St Arnaud, Donald, Charlton, Wycheproof...

On Sunday last I visited some new towns. With the Hornet I can do distance-riding. I discovered on reflection that I had not fully entered the distance-riding headpace, because I tried to make big distances on the most backward roads available. That's SR country, where you spend a whole day out but don't do great miles. Hornet country means highways, as I now realise.

I went to Ballan, Daylesford, Newstead, Maldon, which were wonderful roads for plodding along on a big single. They were rather rushed and spoilt on the Hornet. I had some miles to consume which meant I had to keep to a pace, which would have been pleasant on the highway but not so much here. Sports enthusiasts would have enjoyed it, but for me the twisties are for gently meandering.

Between Hepburn and Newstead I rounded a corner to find this pair on the grass:





Then I cruised out to Newbridge, and attempted a less travelled route to Logan, except that my Hema map was, once again, wrong about the back roads! Eventually I arrived in St Arnaud for a late lunch. Afterwards I rode to Donald where I found a steam train, Wycheproof where I found another steam train, then Charlton for a coffee.

I had dinner in Bendigo and cruised the Calder home. With this bike I can spend the first hour of the morning jumping north quite a distance, and so extending the possibilities of the day's ride, and for safety can settle into a cruise on the freeway all the way home with much less threat of meeting wildlife.

Whereas my challenge on the SR is to find roads that allow for slow riding, my newest challenge is not speeding!