Monday, August 26.o

Day 30.       Rest Day in Robe.

Cyclist 13 (of 15) Theo (NSW). He has gone the full way round Australia since the end of March. Keen on photography and brought his SLR along.

Cyclist 14 (of 15) Annie (England). She is also completing the full circuit. Celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Cyclist 15 (of 15) Self

For me, today was a total day of rest. Robe is very small and I got all essential tasks done yesterday evening. Robe seems to be renovating and sprucing itself up during the off-season. Many coffee shops and restaurants are closed. Population is a mere 1500, but I reckon that it increases in summer.

I did cycle into town (about 1 km) but didn't go on any mission of major sightseeing. Really shops appear only on one long street and few were stirring as I moved down around 9.45. My first call was to a pharmacy to purchase anti-mosquito spray. I have got a few bites at dusk (on the hands) and they really irritate at nighttime.

At the other end of town from us is the new marina. Most berths were empty ...just that time of the year. Robe was declared a port in 1847 and wool began to arrive for shipment.

At the Royal Circus, two sculptures of Flinders and Baudin gaze out on Guichen Bay. They had been the first to survey this part of the coast in 1802.

In the 1850's during the gold-rush around Balarat and Bendigo, thousands of Chinese were landed in Robe to avoid the landing tax in Victoria. A series of jetties were constructed between 1842 and 1866.From here, with guides, the 17,000 odd Chinese trekked the 600 km to the Victorian goldfields. This route (The Golden Trail) is now a recognised route for cyclists and walkers. I will pick up the last 60 km of it as I approach Bendigo later on in early September.

At the very end of town is Cape Dombey with its red and white obelisk, a Robe icon. I approached it along an up-and-down pedestrian/ cyclist path. The obelisk is 40 ft high standing on a 100 ft cliff and was built in 1855 to guide mariners safely into the bay. The limestone underneath is gradually being eroded and the site is railed off.

The limestone took on some strange forms and shapes but had some vegetation. As I stood there, waves came crashing in against the rocks and cliff. Sea birds hung out on the rocks beneath or in the coves.

Still following the path I came to the remains of the old gaol.Not much remains now. The construction work was shoddy; some prisoners picked their way through the walls, so the walls were reinforced with boilerplate from from the Admelia wreck off Cape Dombey.

Robe has a large recreational area catering for football, tennis, squash and netball and it seems to used. Nearby was a skate-board park and a golf course. No one out at the golf.o

No rain today but it is cool, even chilly. Yet, I’d  settle for a day like today rather than cycling through rain.

I used the Information Centre to pick up a few maps and also to down load more photos from the camera to a memory stick. I feel safer when they’re there.

My lunch was in the Caledonian Inn and I had breaded garfish with all the trimmings. Tasted grand.

I’m just chilling out for the afternoon here on the verandah looking out on the lake. A few small colourful birds came pecking about but I failed to snap any of them with the camera.

Briefing tonight at 5.30 and before the next Rest Day (the last one) we will have crossed into Victoria.

.....and thank God for a lovely day.