By Bicycle Network President James Garriock
Over a decade ago, I attended the Lake Bolac Eel Festival in western Victoria. The irony was palpable: a lake festival without a lake, thanks to the millennium drought. Yet the atmosphere was as inviting as hundreds of people picnicked while the setting sun painted the sky.
My children momentarily vanished into the sea of youthful exuberance, only to reappear as part of a procession carrying a giant puppet eel around the bonfire. The tableau was enchanting: Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal kids united in a singular task, their faces illuminated by the fire to a sound track of none other than Uncle Archie. Carried away by the moment, I hoped this feeling of togetherness might continue, that one day we might all be proud that we live with the oldest continuing culture in the world.
Fast forward to a decade-plus of life's incessant demands, and that festival still lingered in my mind like an unsolved riddle. Spurred by the upcoming referendum, I decided to embark on a bikepacking journey to deepen my understanding. My companion was none other than Dr Stephen Lane, our Peaks Challenge coach-in- chief, who is regularly having a shower before the clock ticks over eight hours. Imagine my delight when he arrived on a modified titanium lunar rover with 65mm tyres for tame gravel roads. I offered to ride the whole of Peaks with him as long as he kept the tyres on.
We pedalled through the Grampians from Ararat, our path punctuated by the eagles and emus, and even watched a swamp harrier pluck a rosella out of the sky.
After a night in Cavendish, we rolled down to refuel in Hamilton and set sail southbound for Tae Rak, formerly known as Lake Conder. I'd was embarrassed by my own ignorance as I was only dimly aware that this was a place of World Heritage significance. (In Victoria, the only comparable site is the Royal Exhibition Building.) What we learned at Tae Rak made me cross about what I'd been taught at school in the early 1980s. Two foundation "facts" about the first Australians were that they were hunter-gatherers, not farmers, and that they were nomadic. Yet here I was looking at what was indisputably a stone dwelling built by Aboriginal people and an aquaculture system where volcanic rock had been excavated to flood pools and farm eels.
Every bike journey needs an epic moment – and we stumbled on ours while riding from Tae Rak to our campsite at Budj Bim. Formerly known as Mt Eccles, Budj Bim is the volcano that last erupted just 6600 years ago. The Gunditjmara people still remember it in their oral history. The GPS stridently recommended that we take the 20-something kilometre road trip... but what would it know? Plenty, as it turns out. We connected to the six-kilometre walking track which took us through the national park directly to the campsite.
I've ridden on asphalt and concrete, gravel and dirt, flint and mud, and clay and snow. Even salt ... but never on a fairly new lava field. Truthfully, I still haven't ridden on a fairly new lava field, but I've walked on one.
Budj Bim also has a campground with a hot shower, and the walk around the volcanic crater is not to be missed. But as the morning wore on, our insistent friend, the northerly tailwind, grew ever stronger and set sail for Warrnambool. As we crossed the countryside, I found myself reflecting on the journey. Cycling offers a unique vantage point, allowing us to be participants in the landscape rather than observers. It was a good reminder that we are but the latest characters in a much longer narrative, one that deserves respect and humility.
So, next time you find yourself riding through this extraordinary land, take a moment to appreciate its deep history. It's not just a ride; it's a journey through time, culture, and the boundless possibilities of human connection. This year's Great Vic Bike Ride (Snowy to Sea 2023) goes through Gunaikurnai and Bunurong Country – what great places to begin.
Here are three routes of slightly different lengths depending on how much time you have. All are suitable for a 35mm tyre or greater. All of them take the much more sensible long route from Tae Rak to Budj Bim. Click to see the routes on Strava.