Grantville Ride 13 August 2023

Roughly a dozen of us gathered at Lilydale for the ride to Grantville today.  After last night’s rain, the weather was actually quite pleasant. 

Our start point was also being used by the Touring Club who were using an assortment of bikes and cars.  Conversation was convivial and some members accepted kind offers of chocolate biscuits and chatter was exchanged far and wide.  We managed to avoid confusion between groups and got away smoothly with Steve C doing Tail End Charlie duty on his Triumph.  That’ll teach him for arriving wearing a high vis vest.
We rode east on the highway for about 1 kilometre and then took to back roads past the views over Morrison Reserve in Mt Evelyn.  We then checked out some orchards along Hunter Road and rode east to Yellingbo before heading south to Cockatoo.  Paternoster Road then provided more scenery and curves before we skirted the housing estates north of Pakenham and rode the old highway to Nar Nar Goon.  From Tynong we rode south past the beautiful old dairy at Cora Lynn before stopping for a cuppa at Bayles where we were greeted by Alf (now South Gippsland Branch), Barry and Kevin of the Southern Cross Tourers Branch. 

A leisurely break was enjoyed while we all exchanged lies and greetings.      
We then rode some flat open backroads via Caldermeade and Lang Lang to Nyora and then took to more curves via Loch to Jeetho.  Then it was a bumpy and narrow ride down through Kilkunda Road and on to Glen Alvie via Lance Creek as the preferred route was closed due to bridge works.
We then rode through more assorted roads in those lovely hills

before passing through Archies Creek and north again, took in some views over Westernport and descended to Glen Forbes and rode into Grantville where we stopped for lunch.  After a relatively dry ride, the temperature dropped and rain git a bit heavier for the last few kilometres in Grantville!   
After a chat and feed we headed off home. Mike and Ian joined me as we rode a ridge between Kernot and The Gurdies where we rejoined the highway to Melbourne.     Ian then peeled off to explore more of the mountains on his way home.  Mike and I bid each other farewell when he stopped for fuel at Officer.     
Thanks to all who came along and made it such an enjoyable ride.
Andrew, Colin, Geoff, Ian, Jack, Les, Mike, Nick, Samuel, Steve B, Steve C plus Alf, Barry and Kevin.
 
John  Cook