Day 18 - Mt Buffalo - Australia Gold Fields, Grampians and Great Ocean Road plus The 7 Peaks

November 15, 2019

Day 18 - Mt Buffalo

Peak #2

Today I climbed Mt Buffalo which is located in a National Park by the same name. This was my 2nd of the 7 Peaks and possibly my last. Of the climbs the group has done thus by far it was the prettiest. It was an unrelenting 20km climb averaging 5% all the way. The flattest it ever got was 2%. My total day was 77km with 4800ft of climbing. Luckily the weather was good and not nearly as cold at the top as yesterday. On the way down I was swooped again but this time I was ready for him because I was on the lookout and I heard him coming. Nonetheless it is a bit disconcerting when these things smack your helmet. The link below is a short video showing magpies at work.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXIy6CzcO_g

Crystal brook falls and the view beyond.

A panorama of the valley below Mt Buffalo.

The chalet at the top that is not open this time of year.

I spotted this guy going across the road on the way down. We have seen many dead lizards but this skink was very much alive. Blue-tongued skinks[2] comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as a bluff-warning to potential enemies.

Today's ride: 77 km (48 miles)
Total: 230 km (143 miles)

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