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Touring Stratford
Make a meal of it on a lunch ride
Gippsland is just crying out to be visited by motorcyclists. And there are plenty of opportunities to do a little shopping.
Let’s do something unusual, fellow Melburnian readers. Let’s go and have lunch in, oh, Stratford. And let’s get there – and home – the longish way.
Why?
Well, let me tell you.
Why not? Why not, eh?
And before you shake your head and turn away – the silly bag is at it again – just pay me the courtesy of at least considering this, intriguing, day ride. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on crafting every aspect of it, okay?
| | EntreeThe Princes and South Gippsland highways are both seriously dull, so we won’t begin our day by riding them. We’ll go north a bit, instead. It’s not an early start, by the way. Stratford is not nearly as far away as you may think.
If you live in the southern part of the great city by the bay, make your way to Belgrave and Cockatoo before turning north to reach the Warburton Highway at Woori Yallock. This is a terrific bit of a ride anyway. If you live in the north, just take the Maroondah Highway and then turn onto the Warburton Highway.
Either way, turn off again at Yarra Junction and continue through the forest to Powelltown and Noojee. This might be the place to stop for a coffee if you didn’t have one before you left home. Stick with the back roads to Moe and around the lake to Yallourn and on to Glengarry. Is it early yet? Take the C466 from Moe up to Erica and Rawson before coming back down to meet the C105. This road will take you through Heyfield and Maffra to the Princes Highway just short of Stratford. If it’s still a bit early, go north to Briagolong and come down into Stratford that way.
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| | Main courseAh, yes. On the eastern side of the road in Stratford, a little way past what used to be the famous Mad Cow Café, is Wa-de-Lock Cellar Door. Michael and Donna run this amazing place, stocking wines from all over Gippsland as well as local produce including the award-winning Maffra cheeses. But not only that, it’s their proud boast that they have “the best coffee this side of Melbourne”, as well as terrific meals you can eat in their leafy, shady garden beside the cafe.
They’re also motorcyclists (of course) and offer free campsites and secure bike parking to motorcyclists on the way to the Grand Prix at the Island. They’re also trying to get the local council to allow riders to camp in the park across the road. Good people, with good food and drink – what more can one ask for?
By the way, some of the Gippsland wines Michael and Donna stock are quite superb. Ask for a bit of guidance and take a bottle or three home. You won’t regret it – I haven’t.
DessertNow there’s a decision to be made. Shall we have a sweet dessert, or shall we go for something a little more … savoury?
If you’re a sweets kind of person, you’ll want to take the Princes Highway down to Sale and continue straight ahead when the road turns right, on the South Gippsland Highway. Cross the swing bridge and just follow the road down through Yarram, past the turnoff to Wilsons Promontory, up through Leongatha and Korumburra. Then turn off at Loch and have your afternoon tea in the little service-station-turned-café in the main street. We love this place, for no really explicable reason. Loch also has “antique” shops, galleries and such to wander through hunting for bargains, but many of them seem to only be open on weekends.
From here you can just follow the South Gippsland Highway back to Melbourne. Dull, but then you’ve had a big day.
If you prefer your desserts savoury you can have an even bigger day. Continue along the Princes Highway to Rosedale and then turn south to Willung and Gormandale. Continue to Powers Hill Lookout (bloody Powers must have had lookouts all over Victoria, or there was a whole tribe named Powers who all took up bushranging) where you turn right into the beginning of the Grand Ridge Road through the Strzelecki Ranges.
Just follow the signs from here – the road deteriorates a bit in places and a lot of it is gravel but if the weather is with you, there are lovely views to Bass Strait in the south as well as some wonderful forests to ride through. Beware of log trucks, though. Stop at Mirboo North for a break and pick up some of the Grand Ridge Brewery’s interesting products to take home before continuing to Seaview and the end of the GRR.
My suggestion from here would be that you turn south through Ranceby and Poowong before rejoining the South Gippsland Highway, but if you’re a bit tired, the shorter way is north to the Princes Freeway and home that way. If you take that route, you do miss our last stop, though.
AftersFor dinner, if it gets a little late, you might like to stop at Kelly’s in Cranbourne. It’s a nice pub, right on the main road, with decent, relatively interesting, well-priced food. It’s the end of a strange but – be honest – also strangely satisfying day. Better be careful with the booze, though. You still have to get home past all those breath test units…
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