Cathedrals of Gold, Sat 1 - Tues 4 Nov - sorry, ride closed - Events

This ride is now closed

Four days of riding exploring old gold towns, beautiful roads including the historic 'Golden Triangle' North East of Bendigo, and even into the Wimmera. Highlights include the amazing Stick Shed, beautiful art silos, and some eclectic venues along the way (you have to have a beer at the Logan Pub, and we'll work through some prize winning vanilla slices). And a couple of surprises. We'll be mainly off-highway and the ride will be led by PX so it should be good for most. We've structured the four days of riding, but there's opportunity for you to break out and choose your own adventure.

Ride Information

There'll be many nice stops along the way, and hopefully places you've never been before. Being a long weekend we'll be avoiding the heavily touristed towns like Daylesford, Maldon, Castlemaine.

Day 1 - Saturday 1 November. Melbourne Mtg point to St Arnaud 240 kms

1. Meet at Greenvale Liberty IGA. Everybody full tank from this point. Depart at 9.00 AM

Kerrie, Hanging Rock.

2. Kyneton. Toilet stop and stretch.

Malmsbury, Elphinston.

3. Chewton Fuel Servo (after 107 Kms). Everybody full tank from this point. 138 KMs to St Arnaud.

4. Guildford Big Tree General Store. Lunch stop.

Newstead, Maldon.

5. Dunnolly. Toilet stop and stretch: Rene Fox Memorial Gardens.

Bealiba, St Peter's Pebble Church.

6. Arrive St Arnaud 246 Kms from Greenvale.

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Check in, and supplies. Note that the IGA supermarket (snacks and liquor) closes at 6.00 PM on Saturdays.

Dinner. We are booked for 24 people at The Dancing Kelpie - Commonwealth Hotel from 6.30 PM. However we're sure that some may be there for drinks beforehand. (Happy Hour 4-6 PM)

View / Download the Day 1 Route Map on Plotaroute

Day 2 - Sunday 2 November. Cathedrals of the Wimmera 230 Kms

Suggested breakfast at The Shire Cafe- opens late from 8 AM on a Sunday. This puts pressure on the cafe so they have asked that we pre-order so that they can prepare. Julie has organised a pre order list - and this was emailed to the cafe on Thursday. Thanks for responding.

If you are coming on the ride today please fill your tank before you arrive for breakfast. The ride departs The Shire Cafe at 9.30 AM

1. Rupanyup Art Silo. Refreshed and newly painted with a completely new image.

2. Murtoa Stick Shed. Unfortunately due to some repair work being undertaken we are not sure we can now park Vespas inside. We're still checking, but it is a very dramatic place nevertheless. We are using club Ride Support funds to cover the entrance fee here.

Minyip

3. Sheep Hills Art Silo. One of the most dramatic, but with one of the faces now painted out. Wow. Read about that here.

4. Warracknabeal. Rural town. (After 134 kms) There's not a lot of cafe options in the country on a Sunday ("That's golf day mate!") but we have managed to book The Local 165 Cafe Bar in the centre of town, and they are excited to have us. There are two servos at the same intersection so we ask that you also fill up during lunch as well. Everybody Full Tank from this point.

5. Option to consider: Ride up to Brim Art Silo. The first Victorian art silo that started it all. It's a 40 km roundtrip back to Warrack, then back to St Arnaud OR

6. Ride back to St Arnaud direct.

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The IGA supermarket (snacks and liquor) closes at 6.00 PM on Sundays.

Evening dinner. Nothing has been formally organised, so the evening is 'free' to see what develops. It's been a big two days of riding so rest up. You can try another venue in town, or grab a take-away and sit in the rear yard of La Cochon Rose and just chill...

View/ Download the Day 2 Route on Plotaroute

The Murtoa Stick Shed, aka "The Cathedral of the Wimmera. We're booked in, and the entry fee will be paid as 'ride support' compliments of the Club.

Day 3 - Monday 3 November. David's Golden Discovery

The Shire Cafe is open from 7.00 AM!

Departure Point and Time:

St Arnaud Town Hall opposite Weir’s IGA. The supermarket is open from 8 am if you want to get something for a picnic lunch. The Shire Cafe and public toilets are close by. Depart at 9:30 am.

Ride Description:

