Events

 

As a teenager in the 1960s, I hated sports day. I never knew what to do with a ball whenever it bounced towards me. So once I had been marked off the role, I wagged Wednesday afternoon sport and instead took the train home from school. With a couple of shillings in my pocket, I would roll my brother’s 1958 Vespa out of the garage and go for a ride. Don’t tell anyone but this was way before I was old enough to have a licence. As long as I got back before mum returned home from work, nobody was any the wiser. My favourite haunt was the Dandenong Ranges. I remember one particular ride there. It was a chilly late winter’s day. Large fluffy white “Studio Ghibli” clouds with grey underbellies scudded across the sky producing alternate patterns of bright silvery sunshine, showers and occasional rainbows. The heady sense of exploring the world independent of parents was intoxicating and forever hooked me on the joy of riding a Vespa. Let me share with you some of the roads I took that day which left me with such vivid memories. It was dirt then but is now a smooth well-made road. I just may point it out.

 

For those of you who are around mid-January, this shortish 95 km half-day ride through cool green hills to the far eastern side of the Dandenong Ranges will offer a welcome respite from the heat of a Melbourne summer. Its always a few degrees cooler there. The ride is suitable for all scooters and riders with moderate levels of experience and confidence. Absolute beginners might consider this to be a challenging ride but it’s doable. Just ride at your own pace knowing you won’t be lost or left behind because of the club’s lead-rider, corner-maker and tail-rider system. The ride will be taken at a leisurely pace so that we can enjoy the beautiful scenery. The route is very different from David’s previous Dandenong Ranges rides. We’ll transverse the range from west to east mostly keeping away from the main tourist routes then wriggle our way through The Patch bypassing busy Emerald to visit a small hidden secret lake before taking a toilet break in Gembrook. A picnic lunch is planned in Beenak Forest nearby to  Kurth Kiln. On approaching Yellingbo we get a great view of the eastern face of the Dandenong Rages - a profile we rarely get to see. Heavens, the TV aerials are on the wrong end of the mountain. We then travel through the fruit and berry growing district of Wandin East and its rich red volcanic soils. We’ll finish the ride with a farewell coffee at Mount Evelyn. The city is straight down Canterbury Road. Buddy up for the ride back home or if you wish, just follow David. 

 

Make your own way from the city to our departure point on the eastern outskirts of Melbourne. You can either use Burwood Highway, or if coming from the south, Ferntree Gully Road. Once underway we’ll quickly leave traffic lights behind us. 

 

We will leave from Lorna Cafe, Ferntree Gully at 11am sharp. <map> You’ll need to come earlier if you want a coffee or a late breakfast beforehand. The cafe is on a small service road. Turn left at the blue Gateway Shopping Centre sign.  <google street view> Please arrive with a full tank as there will be no fuel stops on this ride.

 

Please pack a picnic lunch for this ride and make sure to bring something to drink. Pop a plastic bottle of something into the freezer the night before as it could be a hot day. I’m sure Lorna Cafe can make sandwiches and wraps if you forget. Lunch will be in a bush setting within Beenak Forest. There are wooden picnic tables nearby to the historical attraction of Kurth Kiln. 

 

Kurth Kiln in was built in the early 1940s and was designed to manufacture charcoal. Fuel to make the charcoal was sourced from the trees in the surrounding forest. This charcoal was used to redress the shortage of petroleum during WWII. A device mounted on the back of a car, or pulled along as a trailer, would burn the charcoal and collect the resulting gas. This was then fed to the motor. Cars with "gas producer" units were rather under powered. Rear mounted units could provide a range of around 40-60 miles while trailers provided a greater range. Apparently topping up the charcoal could be a rather dangerous undertaking which led to an explosive release of heat and many a singed eyebrow.