I was going to do the dirt section from Mansfield to Jamieson, but was advised by mates not to do it on my own, so they gave me an alternative route instead.
I left Melb and headed along the M1 to Pakenham, where I promptly got lost, but with the help from a local got back on track and was heading to Gembrook.
This was an absolutely magical section, a 100kph zone, with sections of 35kph advised twisties! It was a nice road, picturesque, and twisty! I continued from Gembrook to Yarra Junction and then to Warburton. I headed down a back road because I saw a sign to toilets, and found a beautiful spot next to the Yarra. But if you are in Warburton, don’t expect much to eat before 10am.
Just out of Warburton, I took the Mt Donna Buang turn off. The lookout was closed, but I was taking Acheron Way anyway. I again found myself riding on gravel in heavy fog, but again it had such a majestic feeling that I loved every second of it!
Eventually the fog lifted and I enjoyed riding looking at the massive tree ferns that lined the road.
It was at this point that I discovered I had no rear brake! Yay on dirt and can’t stop, that is always handy. I suspect it is from where the pedal was bent after my adventure in Watagans, but am going to get it looked at regardless.
I then headed up to Taggery and then onto Thornton. I was told to take the Snobs Creek Rd turn off just outside of Eildon. Apparently I wanted the Eildon Jamieson Rd, but I figured out I was on the wrong road when it turned to gravel after about 1km, instead of the 20km of bitumen I was expecting and I turned around and continued on and found the right road. It was 61km of twisty road that hugs a mountain and winds it way around the edge of the national park. Again, I was on a narrow twisty mountain road with a sheer drop, so was taking it very easy. There was a lot of motorcycle hazard signs, and the road was covered in leaf matter.
After 30km, there was a 20km dirt section, that is in similar condition to the main road at Watagans, but more corrugated on corners and again SO twisty and with a sheer drop (can you tell by now I am paranoid about these sheer drops?? Hehe). I again lost my rear brake part way through so crawled my way though. Then there was a fast twisty section to Mansfield.
The first section of the Mansfield-Whitfield road, is very straight and I was wondering how this managed to make it ways into the top 100 rides in the motorcycle atlas. But then the road alternated between sections of 35/40 corners and faster twisty sections, all in a 100 zone.
I then had a quick and uneventful trip up through King Valley, Edi, and Moyne and then turned off to Oxley, Malwa and then down through Myrtleford to Bright.
More pics from this day
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