When I left Geelong I didn’t had a working computer or phone. I was worried about if I get bored. But my worries were unfounded, I’ve got in contact with many peoples on this circular trip. I just missed listen to music, because I used my phone as a mp3 player. I cycled down to Torquey, where I followed the coast till Lorne. Here I found a free campsite, which I shared with some other travellers. I spent the evening with a Dutch fella, who is a busker (with an didgeridoo) and an Melburnian, who is a writer. It was a nice round.
My next free camp was Aire River Camp. Near to the camp, I’ve heard somebody talking in German, but I didn’t saw somebody on the road. As I looked up the trees, I saw two German fellas taking pictures of koala bears. Wow, it was my first time that I saw wild koalas. I stopped and climbed up on a tree as well, where I was face to face with a koala. It was a very nice experience. In the camp I met a German and Italian who doing the Great Ocean Walk with backbacks. I was happy that I could share my pasta with the Italian guy, it dosn’t happen often that I meet other travellers who have less then me.
The 27th November was a big day. At first I had to climb up a very steep way to Lavers Hill. On the way I’ve met two other touring cyclists. The first was Stephen from Hongkong and then Bjoern from Germany. Stephen was on a month ride through Victoria, but totally overloaded and carried even a heavy backback. Bjoern was the opposite, he travelled very light. He was one year in New Zealand before and he is a fan of this country. After Lavers Hill I went downhill and it was very hot. I cycled a 12 km leg on the Old Great Ocean Road (a gravel road). The weather was so humid. It made me so tired, that I had to stop and lie down in the grass. I thought there must be some snakes around here. When I continued on the gravel road, I noticed that something was moving on the left side the road. A snake flatten her body and raised her head above the ground, but then she escaped. She had distinctive longitudinal stripes, a Eastern Tiger Snake (highly venomous). After this encounter I stayed in the middle of the road, there was no traffic at all.
When I reached the Twelve Apostles I had headache, because of the change of the barometric pressure, a thunderstorm announced itself. The Twelve Apostle are an collection of limestone stacks, it’s a popular landmark. When I went on the road again towards Port Campbell, I met an Chilean guy on his racing bike, his name his Diego. He told me about the Great Victorian Bike Ride. A big cycle event with more than 5000 participant, they cycling over 9 days together and doing more than 600 km in total. Today they had a rest day and they staying in Port Campbell. I asked Diego if he could bring me there. He was agreed and brought me to the camp. It was a huge camp, tents and cycles everywhere. Wow, I felt very euphoric. We arrived right at dinner time and Diego organized me a free meal. The participation fee is 800 $ for this event. They providing food, showers, campsite and transport you luggage with a truck. But 800 bugs, I can live with this money up to one and a half month in Australia. After dinner a thunderstorm hit the camp, it was not so massive. But they had to close to open air cinema (yes, there was a big cinema on the field). On the next morning I’ve met Diego at the breakfast. I could eat as much as I wanted. Diego is studying in Melbourne. We sayed goodbye. He cycled with the other thousands cyclists towards Geelong and I went in the other direction to Port Fairy.
In Port Fairy I wanted to have a rest day, but they was no free camp, so that I left early in the morning towards Grampians. The road to Dunkeld (southern Gateway to the Grampians) was straight and I had the wind from behind. I did 105 km on this day and camped on a picnic area in the Grampians. There I met a couple from Sydney travelling with a Jeep. They lived for three years in Zuerich, when they offered me chocolate, they excused that it’s not a Milka, very funny.
I went to Jimmy Creek Camp, it’s on the way to Halls Gap. In the camp I met some interesting people. A couple from Britain, who are on his holiday. Then a Spanish girl, she came to Australia because of the bad economy in Spain and is working and living in Melbourne now. She invited me for a tea in her van, very likeable person. In the morning I met an iranian-australian couple in the camp. Said from Northern Iran and Elois from Perth, both living in Melbourne. Said is my first Iranian whom I’ve met after Iran. Before I had only a short conversation with an Iranian couple in Sydney (I recognized them as Iranian, because they were speaking Farsi). Said and Elois travelled also together through Iran. It was very nice to meet them and to practise some Farsi.
As I left the campsite I carried a bag with me that I found the evening before near to my tent. In the bag was a French passport, wallet, camera etc. I wanted to bring it to Halls Gap and give it to the police. But on the way to Halls Gap a car pulled over and a British-French couple get off the car, Mark and Christine. I recognized them, I saw them the day before at Jimmy Creek, but they stayed the night in another camp and noticed this morning that they lost something. They were very glad to meet me and get their bag back. I asked them where they want to go today and found out that they also want to do the walk to the Pinnacle. That was good for me, because I could leave my panniers in their car. We met us again on the walk to the Pinnacle. I did the walk together with Mark and Christine. Then about 15 minutes later, I met Said and Elois, they just came down from the Pinnacle. That was so random. I was very happy. With Mark and Christine I practised my French, what a multilingual day. The walk to the Pinnacle reminds me to the “Erzgebirge”, a mountain range in Saxony (Eastern Germany). After the walk, Mark and Christine wanted to give me 50 $ as a reward for taking her bag. But I didn’t accept, I was just happy that I could help somebody. So many people helping me on my trip. Also this couple helped me out with food. Then I cycled uphill to the next camp Smith Mill. On this way a car stopped, it was Said and Elois on the way back to Jimmy Creek. They gave me food as well and offered me to bring my panniers to the next camp, unbelievable friendly. But I told Said that I climbed up to 2600 m in Iran, I can do this. When I climbed up the hill, I found out why there is so many belongings next to the road. I saw a van driving uphill with an open trunk, the driver forgot to close it. Also many people carrying things on the roof of their car or trailer and didn’t fixed them proper, so they loose them.
After Smith Hill I stayed on more night at the Plantation, another free campsite. Then I left the Grampians and went to Ararat. In the Langi Ghiran State Park I found a nice campsite where I stayed alone with kangaroos and heaps of birds. From Ararat I took the Western Highway to Ballarat. In Ballarat I had a very nice stay at Campbell at Janes home, a retired Australian-Canadian couple. I contacted them before on warmshowers.org. They are keen cyclists. Just four months ago they cycled from Berlin to Kopenhagen. I was impressed how much they know about Germany. From Ballarat I went down the Midland Highway back to Geelong. In Geelong I stay again with Frederike and Guy over the weekend.
On 9th December I take the boat to Tasmania.
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