I’ve always found the Mallee Routes in September run out of the fabulous Mallee Bush Retreat in Hopetoun to be a great weekend away, with excellent organisation and support from Simon Watt and Dave Ellis, plus some fine country catering by The Hopetoun Team Outpatients Cycle Club.  There is accomodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from bunkhouse beds and camping through to the motel attached to the pub.  With a smorgasbord of rides to choose from, varying from daily shorter road rides from 50 km up to 300 Km, 50/100/150 Km gravel options and longer road rides from 400 Km to 1200 Km.  You’re just spolit for choice.  The weekend starts off on Friday evening with a meal at the pub accompanied by much sparkling wit and repartee.  It only gets better from there.

Having done most of the Mallee Routes road distances over the years, this year I decided on some Audax touring – a 300 Km followed by a 150 Km the next day to take in all 6 of the Silo Art trail sites.  I was however the only rider selecting this option, so on Saturday morning I headed out with the longer riders for 500 metres, then turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction to them straight into a headwind for the 115 Km to Rupanyup.  The first silo art came at Rosebery after only 15 kms, then about another 27 kms to Brim – the first and arguably best of the Mallee silo art sites.  After Warracknabeal there was a slight detour off the B210 to the silo art at Sheep Hills, then it was a hard slog into the wind down to Rupanyup.  The countryside is very flat and open and there was no hiding from the wind, especially in a bunch of one.  No matter how many times I flicked my elbow, no one came through to give me any assistance.  I was glad to get to the art silo and coffee van at Rupanyup, and looked forward to the 90 degree turn that would offer some respite from the wind.  It was a long solo 190 kms back to Hopetoun, with no further art silos to be seen.  There is a lot of MAMBA (Miles And Miles Of Bugger All) out there when cycling in the Mallee and you do need to be self sufficient with food and water.  The highlight on the return was at Birchip where I decided to go to the toilet at the pub, get a drink and refill water bottles.  The place was absolutely pumping, the Birchip-Watchem Bulls seniors had won the footy finals that day after falling short in the Grand Final the previous two seasons.  They said I looked like the police with all my lights on!  Wasted a good 40 minutes there chatting to the ecstatic locals!  Arrived back at Hopetoun for some spatkling wit and repartee and a good feed from Simon of soup and then apple crumble (with the trifecta of cream, ice cream and custard accompaniments).

The next morning was a more civilised start time at 8 am for the 150 Km.  This was a wonderful ride all done in daylight with at least some rolling hills to break up the flat countyside, and all the control shops at Patchewollock, Speed and Woomelang were open and the proprietors up for a chat.  The first art silo was at Patchewollock at about 50 Km, then another 50 Km to the art silos at Lascelles.  The Lascelles silos are a bit further off the main road, but I didn’t dare venture onto the dirt sidings as they were very wet and muddy (hence the leaning silo of Lascelles photo).  Another 15 km on came the multiple Woomelang mobile silo art silos, not large silo art but just as impressive.  All in all a very enjoyable weekend away, without the angst associated with longer Audax rides.  Highly recommended – give it a go next year, you’ll get a rousing welcome from Simon and Dave.

Silo Art Rosebery

Silo Art Brim

Silo Art Sheep Hills

Silo Art Rupanyup


Silo Art Sign

Silo Art Patchewollock

Silo Art Lascelles

Leaning Silo Art Lascelles

Mobile Silo Art Woomelang

Mobile Silo Art Woomelang