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Local rides: Traralgon to Phillip Island & return (350kms)

Jan 15, 2013

Travelling (via Morwell, Thorpdale, Mirboo North, Dumbalk, Meeniyan, Koonwarra, Inverloch, Wonthaggi, Dalyston, Kilcunda, Anderson, San Remo, Newhaven, Rhyll, Cowes) & return (via Newhaven, San Remo, Anderson, Kilcunda, Dalyston, Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Leongatha, Mirboo North, Morwell)

We set out on a club ride on Sunday with the Easy Riders Social Motorcycle Group (Traralgon) and then met up with some East Melbourne members at San Remo before heading to Rhyll for the best fish and chips I think we’ve ever had (Tides).



The first glimpse of some potato country in the midst of plantation timber and paddocks for beef cattle on the way to Thorpdale

We had a beautiful ride taking the long way there and striking off to Thorpdale as we headed for Mirboo North. The road from Thorpdale to the Mirboo North Road is a pearler and we travelled through beautifully maintained farming country with beef cattle and potato crops in evidence. The last part of the road before joining the Mirboo North road is a treat of gently cambered and aligned corners. Very nice!



Mirboo North is known for all sorts of quirky murals on the sides of buildings. This is a very creative one being a combination of mural and relief in the courtyard of the Bullock Dray Café (for obvious reasons)

The San Remo / Phillip Island region is a great place for a family holiday with all sorts of opportunities for swimming, fishing, surfing and other water sports and many other attractions both without cost and commercially available and huge choice of accommodation of all standards and a great range of prices. Lots of options at Wonthaggi and Inverloch also.



Moos at Meeniyan – a nice deck at the back was a good spot to sit in our bike gear and gave a good view of passing traffic

From Mirboo North we headed down the Meeniyan Mirboo North Road which is a lovely ride, a bit steep and winding amongst some spectacularly beautiful country and well maintained farm properties and gardens along the way and we had a welcome coffee at Moos of Meeniyan and sampled their delicious nougat. Superb!



The old rail bridge at Kilcunda now a footbridge but still a delight to glimpse the ocean through it as you pass



A view across to the Kilcunda Beach from the car park in front of the Kilcunda Pub. I have great memories of spending what seemed a long time with my aunt and uncle as a child exploring the rock pools at the base of the cliffs below where I was standing. Great memory!

The traffic increased the closer we got to Phillip Island as did the wind but we thankfully stayed dry in spite of predictions of rain.



The bridge from San Remo (Mainland) to Newhaven (Phillip Island). A couple of attractions not far over the bridge are 1. A Chocolate Factory on the RHS not far past the Visitors Information building and before the turn off to Churchill Island, and 2. The Vietnam Veterans’ Museum 1.6km past on the LHS



An obligatory shopping visit to Bikers Gear at Cowes



A view from the grassy shade beneath the pine trees on the water’s edge to the jetty at Cowes. The fish and chips in the little café are also delicious

The trip home through farming land through Leongatha is pretty as always and no matter where we looked throughout the ride we were spoilt for choice of picturesque farms and gardens and great sweeping views to the ocean and up into the foothills to the Strzelecki Ranges.



One of the lovely old buildings in Leongatha

Tips to remember for the roads we covered:

The roads are all sealed and overall well aligned with good camber. The sad reality however is that maintenance is not keeping up with progressive deterioration so there are sections which are literally falling apart. MOST of these are signed but we also came across some shocking examples which weren’t so be aware and ride accordingly. Again, these are farming (dairy) areas so large milk tankers are commonplace on roads as are livestock and other trucks.

Services available:

Large towns:

Fuel: Multiple choices including Premium Unleaded, most BH but also some 24hr
Accommodation: Hotel, Motel, B&B and Caravan Park and Camping options and maybe some Serviced Apartments
Food: Multiple choices from small cafes to bistro’s bars and fine restaurants
General Store / Supermarket: Multiple choices, small to large

Small towns:

Fuel: Limited and often BH only if any at all
Accommodation: Limited Hotel, B&B and Caravan Park and Camping options
Food and General Store / Supermarket: Limited and not necessarily open on weekends

Small isolated Localities:

Accommodation: If you’re lucky and have done your research
Food and General Store / Supermarket: Unlikely so bring your own]


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