Ride 21

Melway 12: 11D 11E 11F

Barb, Peter and nephew Dave went on a bike ride from Eltham recently. It was the perfect day for it. After parking at Eltham Station we had our obligatory coffee this time at Volumes Cafe across the street. When we were done with coffee, we unpacked the car of three bikes, which just fitted somehow, and we were off, following a prescribed circuit called Ride 21 in our Bike Rides Around Melbourne book. The book recommended that we go by train to Eltham Station but we were picking up Dave on the way from the other direction so we cheated.

The special feature along the circuit was the Maroondah Aqueduct, built in the 1880's to channel water into Melbourne. It snaked its way through the hilly terrain and always at a steady decline so the bike ride beside it, as an incline, was a sensationally easy ride and extremely "restful", sometimes under pine trees sometimes in open country. All the time we were climbing higher and higher, so when we left the aqueduct on a different bike track back to Eltham Station, there were breathtakingly fast downhill slopes to experience, and they were exhilarating. It would have been tough if we had gone in the opposite direction!

We had an enjoyable lunch back at Volumes Cafe to finish off our excursion in style, and yes, we did have plenty of water and iced tea as very necessary refreshment.