It was really tough to take the decision of turning back. I kept wondering if I was chickening out. But I realized one thing very clearly – I don’t have gear for cold and wet climate. That’s all. That was the main reason I turned back.

To give you a synopsis the weather became really wet. It rained – a lot, and the reservoirs, rivers all across Victoria were flooding or close to flooding. Moreover in Inglewoods I saw a rain shower that lasted only for 15 minutes but it was so hard!! Like some sort of cloudburst. It freaked me & that shower brought water into my tent as well, luckily I pulled out my sleeping gear just in time and rushed into the caravan that the motel owners thankfully gave me for no extra cost. I stayed in the caravan for 2-3 days. Part of those days the roads were closed, and no one could say what would happen as this weather was just very unusual for this region!

Atisha Buddhist Centre had some rooms to stay in and overall better place to hole up if needed. So – I headed back the same way I came.

Same roads but this time I clicked a lot more pics and noticed a lot more flowers around! Greens bursting from every little cranny. Rains are so awesome, except of course if your tent is flooding. *ahem*

Here are the pics of my ride back from Inglewoods to Atisha Buddhist Centre via Calder highway.

Lush green regions which locals tell me are usually dry

Break time…

These tiny red flowers have cropped up in last few days. They weren’t there when I was cycling to Inglewoods

A memorial usually for someone who has died. Not sure if they buried them by the road here…

Water by the roadside. Not at all normal, suggests flooding earlier…

Alpaca farm… They are kept to guard the aussie sheep

Golden fields!

As I cleared my bills in the motel and left towards Atisha, the owners were really nice and said that in case I face any trouble on the road, just call them. They would come to help. I found such people often on my journey and it made things awesome.
Even in Atisha, Steve had given me his number and I could call him if I needed anything. Though I would call very rarely because as a traveller I want to be relying on people and help at the spot and not really call it in from afar unless necessary.

I stayed with a cyclist couple in Geelong later in my journey and they had some cyclist guests earlier who did get badly stuck in a very remote spot on the great ocean road. The guy had to drive all the way and rescue them. Quite a cyclist superhero! 🙂

It was so good to know of and also be part of such stories of support and generosity in this part of the world.