for you at every turn it makes for an awesome story. And it did, and it is. They have released a book on their adventure “Pushing Miles – A chronicle of Motorcycles, Mayhem, and Mettle“. From what I’ve read so far, it’s a great story not just about riding motorcycles a long way, but of adventure, struggles, and the raw emotions of being on the road and dealing with one crisis after another. I will be posting a review once I’m finished reading it.

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Sunday I hit the road early and dragged Russell into my crazy silo hunt on the homeward leg of the trip.

By Katamatite I think Russell was done with my crazy silo zig-zagging and was glad that we were finally pointing the bikes towards home. From here it was a straightforward and relaxed 450km run home with a couple of coffee stops to break it up a bit as we were in no real rush.

By the time I rolled up the driveway at 4pm I’d done just under 4,000km for the nine days.