Otway Rangers Rain Forest, Victoria, Australia.

The film ‘Force of Nature‘ has recently opened in Australia. Parts of it were shot in the beautiful temperate rain forests of the Otway Ranges.

Hopetoun Falls features in the movie. Its currently approaching summer, so the waterfalls in the ranges are flowing slowly. Some, like Henderson Falls, gently cascade over the cliff face.

Henderson Falls, are near a rocky feature in the ranges named The Canyon. I think I recognised it in the movie.

Its a beautiful walk through the forest to reach the Canyon in a quiet part of eastern end of the ranges.

The western end of the ranges faces the incoming weather and is a thicker forest. With more Beech trees, ancient Beech trees.

The Otways are a mountain range that abuts the sea. The Southern Ocean, to be precise.

So after a long hike on a hot day, it’s easy to cool off with a swim in the cool ocean waters.

I camped a couple of nights at Apollo Bay, which sits on the ocean about halfway along the ranges.

It’s a beautiful town, at night as dark slowly descends over the harbour.

Or as the sun rises over the rolling surf.

Eric Bana is the star of ‘Force of Nature’

But you will have to endure having me in the starring role here.

Even in Winter -the GOR is a great ride.

Even in winter the Great Ocean Road is a great ride

The joy of a midweek ride in winter the road is pretty much empty. It allows the rider set up a rhythm on the road. Smooth riding over the damp road and around the tight corners.

With dark clouds foreboding Apollo Bay and its little fishing harbour is a welcome destination.

But it was soon into the Apollo Bay Eco Hostel and its welcoming warmth.

In Victoria that faces the Southern Ocean the weather doesn’t settle for long.

The next day was clear and calm. Perfect riding weather along a near perfect riding road.

There is a lookout at the back of Lorne there a fantastic view over the ocean.

On this day the sun was in the perfect spot to light rainbows in the spray of the breaking surf.

For me the best riding on the GOR finishes ar Airies Inlet. From the the villages but up against each other with only glimpses of the great Ocean over the houses and dunes.

The Airies Inlet Light House the last stop before heading home to Melbourne.

Hard to believe it was winter.

In Melbourne, I’m lucky enough to live by a little harbour and can take a walk on a summers day and admire the wooden boats.

Back Home in Melbourne, Australia

Back in Melbourne and the adventure riding gear all in the wash soaking out months of sweat and grime it was time to adopt a change of style from Adventure biker to Urban biker and head into Melbourne’s palace of food Victoria Market.

Its strange the things I was looking forward to doing when getting back home. I bet shopping and cooking wasn’t what came to the top of mind!

After 6 months of cooking on a single burner camp stove and eating in cafes there is a certain joy to being back in a fully equipped kitchen and cook some of my favourite meals.

Mmm stuffed peppers with sauteed potatoes and fish curry !

But the itch in my feet never really goes away and I had missed the Australian bush a lot while traveling in the Northern Hemisphere.

There have been lots of rain and floods on the east coast of Australia. So on the first fine day I headed to the Otway ranges for a day trip…

to take a walk in the temperate rain forest and…

to check the flow in a couple of the waterfalls.

After many 6 months of riding a motorbike the old legs needed some TLC so it was back on the bicycle to get the old hip and leg joints moving.

Spring is in the air and despite the rain the weather is mild. And already people are venturing out onto the local beach.

Agh the joy of traveling from Autumn to Spring with another summer around the corner.

Nice to be back home in Melbourne, Australia!!