Sleeping at the airport

It was drizzling as we left and the rain worsened as we cycled up Tower Hill with magnificent views to the sea. We skipped the morning tea rest area at the top and continued on through the little town of Woodford, where the primary school kids lined the road, clapping and high fiving as we cycled past.

We stopped for a quick break and chatted to a local dog walker, who told us how he had moved there to manage a hotel many years ago. He spoke positively about the local community and the grant the school had been given to improve the local park. He also talked about Tower Hill being an amazing ecosystem for wild life and the area’s best kept secret.

Lunch was at Hopkins Falls and we wandered down to have a look. We headed back to our bikes, only to find that they had closed the road. Apparently a cyclist had had a cardiac arrest and a helicopter was on its way. Eventually a detour was put in place and we were allowed to continue.

A little way after the last rest stop, we hit the Great Ocean Road and stopped for photos at the Bay of Islands and the Bay of Martyrs. 20 years ago we had planned to cycle the Great Ocean Road and then I was pregnant so had to wait until now to tick it off my bucket list. It was amazing to finally do it!

We stopped off in Peterborough in the vain hope of finding some Sudafed for Simon who was struggling with a runny nose. We settled for a Gaytime ice cream and then hopped back on our bikes for the final couple of kms. By this stage we were really late arrivals and it took a while to find a spot to pitch our tent within site of the runway.