This pleasant loop ride east of St Arnaud takes in a number of interesting places, landscapes and bits of history. Our first stop is Wedderburn to admire the town’s colourful and skilfully painted bird murals, one of which encompasses the entire front of a church. A back road takes us to Korong Vale and it’s lonely pub. We then meander our way to Inglewood, a town with a handsome streetscape of fine Victorian buildings such as Trivey Manor which featured on ABC’s Restoration Australia. Its also home to a Eucalyptus Distillery Museum (closed on Mondays). Not far away is Bridgewater on Loddon where we’ll have break for morning tea and savour the local bakery’s award winning Vanilla Slices. We’ll pass through Newbridge on our way to circumvent Laanecoorie Reservoir. Tarnagulla is our lunch stop. It’s an old “forgotten” mining town of note that is well off the main road. The former wealth of this small town is evident in a few of its grander buildings, hotels and churches. While here we’ll stop by picturesque Pebble House to admire its unique construction. Greg set me the task of uncovering something of interest in the nearby hamlet of Waanyarra. Morton’s Welcome Inn was built in the 1850s is of historical significance. Its about the only ruin left of this once thriving gold rush area. To get there we’ll need to use 5 kilometres of dirt road. This is optional. Our next destination is Moliagul. Here we’ll visit the spot where the world’s largest alluvial gold nugget was found in 1869. The “Welcome Stranger” weighed in at 110 Kg. There is 850 metres of good dirt road to the monument. Next we head to Kooyoora State Park to get some splendid views from the top of large rock formations at the Melville Caves Lookout. On the home run back to St Arnaud we’ll stop by at “The Pub in the Scrub.” Our throats should be a little parched by now. The Logan Hotel stands all by itself at a lonely intersection 22 kms from St Arnaud. It was built in 1894 and yet its unique interior makes it look much older than that. The walls are made of bagged hessian which bulge and warp in all sorts of strange ways. In fact the walls seem to get more bendy with each beer.

Lunch:

We’ll base our lunch stop in Tarnagulla as there is a bit to explore in this town. There is a small shady park with toilets that makes a ideal picnic spot for those who pack a picnic lunch. However I’ve made contact with the Australian Post Office in Tarnagulla who are now serving tea, coffee, cakes, sandwiches and toasties. Mary said she could arrange extra food especially for us given notice. A picnic lunch might still be a good idea for some as small businesses easily get overwhelmed by 20 odd people appearing all at once. Perhaps we can pre-order. I’ll contact Mary closer to the date.

Note:

The small sections of dirt road are optional. It is common for areas of interest to tourists be accessed from the bitumen by a dirt road. If you are nervous you can just wait for the gang to return in about 15-20 mins at Tarnagulla and Moliagul. Don’t worry, we won’t leave without you.

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The IGA supermarket (snacks and liquor) closes at 7.00 PM on Mondays.

Dinner. We are booked in again for 24 people at The Dancing Kelpie - Commonwealth Hotel from 6.30 PM. However we're sure that some may be there for drinks beforehand. (Happy Hour 4-6 PM)

View / Download the Day 3 Route Map on plotaroute

Day 4 - Tuesday 4 November Home Direct

Please fill up at the BP servo immediately prior to breakfast, so that you leave Noelene's Sister's house with a full tank.

1. Breakfast is at Noelene's Sister's House from 7 AM - 9 AM (Bewley St, opposite number 11) A big thank you to Lyn for the breakfast as, being a public holiday, everything else in town is shut. She'll provide a choice of scrambled eggs, bacon, sauasages, avocado, toast, cereal, coffee & tea. It will be very wholesome breakfast so please eat up!

The breakfast price is $15. Julie has pre-paid for the breakfast in advance so please try and reimburse Julie over the weekend in cash or bank transfer to JULIE A POND BSB: 704-191 / 426196922

St Arnaud departure Point and Time:

St Arnaud Town Hall opposite Weir’s IGA. The supermarket is open from 9 am (it's a public holiday). Last chance to get something for lunch.

Important: It's a public Holiday and things are widely shut in the country. We have checked along the route home and, while we have checked petrol availability, we cannot guarantee an open cafe or bakery. Things are simply closed. You need to organize some sustenance for the ride home.

Depart at 9:30 am.

Navarre, Avoca, Talbot

2. Stop Clunes. Brunch, stretch and refuel. (After 125 kms) Everybody full tank from this point

Creswick, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh.

3. Arrive Laverton North / Brooklyn

View / Download the Day 4 Route Map on Plotaroute

With the usual provisos:

There will be some long roads, and some long stretches in the saddle. Rural roads of variable quality. Many roads will be 100 kmh. There won't be a Vespa mechanic within cooee. So this is for experienced riders only. We're happy to talk it over with you, but we'll let you know if we don't think you should do it.

You are an independent rider. Your bike is recently Major serviced, well maintained, and roadworthy. Your tyres have plenty of tread or are new. You carry your own tools and parts to do minor repairs, including tyre puncture. You are insured, and have emergency roadside assist if you seriously break down and need to leave the ride.

Eating

Like many towns in the region, behind the grand street facades there are tough times. Many hotels have closed, the biggest and most popular (The Royal) only recently. Fotunately a new breed of entrepeneur is hitting the area. The Dancing Kelpie Splendid Restaurant has now expanded into the old Commonwealth Hotel, just a block away from where we are staying. There's a diverse menu, and we've made a booking for 20 for Saturday and Monday evenings (leaving Sunday for a free evening). Here's a recent photo of the Specials Board. Breakfast will be based at the Shire Cafe (menu).

