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Took the Cali out for a couple of hundred kay run.  She’s pulling like a freight train after I replaced the throttle position sensor recently.  Makes me realise that it had been playing up for some time.

Stopped off at the look-out at Guildford, near Castlemaine.  Hadn’t been up here before because the Chief didn’t want to ride up; it’s pretty steep, particularly the last bit.

The day became quite cold, dark and overcast as a weak cold front moved through.  A fitting backdrop for the Devil’s numbers to come up on the dash.

Had three days off so we ran the bikes over the border to South Australia; the Coonawarra, the home of red wine.

Tracked through Daylesford, negotiating the usual Sunday market maelstrom, then back roads from Creswick to Lexton, and into Ararat for lunch.  It was the annual Gaolhouse Rock festival so was pretty busy with music and old cars.  A tug and glider circled the town, which is perched high with views to the nearby mountains.

Then on to the Grampians via Moyston, the birth place of Australian Rules Football, the first codified football game in the world.

Thomas Wills adapted the game from one he played with local Aborigine kids.  I understand that it’s the only football game with no off-side rule and players opposed to each other in positions over the whole field.

From there we passed through Halls Gap and ran down the Grampians Road, turning off at the Victoria Valley Road.

This was a pretty valley with parkland-type  paddocks with grazing sheep; the “waltzing Matilda’ country of Australia.  Onto Cavendish for a drink, then Coleraine and Casterton, the birthplace of the Kelpie – with statue.  Interesting road between the two, running along a high ridge with valleys and “wales” (!?) either side.

Then a fast run to Penola.  The Croweaters welcomed us with a sudden deterioration of road surface, but it improve eventually to the normal high standard of SA roads.  Sunday in Penola was pretty quiet.  We booked into the first pub we found, Heyward’s Royal Oak Hotel.   Very nice, but we had a room at the front and couldn’t sleep for all the noise of passing trucks; all night they ran and sounded like they were coming through the wall.  A rear room would have been ok.

Monday we were up early (!) and did a run up the road to Coonawarra – yes, there’ a lot of grapes – then sped off south to Beachport for brekky and a coffee.

I like Beachport.  It’s unpretensious and easy; not like its sister, Robe, up the road filled with gaudy and crappy sarong and t-shirt shops.  Closer to Adelaide, you see.  The beach front is lined with Norfolk pines, and the bay is bisected by a long jetty.  Very picturesque.

We mosied down to  Southend – don’t waste your time – unless you like fishing.

Passing wind farms near Millicent, we stopped off at Mt Gambier, then took the lovely long run through Nelson and pine plantations to Portland.  Stayed at the Clifftop, well worth he cost; fantastic view over the bay and harbour – and quiet!  Windfarms in the distance across the bay.  An amazing technology, converting free wind energy into taxpayer-subsidised profits for rich investors!  A humid night with some thunderies around.  This bay is one of the few in which you might see a Blue whale.  None this time, though.

Woke to a FOG!  Set off in 13C, knowing it was going to be 32C in a few hours time.  Took a wrong turn and ended up in Heywood, where we stopped and had a coffee and bacon-and-egg sanga and waited for the fog to lift.  Then cut across to Woolsthorpe:

then up through Caramut to Lake Bolac for a drink (more effing windfarms) ; then on to Beaufort via the Streatham-Eurambeen road – a beauty – for lunch.

Finally, past another smegging windfarm, pouring the fossil fuel into the Guzzi and Duke,  to Creswick and Daylesford and home.

Took a run up through Heathcote to Elmore.  Mild day, so a good chance to head north over the ranges without to much heat.  On the way back we stopped at the Redesdale Hotel, which has new owners and been renovated; it now subscribes to the “slow food” movement.  Packed out, too.

We ran the Duke and Breva through the goldfields.  Through Kyneton and Drummond, past Mt Franklin and turned off at Yandoit to Campbletown.  The road from Campbletown to Clunes was a beauty.  Stopped for a coffee, then up towards Talbot but turned off just prior and took a great road to Carisbrook.

