Yarra Valley and Black Spur · part 2

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. 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

   Photo stop near Clifton Springs is where the day begins. Next is Yarra Valley and Black Spur checkpoint 8.

2. 2. 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

   Finish at Yarra Valley and Black Spur checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is High point near Langwarrin.

3. 3. 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

   This is where the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West.

4. 4. 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

   Scenic stretch near Cranbourne West, late in the day. Next is Back to Yarra Valley.

5. 5. Back to Yarra Valley

   Chirnside Park and Lilydale are where Melbourne's eastern suburbs finally loosen their grip, and the hills of the Yarra Ranges start to rise on the horizon. It is a pleasant place to end a day in the Yarra Valley, with the road coming down out of the green hills, past paddocks and vineyards, to a belt of shopping strips and roundabouts. Lilydale is a proper town of sixteen thousand, with a lake, a railway line to the city and plenty of everything a tired rider needs.

   Read the complete Yarra Valley write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Back to Yarra Valley. That is the ride.