I took some very quiet roads out of Casterton through the countryside. The day was stunning and the riding was perfect. In Coleraine, I had lunch at the Sorting Pen. Everything about the place was great – good coffee, great food and friendly staff. I got a wasp in my coffee, so I guess it’ll be awake for a week or so.
After Coleraine I was looking forward to 35kms of rail trail to Hamilton but I was about to be disappointed. Yes it used to be a railway, but it wasn’t really maintained, so the going was slow. Still, there were no cars. It turned into a bit of a goat track, so I took the main road for 10kms or so, and luckily it was quiet.
I tried the rail trail closer to Hamilton as I thought this section was more likely to be maintained, and for a few kms it was. Then I rode through a section that the local farmer had ploughed – I guess he wasn’t a supporter of rail trails. Back to the road again …
My first impression of Hamilton was that there were lots of bogans about. It’s funny how I infer a lot about a place by the way they treat cyclists, behaviour in supermarkets, prevalence of decent coffee shops and the types of stores in a town. All that too, before I talk to anyone, so who’s judging ?