I decided to ride the Gippsland Plains rail trail and add on a visit to Ninety Mile Beach.
12 February Train to Traralgon, very cold wind when I started riding the rail trail. Very open, a few pockets of bush, lots of cows, timber bridges, long straight stretches made some of it rather boring, everywhere dry unlike mud last time (October 2022, my first overnight trip on this bike). Checked out Heyfield wetlands, visited bakery in Maffra, good tailwind. stayed campground by the river in Stratford and ate at pub. 66 kms
13 February Long straight roads to Sale. Toured around two lakes on edge of town, lots of waterfowl and cockatoos. Continued on a lovely trail across Sale wetlands: Latrobe River and marshes with tea tree. From Longford I took a road for a couple of hours to Golden Beach, just farmland with a few views of the coastal lake network, highlight was a group of emus in a paddock. Golden Beach (a tiny place) on the far side of a big dried up lake was on Ninety Mile Beach, stunning golden sand and turquoise water. 
I went along the road behind the beach - no sea views from the road but many chances to leave the road to get to the beach including rusted wreck of the Trinculo almost completely buried in the sand. Left the road for the final campsite before Seaspray but no space so went back to previous one. Sat on the beach, very windy but a beautiful blue sky all day 78 kms
I went along the road behind the beach - no sea views from the road but many chances to leave the road to get to the beach including rusted wreck of the Trinculo almost completely buried in the sand. Left the road for the final campsite before Seaspray but no space so went back to previous one. Sat on the beach, very windy but a beautiful blue sky all day 78 kms
14 February Left early and continued on shoreline road to Seaspray, passing dry Reeve Lake and saw a couple of emus. In Seaspray I made breakfast at the surf club and sat above the beach. Then another long road back towards Sale and I turned off at Longford for Rosedale. I had a tailwind again. Not very interesting, just fields on one side and pine/eucalypt plantation on the other, until I got closer to Rosedale and I could see a misty blue line of mountains on the horizon. I went to the bakery in Rosedale. There wasn't any sign of activity at tiny Rosedale station and I was amazed to see the train arrive dead on time. 63 kms
Total 207 kms
The following week I went back to Gippsland to ride the rail trail from Bairnsdale to Orbost with side trips.
18 February I had a pie in Bairnsdale and set off on the East Gippsland rail trail. It was in a narrow corridor of bush passing paddocks with cows, lots of gates to manoeuver through. Before Bruthen I came to the first trestle bridge in a field. In Bruthen I stopped at the bakery. After that the trail was almost all in forest with long gradual climbs and descents, very pleasant. I had a rest at the junction with the Discovery trail and decided to continue to Nowa Nowa. The most impressive trestle bridge of the trip, high above dry Stony Creek, relatively intact, was the day's highlight. 
I went on to Nowa Nowa: the pub had closed down and the shop was just closing, and found the quirky caravan park with a cute collection of retro caravans; my pitch overlooked another trestle bridge. There were two bike riders there and we chatted. 61 kms
I went on to Nowa Nowa: the pub had closed down and the shop was just closing, and found the quirky caravan park with a cute collection of retro caravans; my pitch overlooked another trestle bridge. There were two bike riders there and we chatted. 61 kms
19 February The trail remained in the forest similar to yesterday, already very warm. There was a partial trestle bridge in the forest just outside Nowa Nowa and another fragment of bridge at Wairewa.
A couple of small kangaroos ran across the trail, then another. The trail went alongside dry or stagnant creeks. Coming into Orbost I detoured to the lookout on Newmerella Hill for a view over the Snowy River floodplain and rode a short restored stretch of the iconic Snowy River railway trestle (several kilometres long ending at the former Orbost station) then rode into Orbost, crossing the Snowy River where it was wide and shallow with sandy beaches. The last part was by the river. First time I've been to Orbost when things have been open! I went to a cafe at the top of the hill.
A couple of small kangaroos ran across the trail, then another. The trail went alongside dry or stagnant creeks. Coming into Orbost I detoured to the lookout on Newmerella Hill for a view over the Snowy River floodplain and rode a short restored stretch of the iconic Snowy River railway trestle (several kilometres long ending at the former Orbost station) then rode into Orbost, crossing the Snowy River where it was wide and shallow with sandy beaches. The last part was by the river. First time I've been to Orbost when things have been open! I went to a cafe at the top of the hill.
Then I went on to Marlo on the road with occasional bits next to the river and good valley views to some distant mountains. There were two nasty hills before Marlo, a quiet little place. At the jetty a pelican sat on top of a tall pole. 
I went a little way beyond Marlo to see the Snowy River mouth and it was a curious sight: the river spread into several channels running parallel with the coast and coastal dunes and the actual mouth was quite narrow. Everything was very calm, gentle surf along the beach.
I went a little way beyond Marlo to see the Snowy River mouth and it was a curious sight: the river spread into several channels running parallel with the coast and coastal dunes and the actual mouth was quite narrow. Everything was very calm, gentle surf along the beach.
I biked alongside the coast until there was a path I could use to get across two of the channels to reach the beach, a long beautiful stretch of sand backed by dunes and too hot for me. 
I rode back to Marlo and had a wind assisted return to Orbost, enjoying being next to the river. I stayed at the caravan park and went to the pub, and on my return I somehow snapped the tent pole. 84 kms
I rode back to Marlo and had a wind assisted return to Orbost, enjoying being next to the river. I stayed at the caravan park and went to the pub, and on my return I somehow snapped the tent pole. 84 kms
20 February I rode the trail back to NN; it felt quicker in this direction but wasn't. I stopped at the shop for lunch and a local farmer was very chatty. An hour out of there (a very hot hour) and after stagnant Cockrells Weir, I left the rail trail for a gravel road through the forest which was nicer, a bit cooler and less straight. Lots of good downhill and more downhill when I joined the sealed road. At the highest point I could see the sea then I descended quickly to Lakes Entrance. I crossed one of the town's lakes to look at the main beach. I booked a campsite at Eastern Beach. It was a still evening and I ate fish and chips by the lake at sunset watching the swans diving then went to see the evening colours at the ocean beach. 76 kms
21 February Back up the steep hill out of town and I went into the forest on the Discovery trail. At first it was beside the road then there was a long downhill and I rode alongside a (stagnant) creek deep in the forest, it was a lovely trail with lots of twists and turn, a few hills and just the sounds of rustling leaves. Several fallen trees to negotiate. I stopped at the Log Crossing picnic area and at the former quarry and then climbed to rejoin the rail trail. It was downhill almost all the way to Bruthen. Very hot again.
From Bruthen I took a road that soon followed the Tambo River, not visible at first then I was surprised to see a section of river with high limestone cliffs on the far bank. 
The road was hilly in farmland and views of rolling hills. At Swan Reach I went on the highway then a dirt road that climbed onto a ridge; on the ridge I rejoined the rail trail for a descent to Nicholson, wide river and high railway bridge. Pub. 63 kms
The road was hilly in farmland and views of rolling hills. At Swan Reach I went on the highway then a dirt road that climbed onto a ridge; on the ridge I rejoined the rail trail for a descent to Nicholson, wide river and high railway bridge. Pub. 63 kms
22 February Even hotter from first thing. I took a circuitous route back to Bairnsdale, pretty countryside and then several parks on the outskirts of the town and along the Mitchell River to finish. 24 kms
Total 308 kms
