It's been 4 years since the club has done this popular ride. An ideal ride for new members who are curious about what it feels like to take a Vespa out of the city. The answer is… GREAT!
Destination
Warburton is an attractive town nestled between mountains in the Upper Yarra Valley 75 kms east of Melbourne. In days gone by grand guest houses provided a retreat in fresh mountain air as an escape from the grimy city. The town still retains its health resort reputation. Pretty houses with wood smoke drifting from their chimneys set in lovely English gardens make Warby a very picturesque town.
Ride Description
The route avoids highways making it perfect for beginners or slower scooters. It will be a lazy meandering ride on some delightful little-used back roads that wind through picturesque rural scenery. Mountains form a constant backdrop to rolling pastoral landscapes, farmhouses, vineyards, orchards, berry farms, creeks and rivers. At times our road provides an intimate experience where the forest canopy cocoons us, at others it presents an open vista as grand as a Wagner Opera. These are great roads for two wheels and for those who enjoy curves and the unfolding narrative of a winding road. The route to Warburton is via Park Orchards, Wonga Park, Coldstream and Woori Yallock. We'll return via Yellingbo, Wandin East and Mount Evelyn. The round trip totals about 209 kms.
Coffee Break and Sightseeing
We'll have a 30 minute mid-morning bottom rub and coffee break in Warburton before heading up to the summit of Mt Donna Buang (1,250 metres) which looms behind the township - the closest snowfield to Melbourne. On the way up we'll stop by the Rainforest Gallery and Skywalk Gallery which juts out amongst the tree tops 17 metres above the lush forest floor. There is a beautiful 15-20 minute walk among the fern trees. On the summit of Donna Buang a spectacular view can be had from a very tall vertigo-inducing observation tower. On a clear day you can see the skyline of Melbourne to the West across the Yarra Valley. Or in lieu of the above, the whim of the ride leader may take us to a Redwood Forest instead.
Lunch
Either pack a picnic lunch or buy take-away from the row of old timber shops in Warburton’s main street. There is a delightful picnic spot along the banks of the Yarra behind the town where we'll find rocks, ducks, dogs, kids and sometimes the tail of an elusive platypus splashing in the bubbling waters. There's a wooden suspension bridge close by and paths for a river walk.
Departure Point
Britannia Mall, 485 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham (about 24 kms east of Melbourne).
Pull into the left (north side) service road at the start of the Mitcham shopping strip before Mitcham Road.
https://goo.gl/maps/gTAQsF5dxecrjg1r6
Departure Time
The ride departs at 9.15 am sharp so if you need breakfast and coffee beforehand, please arrive at 8.15 am.
Important: Please arrive with a full tank of petrol as there will be no fuel stops.
There is a BP service station in Blackburn just past Surrey Road.
Covid: Please bring a mask and take all the steps you need to stay safe. If you are feeling symptomatic, please do not attend.
Comments
It was so good to be able to do this ride again. Thank you David and Pete and the large number of members who joined this ride. For the several first time riders I hope you all enjoyed getting out of the city and all made it home safely.
Had a wonderful first group ride - thank you David for organising and all the the club for putting it on. Xo
Beautiful weather and fine company. Thank you to all who attended this ride, David
Ah, I see, a very unusual Vespa model. I had already suspected that the manufacturer's name might start with a B rather than a P but I'm rather hard of hearing. By the authority invested in me as ride leader I approve of everything that makes the world a happier place :-)
Weeeell…this one has ...err bigger wheels and a flat twin motor...
Hi Anthony. We love our German Vespas. They are the ones with the tiny wheels aren't they?
Great David!
Ida and I will be comming along—and bringing the 'Old German Vespa' so we can two-up comfortably. Will that be OK?
Anthony and Ida
Hi Adam, as you know, I ride classic scooters too and would take them any where. If the scooter you want to bring is reliable I don't see why you can't come. Yes, we are keeping off the main highways for most of the time bar some very short sections. The roads we do use mostly have a speed limit of 80 kms/hr. If you find your 59er is a bit slow, its not an issue as we're not in a race. We have a corner marking system so you won't get lost and if you happen to be near the back you will have a tail rider behind you. Look out for some special rides coming up in Autumn specifically for manual classic scooters. Best wishes, David
Hi David, would the ride suit a 1959 bike? I.e. no/ few 100 zones? Cheers, Adam
Hi David et all,
DIssapointing that the round the bay is off - but I look forward to this ride. See you at the Mitcham start point. Regards Andrew
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next