Orbost to Bairnsdale via Nowa Nowa & Bruthen. 207kms.
April 2012
We decided to do this ride as an out and back ride over three days, it's probably not the best option as the last day from Bruthen to Orbost became very tiring and monotonous. The grades are not that steep but some do go on for long distances, when you are riding in the forest between Bruthen and Orbost there is not much to take your mind off the continual gradual climbs.
We drove via Cooma, Bombala and Delegate on the way to Orbost, very low traffic on that road with good scenery, with about 20kms. of dirt. In Orbost we stayed at the Country Roads Motel, best avoided, I am sure there are better options in that town.
The following photos were taken between Orbost and Bruthen on the first day.
East Gippsland Rail Trail
We stayed in Bruthen for two nights at the Bruthen Inn, rooms are very basic and not all that clean but the staff at the pub are friendly and the food was good.
The Bruthen Inn
The ride from Bruthen to Bairnsdale is very scenic and the trail surface is much better than the previous section.
We had lunch in Bairnsdale and then headed back to Bruthen.
Day 3 and we started the long slog back to Orbost, on the way we saw a couple of emus, a lone wallaby and one snake.
It's not a ride I would do again but it is one that is worth doing once, done as a one way ride it would be more enjoyable. Mountain bikes or hybrids with slick tyres work well, one of our group was on a road bike with Continental Gatorskin tyres but he had to leave the trail and go back to Orbost on the highway just outside of Nowa Nowa. That section has quite a few sections of loose sand and small rocks.
Our return journey to Sydney was spectacular, we used the Buchan to Jindabyne road via Suggan Buggan, I have done this drive quite a few times, it really does travel through some of the most spectacular scenery Australia has to offer. It is best done in a 4WD but with care a normal car can make the journey. It is very narrow with no guard rails in places with huge drops off the side. It needs care but offers great mountain views and at the moment the The Snowy River in full flow.
The last night was spent in Jindabyne.
A coffee stop on the way back to Sydney reminded us that we were still sharing the countryside with others.
