When I plan my route in the car before departure in the morning, I still have no idea what to expect. On GoogleMaps I choose the route with the most bends and the darkest green and the first hours that I'm driving my expectation comes out well. What beautiful (motor!) roads and the rainforest is great.
But then, and that was not visible on GoogleMaps, the road turns into a gravel road. A bit of off-road doesn't scare me off and it's great to kick the Cupra on its tail every now and then, but after 20 km of gravel I'm starting to wonder if this is right. The area is getting more and more remote, the road is getting narrower and if I meet a car it's a 4 4 pick up.
After an hour of gravel driving I arrive at a hamlet of a few houses where I stop to stretch my legs. I've been out of range on my phone for a while and because I turn off the car, the navigation loses my route map. Oh dear. Fortunately, there is a map at the picnic spot. I happened upon Victoria's most famous 4WD track, The Aberfeldy Track! No less than 183 km long and built in 1800 to reach the gold mines of Valhalla by horse and cart.
Fortunately I don't have to drive the entire route and there is little else to do than follow the road for another 45 km to the inhabited world. The rest of the route is on mostly straight asphalt roads and I arrive in Lakes Entrance at the end of the afternoon. I booked a motel because after a night of sleeping in the car I need a bed and a shower.
