On Saturday 14th August Kerry took a small group to circumnavigate Churchill Island and we had a choice of two starting spots - Wonthaggi (60km ride) or Anderson Lookout (30km). Several very fit riders met up with us at Anderson Lookout in glorious sunshine and cool wind to travel to Churchill Island. Traversing two bridges and getting a thorough work out on a roller coaster of excellent gravel surfaces, we entered Churchill Island ambience.
Surrounded by sparkling water, with expansive views of rolling and relatively flat countryside, we rode past several Cape Barren Geese pairs with their fluffy stripy chicks close by. The rule is not to dismount near them as they can be ferocious in protecting their young. The terrain was extensively grassy (now rare to have acres of seagrass) with mudflats under the bridges showing a pristine environment for these and many other water birds, many of which seasonally migrate here. The Western Port Marine National Parks of which this Churchill Island is one, apparently hosts ‘90% of plants and animals living not found anywhere else on earth’ the Parks Victoria handout advises.
We stopped at Churchill Island Café for a magnificent burger and coffee, taking in the calming vistas in all directions
It took surprisingly little effort to circumnavigate the island, and to cross the edge of Phillip Island, which was fortunate, because after another ‘must have’ coffee break at San Remo, we entered into the return roller coaster ride which stretched the fortitude of many and proved the outstanding endurance and fitness of others.
Rides like this are so memorable, so rich with visual beauty and cause us to pause to appreciate our fortunate access to such incredible natural resources. Thank you Kerry for a wonderful day.