Cycling to Melbourne

10.10 a.m.: Kids dropped off at school, check, sunscreen, check, water, check, muesli bar, check! Ok ready to go. As I leave the house I notice that I forgot my helmet. Helmets are mandetory here in Australia, so I had to go back.

Today I am riding my new bike to Melbourne city. The Gardiners Trail, a bike path, takes you all the way to the center. Not many people that I spoke to have taken the ride to the city, so about time to try it out. It is about 20 km, so if I take the train back, there will be plenty of time to pick up the children from school early to take them to Dutch class.

However, my day went a bit different than planned.

Food for the trip — My food and drink for the trip.

10.30 am:

The beginning of the Creek is rather uninspireing, water running through concrete.

Luckely the trail makes up for that. — Luckily the trail makes up for that.

10.40 am:

10.55 pm:

More authentic — And the Gardiners Creek gets more authentic quickly.

11.15 am:

City solution — I could even appriciate the city solution.

11.30 am:

Hanging pathway under the bridge — Hanging pathway under the highway

12.15 am: after a couple too many picture stops, I figure the trip can be done in less than half the time it took me. I arrive at Flinders Street and decide to continue a bit further, so I stop at the Tourist office to ask for the bike friendliest way to St. Kilda. The kind man behind the counter gives me a map and points out the route.

Finding the right path is sometimes a bit challenging here, it takes a bit more searching. But I manage to find the route and continue my way along the coast and then I search for a takeaway lunch.

2 pm: I take the 2 o’clock train back, which takes 30 minutes.Then it will all work out to be back home to be at school at 3.15 pm to pick up the children. School normally ends at 3.30, but on Monday I pick them up early to get to the Dutch class on time.

2.15 p.m: Announcement: “Due to police orders, this train will not continue, but stop at the next trainstation.

2.30 p.m. The train is still standing still before the trainstation.

There are two things I can do once the train does get to the station:

Wait at the station along with many others and see if there will be another train.
Try to make my way back to the Gardners Trail and cycle back home.

2.45 p.m. When the train finally gets to the station I decide to go for option number two and cycle back home. But it gets hotter and hotter and my legs get more and more tired from sitting on my bike all day. Darn, I am out of shape. The last bit up the (waverley) mountains is steeeeeeeep.

3.15 p.m: By this time I drive past the school. I still have to pick up the books for the children and make them sandwiches and something to drink.

3.30 p.m.: All sweaty and with a hot face I just make it on time for the bell to ring. Of course Kai needs to tell someone something very important and Luka still needs to go to the bathroom. But then we can finally drive to Brighton.

4.15 p.m.: Dropped the children off at Brighton Primary school, just 15 minutes late. Pffff, we made it!