Why this ride
Out of Kilmore, one way: 345 km, roughly 5 h 43 in the saddle. The stops in between: near Woodend, near Clifton Springs and Williamstown. The climb of the day is near Langwarrin.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Yarra Valley and Black Spur · short arc
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 345 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 43
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Melbourne / Victoria → Yarra Valley and Black Spur food stop
This part of the ride is 64 km of Melbourne / Victoria → Yarra Valley and Black Spur food stop.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 64 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Melbourne / Victoria
Kilmore has a fair claim to be the oldest inland town in Victoria, and the stone buildings along its main street back it up. It sits in a gap in the Great Dividing Range, a natural passage that the early overlanders used on the road between Melbourne and the Murray, and the Hume Highway still slips through here today. This stop lies a little south of the town, in sheep and cattle country between Kilmore, Broadford and Lancefield, where the land rolls in broad folds of yellow-brown grass and dark clumps of gum trees.
Read the complete Melbourne / Victoria write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Melbourne / Victoria is where the day begins. Next is Food stop near Woodend.
2. Food stop near Woodend
Woodend is the gateway to the Macedon Ranges, a country town of old stone and weatherboard buildings, cool-climate gardens and excellent cafés, about an hour north-west of Melbourne. Its clock tower, a memorial to King Edward VII, stands at the main intersection, and the town has the slightly genteel air of a place where city people have long come to escape the summer heat.
Read the complete Food stop near Woodend write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Food stop near Woodend is where this day stops to eat. Next is Photo stop near Clifton Springs.
3. Photo stop near Clifton Springs
Clifton Springs looks north across Corio Bay, and on a clear afternoon the view is the reason to stop: the water in front, the industrial skyline of Geelong to the west, the granite bumps of the You Yangs rising out of the plain beyond, and on the best days the Melbourne towers far to the north-east. The town is part of the Bellarine Peninsula, a fist of farmland, vineyards and small seaside towns that closes off the western side of Port Phillip.
Read the complete Photo stop near Clifton Springs write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
119 km in you reach Photo stop near Clifton Springs. Next is Yarra Valley and Black Spur checkpoint 8.
4. Near Williamstown
Williamstown was Melbourne's first port. Before the Yarra was dredged to allow ships to reach the city, vessels anchored off Point Gellibrand, at the mouth of the river, and the town that grew up there still has the feel of an old maritime settlement, with bluestone warehouses, pubs, churches and a timeball tower that once signalled the time to ships in the bay. Rides finish here on Hobsons Bay, off this historic waterfront, and it is a fine place to do so.
Read the complete Near Williamstown write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Yarra Valley and Black Spur checkpoint 8 closes the day. Next is High point near Langwarrin.
5. High point near Langwarrin
Langwarrin sits on the edge of Melbourne's south-eastern sprawl, where the suburbs of Frankston give way to bushland, horse paddocks and the first hints of the Mornington Peninsula. It is not a mountain in any sense; the high ground here is gentle, but it is enough to give you glimpses across towards Port Phillip and Western Port on a clear day.
Read the complete High point near Langwarrin write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
High point near Langwarrin tops the climb. Next is Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West.
6. Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West
Cranbourne West is new Melbourne: wide estates, roundabouts, fresh bitumen and shopping centres that did not exist a generation ago. You would not ride out here for the suburb itself. But just to the east, on the sandy rise of Cranbourne, is something genuinely special, the Cranbourne Gardens of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
Read the complete Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 345 km.
Leg by leg
Food stop near Woodend to Photo stop near Clifton Springs
Food stop near Woodend → Photo stop near Clifton Springs is 108 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Photo stop near Clifton Springs to Near Williamstown
Photo stop near Clifton Springs → Near Williamstown is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Langwarrin to Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West
High point near Langwarrin → Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West is 12 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.