Day 36 to 39

Day 36 i left Mt Gambier after staying at the Jens Pub which certainly had the best staircase access to my room

Amazing how i was complaining about the tightness of the staircases and then i come across  this one.

Huge Pub with huge balconies and restaraunts but the room was a bit out with the scale of everything else. Bit like a big pigeon coup with little nesting boxes,still at $70  who's complaining in the centre of town.

The Pigeon Box.

JENS

Before leaving Mt Gambier,Herse (because he is carrying Jim) ,my iron horse wanted one more sniff of the pink lady bikes in the window at Daves bike shop around the corner. Took a quick photo and was off.

eeeehhhhhnnnnggghhhh      pppsssssshhhhshh. Herse talk

Ten kms out of Mt Gambier and the first flat tyre. Sorted that out and off to the Victorian Border and away from these South Australians.

Funny how as i was taking this photo i imagined Liz from Snowtown to come out and stab me with a big kitchen knife and say, got you ya baaasstttaaarrrd grinning.

Then on to Nelson for a sandwich and a cuppa before heading to Portland with Jim(dec) to visit where his Father had died at a dance.Plus after many phone calls to Pat from my Auntie Betty,where is he,where is he,i was to meet her there with an ex priest from Horsham.The plot thickens. Got there and cruised the main street but no Aunt only Mr plod telling me to put my helmet on as usual.Then off to Port Fairy(I'm sure that's where my friend Keith comes from) Arrived in the dark and stayed at the Youth Hostel,showered ,fed myself and relaxed while Linds  was having kittens about me being under some bush frozen because the tracker said so.lol
Day 37 I left Port Fairy and rode toWarrnambool then to Petersborough along the the Great Ocean Road with a tail wind. Took photos along the way and kept meeting the same people at each stop because i wasn't dawdling.

12 Apostles

G.O.R

G.O.R

London Bridge

Just past the 12 Apostles,finally after many phone calls,Monica hunted me down with her girlfriend Linda and her boy. Monica wanted to do some kms with me over a couple of days.(Who is Monica?)Monica is the wife of a mate of mine and a very good mate of Jim(dec) who is a plumber who lived with me many years ago in Perth and are now living in a place called Magpie just outside Ballarat.She has 7 children,all hers and Tim's.She reckons I'm living her dream and says she wants to experience  and taste what its like to ride all day to you drop. Well she certainly picked the wrong day to join me because it was only 30 kms to the top of Lavers Hill but what a hill. More like a mountain.

Getting ready. (symster see the sign)

Lovers Hill here i come.

After getting organised she took off like a rabbit and i told her i would catch up after saying goodbye to Linda.
Well it took me a while but finally i came around a bend and there she was,sore bottom and all ,sweating and shaking and saying "i need food NOW"Had a bit of a rest and food and we where away again.
Ended up arriving at Lavers Hill in the dark and i told Monica the only room left was the Honeymoon Suite. Whatever she said . She was in no mood to worry so we renamed Lavers Hill to "Lovers Hill".Had a meal,showered in cold water with no pressure then to bed to get ready for the ride the next day which apparently the shop keeper said was 95% down hill, well i can tell you now, he is 95% bullshit because it was horrific

Lovers Hill honeymoon suite

Organised Kaos.

Day 38 Started off with a fog you couldn't see further than your nose,literally in the clouds.

Notice the cloud at the back on Lavers Hill.

These a specially bred  horses called Bullamas,cross between an English Bull Terrier and  a white horse

I think his on the same stuff as that shop keeper.

This one wanted a cuddle before i left and was asking if Herse was single.

 Again Linds another flat tyre within minutes,sent Monica off ahead again and i fixed it but it ended up having a bump in it . Got to Apollo Bay after the supposedly down hill ride (whats that shop keeper on, get me some) with Monica was already there before me but she needing to get a spoke repaired and both needed some food before we left for Lorne some 49kms down the road. Once organised off we went into the rain,wild wind and winding roads up against the mountains to our left and the beautiful rolling ocean creating some big surf on our right.

Had to be there.

On arriving in Lorne i booked another room in Mount Joy Pd and waited for Monica  to pull up wet and exhausted not long after,but eh, after 30kms up to Lovers Hill the first day then 95 kms in rain ,climbs and wind all in good time the following day and still be standing is certainly a great achievement for a spur of the moment decision.We have a Mr Fantastic( Yern) and a Mr Fantastico (Joe) Ithink we now have a Mrs Fantastic (Mony) We showered and ended up having a nice pub meal and retiring back to the room for me to check the wind reports and for Mony to watch Master Chef and then faded into a deep sleep.

Unbelievable

Day 39 Woke up to a day of rest and did my radio interview with Paul. Had a late breakfast and am now charging all the batteries and my human battery too.Big Tim came down and picked Mony up and he shook Jim's hand before he left.

Tim holding back tears shaking Jim's hand before saying goodbye.

Before i go,three cheers for Tim, a great guy for letting his lovely wife spend a couple of nights away from the hectic world of seven kids and giving her a break and probably letting her realise how bloody lucky she really is with him.lol

Tim's probably saying to Monica,now come on little one you've had your fun now get back in the kitchen and start cooking for nine everyday.lol

Talk again soon,keep the support happening and GOD BLESS.