Steiglitz Circuit

It was a few yar back that I did a 12hr rogaine in the Steiglitz area. I always thought it would be good to go back and check out the scenery in a less hurried way. I didn't think it would take 32 yar to do it though.  We started out at the Court House and headed south to the Sutherland Ck then west and north to Yankee Creek. There is much evidence of gold workings along here. We took a short cut to get back to the car along Durdiwarrah Rd. We took 3.5 hrs for our 7km with kangaroos and kookaburras along the way.

Court House

 

 

Marsupial

Astaxanthin

Red is meant to be a good colour when it comes to eating stuff.  I have been swallowing the daily Red Krill pill for years. My fingers are still pointing in the wrong directions so this pill has not been able to straighten the arthritis in them yet.  I can still remember things so maybe it is helping with the memory glands.  Salmon is good eating even red raw but I wonder if Fricassee of Flamingo has ever been tried.

Tasty Red Astaxanthin

 

Flamingos near La Grande Motte

Qhubeka

Its not just a travelog you get when you watch some of those European bike races. Qhubeka is a South African bike team promoting the recycling of old bicycles in any condition. This means African nurses and others, like school children, needing transport, can use these bicycles. eg they are "moving forward".  We have old bicycles that have been laying around and now they can be reused. Just drop them off at the local bike shop plus a gold coin for each bike and they will take them, pack them into a container and ship them off to Africa.

Literally Recycling!

Internet Cooking revisited

Yes I was nominated to try the internet Apple Roses which have been doing the rounds. One thing the video doesn't show is the sticky fingers you end up with.  The trick is to cut thin apple pieces and slightly thicker pastry. Also leave a section of pastry to wrap around. They disappeared at tea time tonight so they must have been all right.

the Canvas

the Raw Product

Apple Flowers

Molesworth Ride

Returned to the GV Rail Trail again today.  This time Sixpac, Hostyle and myself rode from Molesworth to Alexandra and return.  This was just under 40km. The trail was rutted in parts where previous mud had dried and left some grooves that could send your bike in crazy directions. I spent a week in Alexandra once, at the Red Gate conference centre. During the gold field diggings period Alexandra was known as RedGate as the track that connected the goldfields ran through a Red Gate. The view from Eglinton cutting gives a different perspective to the Cathedral Range. We had coffee at Café Alex and then got back to the Molesworth Hotel for a fish tail lunch. The Molesworth caravan park is a different world with fire places of all descriptions including old wheel rims, half cut tanks with down pipe fashioned flues. They have the Goulburn River but no beach.

Cathedral Range

From Eglinton Cutting



The last train ran on Nov 18 1978

the Kramer file

I saw an old episode of Seinfeld the other day. It was the one when Kramer took himself off to LA to try acting.  There doesn't seem to be many shows around these days where you can get a laugh.

Kramer was here!

You Yangsters

Some new video has turned up showing dramatic crash scenes from the recent mountain biking without studded tyres incident in the forests around the You Yangs.  Debbie Does Dirt  proves that there is life after 55 when you can dust yourself off and get back on the road. Our next trail is called "Bandages" and I quote "For down hill riding only on specific down hill bikes. The trail features extremely technical terrain including rock gardens, log jumps, berms, bridges and steep drop offs. No room for error amongst dense vegetation. Full body armour is recommended".



Plover Record Broken.

You'll never guess how many Plovers are on the loose now. I think the most we had ever seen previously was 12. I have photographic evidence of 21 plovers dominating the beach scape and attacking many small insects.  This would have to be one of the latest season beach days we have had being April 15.

Count em! How many Plovers on the Prowl?

You Yangs Single Track

Spent years driving past the You Yangs but this time we called in with bikes attached. We started at Kurrajong Av and followed track No 16 in its entirety and then the whole of track No 17.  I wouldn't try this at the weekend particularly if you are a beginner. We only saw 4 other bike riders and we never encountered any on the trail. So we were spared any passing manoeuvres.
We had enough trouble just staying upright. We came off a total of 4 times.  One issue was not having very aggressive tyres in fact they were slick. My other tip would be to keep well back from the person in front as they can often cause you to go down. Also don't let the concentration slip or your bike will.

Riding the Dirt

A Taylored Performance

Come one come all to the Butterfly Club for the Melbourne Comedy Festival. This blog is so well read that Simon Taylor's shows will undoubtedly sell out from now on. This is the new and improved Butterfly Club now moved from South Melbourne to Carson place. The decorations are quirky and the classroom size venue allows for close interaction with funny man Simon Taylor. Beforehand Il Solito Posto  delivered the Linguini with prawns and afterwards Brunetti's gave me the most decadent hot chocolate I have ever had.

At the end of the Lane

Some Butterflies

Dog Nappier

At the behest of other dog owners I was urged to show this picture. So I can't really lump all dog owners in the one category.  I really couldn't decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing.  I can see why you wouldn't want dog crap all over the boat deck. Its confined, there are kids etc. Do Great Big Danes produce Great Big Turds? It seems so from these preparations. This is no throw away item complete with velcro fastened sides.  Why does it have to be pink?  I think doggy brown would be an obvious colour.  Does this go in the washing machine? Do they come with doggy liners? So many questions.



Pink Pussy Cat - Not

Blood Moon

The travel digital camera does a good job in most situations. Sometimes you can't see the screen because of sun glare but that is not the case when pointing at an eclipse. I took this photo whilst dealing with easter eggs, daylight saving clock changes and interpreting the film Interstellar. Those time bending 5th dimension films always do my head in.

Followed by a Moon Shadow

Easter Bunny Caught!

Caught on camera at least. Yes this running person was trying to lay a chocolate egg. I've always wondered why it is an Easter Bunny and not an Easter Chicken. Rabbits don't lay eggs so where does the Easter Bunny get the chocolate eggs?



Run Rabbit
 

PS  It seems that painted eggs and spiced buns were a treat after fasting. But how the rabbit got in on it is lost in time. I reckon a Belgian chocolate maker saw his chance two hundred yar ago to make a dollar.

Sand Pit

Carving stuff takes skill and doing it in sand must be tricky.  I have seen it done on our trips where you  throw some coin into a hat but I have never paid an admission price.  There is a whole lot of work (fun) gone into these and then they get bulldozed. I reckon I could work out building with Leggo blocks but sand sculpture would take some practice. Don't think it will be a retirement hobby.



Yes Master Sidious

New Shock absorber called Clifton Springs

HaHa It is April 1st.  I did ride to Clifton Springs today but I went straight to the source of the Springs as it were. That is the hole where Mr Clifton built his well to harness the mineral water. Then came the obligatory bath house and hotel all in the 1890's. What interests me is the green coloured  glass bottles they used to sell the water in.  My great great relos were glass makers and that glass looks very similar to the glass I picked up at Lakes Entrance where the pure silica sand there was good for glass making. I'll have to follow this up.

But which manufacturers?