Though my wings have been clipped birds of a feather flock together

It was 2015 that I spent a full winter in Melbourne,

Australia’s southernmost mainland capital

Renowned for its cold and changable winter weather

Cold and foggy mornings lasting till noon when the weak winter sun burns the mist away.

Four seasons in one day

Was surely written about Melbourne’s weather by Crowded House

The current lockdown restricts me to my environs and luckily the local waterways

The bicycle has most of the time replaced the Moto Guzzi

So on my ride I flock together with the local waterbirds

The Spoonbill

The Egret

And the hungry Pelican

They aren’t locked down but choose to enjoy what winter offers

Across town there is the beautiful Yarra Bend Park

With its early 1900’s boat house

On the banks of the Yarra River with paths to meander along

And the Cootamundara, a beautiful winter flowering tree in full bloom

The park is on the city doorstep with beautiful views of the city

Which makes a beautiful backdrop for my Aprilia Pegaso – my fave bike around the city

At the end of a day heading across the town and home

The St Kilda Pier runs west into the Hobsons Bay and offers spectacular views of the sunset

Though the lock down is is hard the rules allow the opportunity to get out to exercise

That means I can revisit and appreciate some of my favourite places in my home city.

Hopefully one day soon fellow travellers you can as well.

Not Travelling in the time of Coronavirus- Melbourne lock down clips my wings

The second Melbourne, Australia lock down has just been implemented

After being in and out of lock downs in Spain and England and quarantine in a Melbourne Hotel, this second lockdown in Melbourne has finally anchored me.

Famous landmarks of the usually bustling city cast with an almost ghostly quietness

Even the usually bustling Victoria Market with its colourful displays of produce, like the life has been sucked out of its ancient stalls and sheds

No queuing four deep at my favourite stall

Chance meeting with someone I hadn’t seen for a while

Little is left to chance in the time of coronavirus

At the eastern end of the city

The Monuments, the Shrine of Remembrance and the Old Observatory along with Gardens and the floral clock stand alone

In the lanes and alleyways of the inner city

Usually vibrant

The graffiti almost mocks the quiet desolation

The next 6 weeks (the length of this lockdown) will be a time and thought of what has been and what will be.

Something different to share over the coming weeks.

The Great Ocean Road and this time the 12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles are a group of sandstone islets of the coast of Victoria near Port Campbell

They are one of the highlight scenes along the Great Ocean Road, in Victoria, Australia

In my blog back in May I wrote of my last trip down this road. It was the first days of the Covid 19 lockdown easing of restrictions in Australia

I had just been released from Quarantine and keen to spreat my wings

The Great Ocean Road called but the lookouts to the 12 Apostles were closed

Its deeper into winter now and the Great Ocean Road and the sea is battered by the winter storms

As restrictions have relaxed one has to pick a way through the traffic not just get lost in the road as it snakes along the cliff face

But the lookout is open and the majesty of this piece of coastline can be admired again

Just inland from here

There is the remnants of the logging history of the Otway Ranges

An old wooden trestle bridge at Timboon

Timboon once a a logging village now a dairy area

Famous for Timboon Cheese and Ice Cream

The Mighty Breva meets the Mighty Murray in North East Victoria

I had approached the Upper Murray from the long way around

Starting from Yarram in South Gippsland

A small town famous for its street murals.

Its winter and the high roads over Mt Hotham and Falls Creek are closed so it was the low road

A pearler of a ride from Bruthen north to the little Village of Eskdale 223 km of curves and into the Upper Murray Region.

Has to be the greatest unrecognised rides in the world.

It was damp cold and at a pass through the Alpine National Park it was 1c and my mind turned to thoughts of black ice on the road.

A cabin waited for me at the Eskdale Caravan Park

Welcome refuge after a long wet ride

A good night sleep and onto my next destination

The Great River Road starts at the bridge that connects Victoria and NSW at Hume Weir and follows the winding course of the Murray upstream to Khancoban at the base of the Kosciusko National Park.

The Road is around 180km of scenic windy road along the Murray River.

The views of the Murray are special especially if you take a bit of time and pull off into some of the river side reserves and camp grounds.

The weather was cold but clear and not too bad for riding if you have the right gear.

But the joy of winter camping is campfires

As the Great River Road is developed as a tourist road the is are well layed out scenic stops with interpretation on the river and pieces of sculpture

The camp facilities along the road are great quality. Especially at Walwa where you can camp with great facilities and a campfire right on the banks of the river.

The road finishes at Lake Khancoban in NSW