1 October - Kerang

After a very late night and a great cooked breakfast this morning it was time to hit the road again. The view out of the window was not encouraging - windy and a steady drizzle of rain. By 10:30 we had said our goodbyes and were on our way after refueling in Porepunkah. It had rained steadily during the night and just past Oxley we struck long stretches of road covered in water. We forged ahead with plumes of water enveloping the bikes and in my case filling the boots. By then the rain had actually stopped, and as we headed South towards Benalla, the road was actually dry. Things were looking a lot more positive as we turned towards Shepparton. This was short lived - as we approached Shepparton we encountered a road block due to flooding. The men manning the roadblock advised us to head towards Tocumwal to bypass all the flooding. We eventually reached Echuca at 2:30 and were very happy to grab a coffee and some lunch at the Beechworth Bakery. Our next setback came when we tried to find accommodation. Not a room to be had - it seems there is a Ute Muster in progress and because of the rain many would be campers retreated to hotels and motels instead. No choice but to carry on to Kerang, another 100 km. Arrived here at 4:30 and very glad to get off the bikes and out of the clammy motorcycle gear. Had a nice dinner and a few beers at the local Chinese restaurant. Tomorrow we carry on to Mildura.

Total distance 383 km