Secluded Bays

(25 Kms)

Monday, 22 Jan, 2018

Maria Island

We enjoyed a leisurely start with pancakes for breakfast topped with the last of our butter and some apricot jam. We made ham and cheese wraps for lunch and chatted to one of the rangers, who had cycled south that morning and seen lots of wildlife.

By the time we left the wildlife were hibernating for the day, but the views along the coastline were just glorious. After about 4 kilometres, we spotted a perfect beach for an afternoon swim, assuming we didn't find a better one along the way The road was in good condition for the most part, though we did encounter some sandy parts that required us to walk our bikes.

We stopped at French's farm, which had a delipadated hut and camping sites, though not too appealing in the bright sunshine. We continued on to Encampment Cove, which was a perfect spot for lunch. We set ourselves up with views over the bay, and out of the wind. We enjoyed a coffee/tea with our wraps and nectarines. In fact, it was so lovely that we decided to have a second cup of tea with our fruit and nut loaf. It was a rest day after all.

We saw a few cyclists on the way back, some carrying full back packs, others using whatever was at hand to attach their gear to their bikes. There appeared to be some confusion about the purpose of helmets, with many carrying them attached to packs or hanging off bikes.

We stopped at the beach we had spotted earlier. It was pristine, the water clear turquoise blue and the sand so white it hurt to take off our sunglasses. The water was cold, and it took a while for us all to submerge.

It was such a beautiful spot that we loitered for another cup of tea, and the rest of the loaf. Finally we headed back to camp for showers and dinner. Jonno was on cooking duty, making salmon pasta. We had some leftover wraps and Georgia suggested that we cook them on the BBQ, making a perfect accompaniment to the remains of our hummus and caramelised onion goats cheese. We won't be bringing any food back to the mainland tomorrow.