Stopped at Newstead for a drink, where Peter pulled up, on his near-new red Norge for a chat.  Home via Daylesford and Tylden.

Took a run over to Daylesford via Carlesruhe and Tylden.  Dropped in to the lake for a Coke, then came home via the memorial to the lost boys:

In 1867, the three boys wandered off into the bush to play and never came home.  Searches went on for weeks.  Three months later, a dog brought a bone out of the forest.  The boys were found huddled together in a tree hollow.  The bush here, a lot of it cleared now, is very thick, and cold in winter.  (It was 28C in Daylesford but 22C in the forest on the way home).  Many parts of Australia have similar stories.

Home via Trentham and the Pig and Whistle pub.

Went for a 3 hour fang through the Golden Triangle of central Victoria.  Not much traffic around.  Took some back roads to Daylesford then turned in at Blampied and cut across to Clunes.  Stopped to read the info sign here:

This once was a thermal lake, created by the volcanoes (the hills in the background).  It held salt-water fish, crocodiles and palm trees.  Climate change in action. To the left is an abandoned gold mine – a feature of this area.

From Clunes I headed towards Talbot but turned off towards Carisbrook.  Fantastic road with no traffic.  Home via Castlemaine.

Spun the Breva 1100 and Ducati GT1000 up to Bright for the weekend.  Out through Yea to Mansfield for morning tea and fuel.  Then over the range to Whitfield.  This is a great road:  a long straight out of Mansfield with the hills looming closer and closer (past the turn-off to Stringybark Creek where the Kelly gang murdered three policemen) then up the escarpment in a series of sharp turns before running across the top of the range, past Powers Lookout (Power was Ned Kelly’s mentor) and then spiralling down the other side to Whitfield.

The road was very good condition but there was the occasional rock fall, dead ‘roo or wombat, spray of loose stones and oncoming 4WD to keep us honest.  Not to mention the opposite direction Honda Blackbird which over cooked his corner and came around the bend on the white line.  At one point, where the power lines come marching across from the distant ridges,  the road runs right along the cliff face in a series of tight turns – and there’s no safety rail!

From Whitfield, it’s a fast run up the picturesque King Valley through Edi and Moyhu before the valley broadens at Milawa and the ride becomes more boring.  But after Markwood the road becomes a series of fast sweepers that lead you to Myrtleford, past Mt Buffalo, into Bright.

Bright, along with Port Fairy, is our favourite town in Victoria.  We took a cabin for the night, had fish and chips and a few beers at the pub/brewery.

The next day we fanged home, retracing our route – it’s such a top ride.

Attended the annual Festival of Italian Motorcycles held at on the concourse between Melbourne Museum and the Exhibition Building in Carlton.  Plenty of Guzzis and Ducatis with a smattering of Laverdas, Morinis, Vespas and Aprilias.

Afterwards we held the Moto Guzzi Club’s Christmas barbie in the nearby gardens.  The ranger came and booted our bikes off the footpath, which passer-bys had been admiring.

It was a typically tropical-type of  Melbourne spring day; it poured on and off for an hour, then we steamed in the sunshine.

Yep she’s back and after a couple of rides I can say she’s fixed.  Running like a dream.  I’d forgotten how pleasant she is to ride – linear, easy power delivery, manoeuvrable, comfortable – a great long-distance tourer.

Went for a 200 kay run through central Vic.  Up through Kynteon and on to the old Calder Highway at Malmsbury.  This is nice ride, now that the freeway is completed, with little traffic and no plods.  At Harcourt we turned off for Maldon and stopped for a coffee.

Then on to Newstead and taking the road to Campbeltown, but turning off and coming into Yandoit from the back.  A lot of old goldmines, abandoned churches and buildings through here.  From Yandoit up the slopes of Mt Franklin, an extinct volcano, and onto Daylesford.  Through the forest and a stop at the Redbeard Bakery in Trentham for a bun and apple juice.

Jane gave her Ducati a workout on our secret fanging strip.  Sweet.

Parked the Breva after 70kays or so and found this.  What next?

Just had the rear bearing and seal replaced, and now this!