Accommodation:La Cochon Rose, St Arnaud. It's a long weekend and accom is in short supply around Vic so we'll use the town of St Arnaud >MAP< as our base, staying at one venue to ride out and return each day. And what a treat. Formerly the Victoria Hotel (1871), La Cochon Rose operates as a boutique hotel, country motel, and art gallery on the main street in the town. They don't serve food, there isn't a bar, and there's no late night music. So it's a quiet peaceful place to rest after a ride. We've booked out the whole venue, so it's excusively ours for the three days - and this means we have negotiated some excellent prices for you. In addition we've reserved the Old Bank building just across the road.

La Cochon Rose Rooms

= Paid Confirmation

1. 'The Residence' - 6 rooms. Upstairs. Shared bathroom, large shared kitchen & dining. $280 per couple or $150 single occupancy. Prices are 'all up' for the three nights.

B1	Queen	$280 $150	Jodie Lake
B2	Queen	$280 or $150	Patricia Clark
B3	Queen	$280 or $150	Gary Bell
B4	Queen + Single	$280 or $150	Matt Thomson & Philip McMullan
B5	Single	$150	David Atkinson
B6	Queen	$280 or $150	Anthony Cusinato

2. "Couples Rooms" - 2 rooms. Upstairs. $280 per couple. Prices are 'all up' for the 3 nights.

F1	Queen with ensuite	$280	Julie Pond & Greg Pond
F2	Queen with kitchenette, shared bathroom	$280	Suzette Cameron & Ray Cassar

2. More Upstairs. Shared bathrooms. Prices are 'all up' for the three nights.

F3	Queen	$280 or $150	Paul Jones
F4	Queen	$280 or $150	John Reed
F5	Queen	$280 or $150	Peter Zetzmann
F6	Queen	$280 or $150	NA. Currently under renovation but may become available.

3. Motel Units. Located Rear. 60's retro. Full ensuite, kettle, microwave, fridge, toaster. $350 all up for the 3 nights.

U1	King	$350	Mark Agar
U3	Queen + Single	$350	Sheryl Towsnend & Maria Todaro
U4	Queen + Single	$350	Leo Wings & Anthony Bottegal
U5	Queen + Single	$350	Athena Katopodis & Chris Katopodis

There's a communal Laundry on site, as well as an antique shop to browse! The rear yard has plenty of space for all to park.(It's the old Cobb and Co depot)

4. The 'Old Bank'. Beautiful old building across the road. Shared bathroom, kitchen facilities. $280- $300 per couple or $150-$170 single occupancy.

OB1	Queen upstairs balcony	$300 or $170	Tufan Chakir
OB2	Queen upstairs balcony	$300 or $170	Lisa Laidlaw
OB3	Queen upstairs rear	$280 or $150	Raewyn Mackie
OB4	Queen upstairs rear	$280 or $150
OB5	Single downstairs	$150	NA. We're not sure about the standard of the downstairs rooms described as "rustic, servants quarters".
OB6	Single downstairs	$150	NA. 'rustic'.

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Comments

MEMBER

Tufan September 17, 2025 at 4:39pm

I've booked accommodation just in case La Cochon Rose fills and the Old Bank doesn't open
MEMBER

Julie Pond September 17, 2025 at 3:12pm

Hi Jodie

Please check your email. :)
MEMBER

Jodie Lake September 17, 2025 at 3:11pm

Hi. Can you please send me bank details so I can pay.
thanks Jodie
MEMBER

Greg_ September 17, 2025 at 2:19pm

MEMBER

Hi attendees. Due to the expanding size of this ride I will need to change some of the routes for practicality, and some of the stops too for safety reasons. The first change I will make is to the Saturday morning meeting point. I will put up a new location that gives us a smoother and more direct exit from the city. I'll also be putting up a direct route home for the Tuesday morning. David is also working on a route for the Monday. So, please keep checking back on this event for changes.

For those on geared bikes, and I can see possibly 10 at the moment, I am planning fuel stops for every 150 kms which should be comfortable for a stock PX. Please let me know in advance if this might be beyond your range. We're avoiding the major towns, so servos will be few and far between. (Consider taking extra fuel)
Vespa Club of Melbourne September 16, 2025 at 11:14pm

MEMBER

This ride is now closed again. We'll be billing the applicants for the La Cochon Rose tomorrow. We may release further accom availability only after all rooms are paid.

We can't move forward to another building unless Le Cochon Rose is paid out
MEMBER

Tufan September 16, 2025 at 11:00pm

Happy for Athena and Chris to take F5
Vespa Club of Melbourne September 16, 2025 at 11:00pm

Tufan.

Without a response the room F5 has now been taken.

The Old Bank is now 'waiting list'
Vespa Club of Melbourne September 16, 2025 at 10:59pm

Athena and Chris confirmed F5
MEMBER

Athena Katopodis September 16, 2025 at 10:50pm

Chris and I would love to join this adventure

happy to take F5 if available please
MEMBER

Julie Pond September 16, 2025 at 7:11pm

Hi Tufan

We are only opening up the Old Bank if the La Cochon Rose is full to capacity, and then it would only be a waiting list to see if we could fill it.

I can offer you F5. Please confirm you will take this room tonight.