Bike ride - Gormandale

Rosedale – Gormandale return loop – 51kms
Drove the car to Rosedale. Started riding south along the flat, straight, open farming land on the Willung Road. Soon we entered more interesting pine forest and natural bush and GENTLY undulating. At the Stradbroke/ Gormandale Road we turned right and travelled among small dairy farmland that reminded us of southern Fleurieu Peninsula in SA. Gormandale was a disappointment – a has-been town with dirty public toilets and no rainwater tanks for us to refill our bidons. We were now on the Hyland Highway which goes up and over between Yarram in the south and Traralgon in the north in the LaTrobe Valley. It was a good road with a shoulder suitable for us to ride in as it was busy with traffic. We past a freshly devastated completed logged area of forest. However the 9km downhill towards Traralgon was a pleasant ride! Our map was inadequate for us to find the correct road back to Rosedale. The pamphlet said the whole route was on sealed roads, but the first signed one to Rosedale was unsealed. It looked pretty scenery but not nice to ride on. The 2nd turnoff had no signage but was again unsealed. The 3rd road was sealed but by now we were back on the flat open farming country. We were speeding along these flat roads but we were not riding on roads we should be! We ended up riding about 3 km on unsealed road, and THE Princes Highway! It was very busy but there was a very wide shoulder, the wind was behind us and it was only for 6kms back to Rosedale. It was an enjoyable exploration!