Crickets are chirping, the days now have a chilly edge to them and leaves are turning colour - Autumn is in the air. A perfect time to visit Melbourne's renown Dandenong Ranges. Always there on the Eastern horizon reliably providing us with television pictures since 1956 and much loved by Melbournites. We know the Dandys well but there are always new delights to discover and besides, how pleasant to be reacquainted with an old friend. The mix of native and exotic trees in Autumn colours provides stunning scenery.
Description
This will be a leisurely ride undertaken in short stages and is perfect for classic geared scooters. So classic owners, de-coke your cylinder, adjust the tension of your cables, tighten your wheel rim nuts, practise your gear changes, put a new candle in your headlight and prepare your favourite aromatic two-stroke fuel mix. We want to see you all out and about.
Our route through the Hills looks like a drunken pretzel as we criss-cross the slopes of Mount Dandenong going as far southeast as Emerald. But all this meandering will take us along some of the most beautiful roads in the Ranges past villages nestled in the hills with quaint names such as Sassafras, Olinda, Kalorama, Monbulk, Kalista and Sherbrooke. We'll delve off the main tourist roads whenever possible and ride through forests of towering Mountain Ash and Stringybark, buzz past 1920s guest houses and gracious homes with European gardens and plunge into verdant fern gullies all the while breathing in the fresh eucalypt-scented mountain air exquisitely blended with a cheeky twist of two-stroke oil. Hairpin bends, steep hills and thrilling descents will make us feel alive and invigorated. We may even bump into Puffing Billy along the way.
We'll have that quintessential Dandenong Ranges refreshment - a Devonshire Tea - before a taking stroll through the beautiful gardens of Burnham Beeches. It's three-storey mansion is an Art Deco masterpiece designed in the 1930s for Alfred Nicholas the inventor of Asprin. We can discuss how the Streamlined Moderne style of that era influenced the lines of our Vespas as we admire the colours of the deciduous trees plantings. A late picnic lunch is planned at Emerald Lake around 1.45pm.
Ride Departure Point
Our usual spot in the east, Britannia Mall, 485 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham. Turn into the service road just before the Mitcham shopping centre. The ride will leave promptly at 9:30am so arrive at 8:30 if you need breakfast and coffee beforehand.
The ride totals about 154 kms. You should do that distance comfortably on a tank however please arrive at Mitcham with a full tank of fuel as finding a petrol station in the hills is not an easy matter. Petrol is available at Emerald after lunch if needed. Remember to pack that picnic lunch!
Comments
Thanks to Julie and David for organising such a great ride (my first as a Vespa Club member). Great to meet such a friendly and diverse bunch of people. Looking forward to the next one. Cheers!
I love being Tail Rider mostly because I get to see all those beautifully colored vespas snaking their way through the winding roads and it just brings a big smile to my face.....Love your photos and it would be great to catch some more of those stunning autumn colors before they disappear...
How great it was to see so many pretty Vespas out and about in the hills today on this impromptu ride. The Dandenong Ranges are a magic place to visit in any season. Although the leaves are a few weeks away from turning to their richest tones, everything looked beautiful in the pale Autumn sunlight. We managed to avoid most of the tourist traffic too except for the haul through Belgrave. Thank you to all who attended and for the excellent corner marking on such a complicated route. A special thanks to Julie who was busy herding cats from behind. There is still a lot of autumn left so put up a ride before winter sets in. You'll find assistance at these links:
How to Organise a Ride
Ride Planning Ride Assistance
David
Thanks David, great ride again. I hope the lady rider, (whose name escapes me), is OK and her bike repairable ,,,
Fabulous ride today David, perfect weather, perfect autumn colors and what a great turnout surprisingly...with lots of new faces. Well done yet again..:)
Unfortunately I can't make it this year.
Have fun & happy Easter
oo I am looking forward to this ride. I just want to ride and follow and enjoy the leaves
Oh, I am missing a great chance to ride with you guys. I will be overseas from this Sunday. I am going to South Korea for my business trip. Hopefully the U.S Navy would not launch any Tomahawk missiles to North Korea during the trip. I will be back:)
Thanks David, always a favourite ride to see the stunning autumn tones in the foliage...this is a lovely ride for our new members to join in.