The Otway Rip

The Otway Rip (Day 1)

My first bike-packing trip, never have I been so unknowingly under prepared. That’s not entirely true though.

I set off a bit later in the morning that I probably should have but never-the-less two and a half hours after leaving Melbourne I arrived at the starting point of the ride – Camperdown Station.
I would have loved to explore Camperdown a touch, however there wasn’t a moment to waste as I was already running a little behind schedule.

The ride starts easy enough, some gentle asphalt climbs before hitting the Camperdown Rail Trail.
While the rail trail was quite flat, after some recent weather, it was littered with quite a few sticks and debris. Passing the odd hiker, the rail trail ducks and weaves through scrub with the odd steep muddy descent which you might want to dismount for.
An un-scheduled dismount occurred while crossing a wet steel section of the disused track, still clipped in, i flailed about for a good minute or so.
Dismounts aside, this is a really beautiful rail trail. Great photo opportunities and completely immersed in nature.
So immersed in-fact that a wasp flew into my clearly oversized forehead and lay dormant on the bridge of my nose until it awoke and I realised it to be there. Thankfully no-one was there to capture the moment but it would have made a great photo.

Free of wasp, I entered Timboon. Time was against me but had I planned my day a little better I would have loved to spend some time in this little town. It looks amazing, even just passing through.

Out of Timboon and onto some sweet gravel descending down to the Great Ocean Road. A pretty comfortable ride until I hit my lunch and resupply point in Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Rd where there is a general store and plenty of different places for lunch.

Back on the Great Ocean Rd for 20km’s or so where you will pass the 12 Apostles and a few other site seeing spots which make for some good photo opportunities until you hit Princetown and then eventually a long smooth gravel ascent with a pinch at the end until you find yourself at Lavers Hill.

The sky was starting to darken and alas I had not stocked up on enough supplies to enjoy a proper dinner at my campsite stop and the general store at Lavers Hill was to be my last opportunity to fill my belly.
Luckily for me I made it just before closing and the lovely lady donated some end-of-day greasy’s to my rumbling belly.

Not to stop for long, the sun was very low in the sky and I had a 10km asphalt descent to Johanna Beach campsite. The lack of light was becoming a concern as I had only set my tent up on one previous occasion.
I burnt down the hill at not-quite the speed of light but fast enough to wee myself a little and made it to Johanna Beach campsite with a good 15 minutes of daylight to spare.

It was late autumn and aside from a noisy almost perturbed sounding cow, I pretty much had the campsite to myself.
Without any kind of internet to speak of, I snacked on chocolates and read myself to sleep with the soothing cries of my bovine friend late into the night.
I did wake up for a midnight toilet break and the skies has cleared just enough to witness the most amazing night sky I had seen in some time. Johanna Beach truly is off the beaten path and free of any light pollution.

The Otway Rip (Day 2)

With a good night sleep behind me and after a successful day on my some-what fully loaded bike, I was ready for almost anything.
But not rain! Please don’t be rain. Also the roughly 2k – 2.5k gravel vert. I was to face, that was a concern.

It’s safe to say those concerns were justified. I skipped my morning coffee (I packed a small gas burner) in the exchange for an earlier start with the idea that I would just grab a coffee at the first cafe I crossed. This was to be an error in judgement as it was to be 90km of type 2 fun before that sweet caffeinated beverage was to hit my lips.

Straight out of the blocks and you’re climbing. You’re gravel climbing. I soon realised that gravel climbing was to be a feature of the day. Not smooth gravel roads that one can glide upon. Disused logging tracks with loose pebbles looking to knock your wheel off balance at every pedal stroke. Pinchy sections, steep gradients, rain.
It’s actually really, really beautiful. You are out there all alone surrounded by The Otways.
It’s at this point that I really wish I had have done this ride over three days and not pushed for two.
The Otway Rip is stunning. The whole ride throws up so many different landscapes, each one as beautiful as the next.
But! But this particular section, this particular section is tough. It takes time. The descents are slow, the ascents are slower. It demands respect.

Eventually you’ll hit bitumen again, another short rail trail in which I opted to ride the road instead and then some more pretty shitty gravel.
You spend some time in low elevation, although considering you are so close to the beach, it’ pretty elevated.
I started to realise that I hadn’t dressed warm enough. For late autumn, a long sleeve jersey, rain jacket and standard marino base layer just wasn’t cutting the mustard. The top temperature for the day was about 4 degrees. It. Had. Not. Stopped. Raining.

Once I hit the highest point of the ride at just over 600m elevation, it was a chilling 14km descent into Forrest and promises of warm coffee and pub meals.
I stormed through doors of Forrest Brewing Company resembling what must have looked like a damn, sodden rodent demanding a table for 1.
Would you believe not one bloody table available inside.
Close to tears I asked if there was just anywhere I could just sit. Find me a chair facing a warm corner. All I want is shelter, warmth, caffeine and fuck me those potato gems look good.
Empathy from the gentlemen in charge was unfortunately in short supply although a handful of patrons looked ready to give up their tables just of the site of me.
I was directed to wait outside, however, only around 5 minutes later the gentleman had found me a table and I gorged down a plate of fish n chips, a fish bowl full of potato gems and the biggest mug of coffee they had could provide.
All was well in the world again and after some reluctance a bit of heartburn later I was back on the road for the final 25km stretch to Birregurra Train Station.
Safe to say, I was pretty knackered.

At around this point I started to focus not only on the 25km stretch of road that was between me and a train back to Camperdown Train Station but also the fact that this had indeed taken much longer than I anticipated and would there in-fact still be a train to catch?
A train to catch there was not, unless I was prepared to wait a good four hours which I certainly was not.
I gingerly waddled into the restrooms of the train station, stripped off my kit which by this stage was pretty much painted on and changed into some warmer, drier clothes with the exception of my footwear which were the shittiest things money could buy.
I called a taxi big enough to fit my bike and I.
A 45 minute, $130 cab ride later featuring long drawn out small talk that I didn’t want to have, I arrived back at my car and I was ready for the two and a half hour drive home.
Again it was dark but somehow I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to stay on the road.

Terms of use: Cycle this route at your own risk. Check local weather, conditions and closures before departure. Adhere to land use rules, carry provisions, safety gear and respect the trail. This information is intended to be used as a planning resource; accuracy is not guaranteed. BIKEROUTES.com.au are not liable for any incidents during or following this route.