Beechworth is one of my favourite spots in NE Victoria. I’ve had a soft spot for the High Country since I was a child and looooong summer holidays at my grandparent’s place in Tangambalanga were relieved by day trips to Beechworth, Omeo and Mt Beauty.
North East Tourism invited us up recently to check out some of the activities on as a part of Cycle Salute, three weeks of bike fun for all sorts of riders. After the freezing gusty spring we’ve been having in Melbourne it was lovely to spend a whole weekend in glorious weather re-living what a fabulous area this is for all sorts of riders.
Saturday we spent on the Patch to Patch Pedal, armed with a map and details of nine local homes opening their veggie gardens to riders. Checking out what other people are doing in their veggie patches was a lovely way to spend the day, some also had bees and chickens so there was lots to compare, ideas to steal, fences to admire and gates to kick.
Late afternoon we set out for Tarrawingee on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, surely one of the best bike paths in the world, for dinner. We passed birds, snakes, a wombat, cows, llamas and I’m not sure what else. There’s a 15 km stretch down to Everton that is entirely downhill and the ‘riding’ is really just a matter of hanging on to your handle-bars. Finally we reached the Plough Inn at Tarrawingee for an amazing dinner and some lovely local wines.
Over dinner we worked out that we had ridden 65kms, a first for the Flipster, who although tired was happy enough about his day to want to do it again. After dinner Paul from Riding High picked us and our bikes up and drove us back to Beechworth.
You know those days where you think, ‘That was a good day’, and to do it all on a bike is just that much better. Cycle Salute is on for one last BIG weekend. It’s worth checking out.
postcards from the north 