Stephen Blyth's Blog

It seemed appropriate to get a lead on microbreweries in Victoria in a town with a rich gold mining past. Amidst the brochures for microlight rides, gold panning, ski hire and other alpine activities was an innocuous postcard sized book with a beer bottle on it. “Craft beer” said the label. Within the slim volume [...]

It was pretty desolate on the Razorback Ridge, an undulating route up to the summit of Feathertop, Victoria’s second highest peak. The dominant vegetation is short, contorted and barren snow gums. In winter the trees are ravaged by frost and snow, while dry summers make the woodlands vulnerable to fire. There were signs of recent [...]

I’ve made a few bookings for my month of being on the road. Still room to move, but my trip will look something like this: cycle touring in rural Victoria up until Sunday 9 May fly to Darwin on Monday 10 May visit Kakadu National Park and other parks travel by road 1500km to Alice [...]

It was an early start to catch the 9.20am Albury train to Avenel, about 120km north of Melbourne. On a Sunday too. Every weekend the Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club organise rides in and around Melbourne, and today’s trip was a 65km ride along Hughes Creek in the Goulburn River catchment. There were nineteen riders, of [...]

The demise of rail has its spin-offs: some of the tracks and service roads are being converted into tracks for cyclists. The Bellerine Rail Trail runs 32km from South Geelong to Queenscliff. Part of the route is along a disused section of the track, and from Drysdale, it follows beside a track serviced by a [...]

There was a pretty good turn-out for the 100th Melbourne Critical Mass. I estimated about 400 or so. There were people in wacky outfits, parents and with their kids, business types, bearded greenies and cycle enthusiasts. After a ramble through some inner city streets, the ride headed west toward the Bolte Bride, a six lane [...]

I’m slowly exploring Brunswick, and tonight in a Turkish pizza place down Sydney Road I found pita bread for a dollar. The bag of bread weighs half a kilo and is very fresh. It is perhaps symbolic of the ethnic mix in the area that this type of bread is so plentiful. The eateries and [...]

Sometimes weather forecasters can be wrong, very wrong. Rather than the temperature being a pleasant 30 degrees or so, perfect for hitting the wine trail, it was over 40 degrees. Venturing from the air conditioned Commodore to the tasting room through the blistering, baking heat was an ordeal. Although we did persevere, I didn’t wander [...]

The conceptual thinking that has gone into this trailer was startlingly original compared without virtually everthing else on display at the sustainableLIVINGfestival.com. Set-up to support community events, the trailer comes equipped with plates, tressel tables, washing equipment and eco-friendly detergent. Dishwashing elbow grease is all that needs to be supplied by the people running an [...]

I take my hat off to the city parents for their foresight. I’ve just got back from a cycle ride from Northcote 17km along the Merri Trail beside the creek of the same name. Apart from a few abberrant moments, where cyclists have to cross roads, the entire route is off-road. I’m sure, part of [...]