At last the time had arrived on my getting out my old touring gear again for another cycle holiday. This time I was planning to ride from Bathurst to Beechworth in Victoria and then meet up with friends for some cycling around the Beechworth - Bright area for several days.

It was here that I thought my tour began in the sense I was going to be riding over new territory.
Wee Jasper is a name which has always intriqued me and being on the edges of the Brindabella ranges only increased my fascination.

Riding out of my idyllic camp in the bush, I naively thought that as I was on a plateau in the ranges, I would soon plunge down the slopes into Tumut in time for my morning coffee and snack.
However reality always has a habit of spoiling these early morning reveries. The Tummoramma on the map was no more than two or three houses relatively close to each other and shortly aftre ther the roads became hilly again and I was soon climbing fairly steep roads again.

Making my way from the Batlow camping ground to the cafe in Batlow was all uphill and when I settled into my first cup of coffee for the day and was chatting to the kiwi owner, I could see that I still had a few more hills to encounter before I reached my fairly short - in terms of this trip - ride to Tumbarumba.

Meg, however had told me it was a wonderful ride and despite the big hill leading out of Batlow, it was a wonderful ride and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

7:30 am seemed to be the time I pushed my first pedal each day without deliverate planning by me. After my rest day in Tumbarumba, which had been very pleasant despite the previous night being very chilly and waking to my tent being covered with a heavy frost.
The day in front beckoned me with the promise of generally tending downhill to the Murray where there was a bridge over it at Jingelic then I was to follow a road which followed alongside the river until I turned away a little for my intended destination at Granya.

Waking to a sunny morning in this lovely spot certainly overcame the original misgivings I may have had about my decision the previous evening. After eating my pre-soaked muesli with my freshly whittled spoon, I packed up and decided on a brief walk up the valley at least as far as the "scout hut" mentioned on the information board.

After a very comfortable night at the Yack camping ground and dinner in the village, I took breakfast at the same cafe I had eaten dinner the night before and was happy to learn that the cook was a Pies supporter and a couple dropped into cafe to discuss the possabilities which lay in store for the days big event in Melbourne.
After a very leisurely breakfast I started the pedal to Yack.
It was only about 27km but the road tended up for most of the way and towards the end had a couple of long steep climbs.

Naturaly I was the first of the 2010 Tour de Geriatric participants to arrive in Beechworth as I had the least distance to travel.
The others were travelling from Bathurst and Mittagong and I had a mere 28km pedal up the hill from Yackandandah.

Arriving mid morning, I went straight to the caravan park and booked myslef in.
After a shower and change of clothes and setting up my tent, I pedalled down town to get some chain lubricant, lunch and a beer and find a good pub to watch the rematch of the St. Kilda v Collingwood grand-final.

After the excitement of watching the AFL grandfinal with Collingwood emerging victorious and then the wonderful finish to the men's road race at the World Championships in Geelong, I think we were all ready to begin the journey proper.

Bright is the end of the Rail Trail,that is a real mecca for cyclists - experienced and those just starting off what may turn into a love affair for the bike.

By now our party had grown from the original crew to include Jenn, Tom and Barb. These are people who are friends of Meg, John, Catherine and Geoff from the Southern Highland's club. All are good riders and all were returning from the World Cycling championships held at Gelong over the previouls week.