Day 3 – Sunday, June 26, Apollo Bay to Lavers Hill 50 KM – 31 Miles

This ride seems to be kicking our tails. Our daily mileages are nowhere near what we had expected. The Great Ocean Road has been an unexpected challenge. We had hoped to make it as far as Port Campbell today; we are significantly short of that goal deciding on stopping at the summit of Lavers Hill.

The climb was tortuous. It started just outside of Apollo Bay in the village of Marengo. We were on the road by 8:00 AM, the weather was cool and sunny and the roads were free of traffic. We seemed to be making relatively good progress on the climb when during a rest brake Joe noticed his rear tire seemed low and he could hear the hiss of a slow leak. As the repairs were being made, the mid morning traffic increased noticeably. Cars packed with sightseers along with mini-buses, and full sized tour buses began to fill the road. There seemed to have been little attention paid to our presence on the road as cars were continually passing uncomfortably close.

The climb was not one of a consistent grade but undulated up before dropping significantly. Up then down, back up a bit farther, then down again. At one point we had climbed to over 350 meters (1,100 ft) before the road descended back to near sea level. Each climb was accompanied with the stress of drivers who for no reason at all, could muster no ability to move over the centerline to pass us.  

On the positive side, the day’s temperatures were well suited for the task. While my feet never warmed from the 34 degree start, the cool temps were welcome as we got into the heart of the climb, at different points shedding an outer shell then fleece jacket to keep from overheating. A few times I wished I had a jacket as the descents proved chilling.

Just before stopping for lunch we descended into a beautiful valley reminiscent of farmland in the hills of Wisconsin. Sheep and cattle farms covered the valley floor as well as the steep hillsides surrounding. We made good time along the flat landscape that provided time for our legs to recover before the last and most significant climb to Lavers Hill.

We summitted Laver’s Hill at around 2:00 PM. We stopped at a small café near the top to refuel and assess our options for the night’s lodging before heading downward back toward the coast. The few places we checked near Princetown were either closed for the season or had no vacancy. We were exhausted from the climb and going all the way to Port Campbell was not sounding like a compelling option. A local roadhouse was recommended so we have settled in for the night. For dining purposes the roadhouse was a good choice. Roasted lamb, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, peas and green beans round out the dinner. Cider rounded out the fare. Tomorrow will start with a long downhill run, and a few short climbs before we hit the coast. I hope we are not setting our goal too high, but our goal is Warnambool at around 115 KM.