We had revised our finishing point in order to be sure of catching the bus, so we set off for Port Germein, saving about an hour of cycling time. It was cold and overcast as we left Melrose.
Having read reports of Bridle Track Road, we decided to test it out. It begins with several kilometres of an undulating rutted surface, with a short unrideable incline and several gates.
There was low cloud around that obscured the view out to the gulf – on a clear day the reveal would be impressive.
The descent, when we got to it, was not fast riding. There were some sections that were too rough and steep to ride. I took a spill on a loose rocky section and grazed my knees. My advice to anyone thinking of driving either up or down is Don’t Do It! It would be terrifying. For bike riders, I say do it, but don’t fall off!
Bridle Track Road meets Germein Gorge Road as it emerges on to the coastal plain and from here it was a quick run into Port Germein – no head wind! I cleaned up my knees and we had coffee and scones (not best ever but best available) at the Pier Cafe.
The Stateliner bus stops on the highway to pick up Port Germein passengers, so we took off the panniers and front wheels and waited while large trucks and cars passed at high speed. Doesn’t seem like the safest place for this, but we managed to board without a disaster occurring.
Today we rode 35km, ascended 250m and descended 640m. Map coming later
Bikelele 
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