May 24th, Ride to Nagambie

Trip to Nagambie
So, with the relaxation of state covid19 laws, Gentle took it upon himself to plan a ‘welcome back to riding’ event for willing members of the Geelong Ulyssean Club.  In this case it was to be pleasant Sunday ride to Nagambie, located in central Victoria, a start time of 8.30 in the am, meeting at the Corio Roadhouse with a total distance to be covered for the day of approximately 460 kilometres. No need to work up to a longer ride after ten weeks of isolation mused Gentle. Let us just get stuck right in!
In preparation for the days adventure I ensured that I was out of bed nice and early, keen with anticipation to be out on the open road again in a Ulysses convoy. Just to ensure that I could deal with any strange micro bugs possibly still, ‘out there’, I ate my oats with a sprinkling of hydroxychloroquine and added a dose of bleach to my milk. The additional ‘advice’ from the leader of the free world of shoving a torch up my nether region to help, ‘… use light to kill the virus from the inside’, seemed both a tad overkill and quite uncomfortable to me.
At the designated time I counted a mixture of thirteen riders and pillions ready to set off from Corio. (With plenty of banter and handshake greetings witnessed this cohort would possibly soon be known in medical circles as the ‘Geelong Ulysses Cluster’. With Gentle leading and Rob Hunt on his Spider as sweeper, the cluster headed straight up the Bacchus Marsh Road in overcast conditions with the temperature hovering around 8 degrees. From Bacchus Marsh to Gisborne via the spine of the Lerderderg State Park, the temperature dropped further, and light drizzle fell. Into Gisborne for morning tea (and appropriate social distancing socialising) all while standing in the aforementioned drizzle. Cutting the break short, Gentle led the group westward to Riddles Creek, Wallan and Broadford and then veered northeast following some great secondary roads through Northwood and Mitchells Town. Naturally, as this being a Gentle organised ride, this included a section of gravel road to ensure that all riders where able to add a coating of fine bluestone gravel to their wet mounts, combining to make a lovely patina to same. Next, we skirted the Goulburn Valley Highway by way of Odwyer Road with the riding cohort reaching its destination of Nagambie just before twelve o’clock in now bright sunshine, and all without striking a single particle of any of the known Corona Virus variety.
Lunch was specified for a duration of forty-five minutes with the local bakery being popular for assorted hot pies and pastries and enjoyed on the town’s grassed central median. (Once again maintaining specified social distancing. It just goes to demonstrate that you do not have to stand close to someone to fling insults. Just talk louder!)
After luncheon, the Ulysses Cluster met up at the local service station, fuelled up at the current discounted rate and headed east along the Heathcote-Nagambie Road. This a beautiful stretch of road with flowing curves that take you through lush green hills, National Parks and the townships of Graytown, Costerfield, and Argyle. Next stop was Heathcote on the Northern Highway before we turned south-west along additional pristine riding roads that lead everyone through Kyneton, Trentham, Blackwood, and Ballan. The increase in elevation along these roads also saw the return of the morning’s light drizzle, decreasing temperatures and damp roads. Getting nearer to home, Gentle chose to head east from Ballan along Inglistone Road before cutting back to the Bacchus Marsh Rd. which was followed at pace until everyone pulled over just before the Geelong Ring Road to say a big thank you to Gentle and Rob for organising a great days ride to witness the end of the covid19 lockdown.     
Report by Rob VanderZee.