Mountain to Mouth: If you want a job done, ask a cyclist

Thanks to Tina, Robert, Paul, Terry, Gerry and Peter who, at last minute volunteered to support the Mountain to Mouth Extreme Walk as canoe team.

On Tuesday evening, three days before this massive event, I was asked if I could find a replacement crew as there had been an extremely late scratching (from an iconic local footy team – nameless in this report – but the walk passed their home ground).

After some frantic emailing and personal lobbying, a team of six agreed to assemble at 5:30AM on Saturday morning. Do you remember the weather on Saturday morning when you were tucked up in bed? It was drenching rain at Steampacket Gardens! All six turned up! The canoe (iconic to the whole event) was well looked after by six smiling cyclists in bright Bike Safe! vests, flanked by a dozen soggy flags and their ambassadors and a large number of walkers, many travelling the whole 80km of the walk from the You Yangs to the Barwon via Drysdale, Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale!

The parade set off up Moorabool Street, watched by a few early morning (late night) revellers, and on down to the Barwon River Rowing Precinct for breakfast. The mud was only relieved by large puddles. The grass area was saturated. Light was just showing in the eastern sky. The story circle at this stopping place was made of food cans – very colourful. Lots of breakfast vans were plying hot and cold goodies for all the participants and crew.

Our intrepid cyclists waited for the next crew to take over. Three arrived but where were the rest? In the end Tina and Robert volunteered to carry canoe for part of the next leg (which they’d decided to walk anyway). What amazing people cyclists are!

Thanks also to John Rafferton and Robert Turnau, who agreed to drive the shuttle buses for the event. I saw John later in the day as he waited for passengers at Ocean Grove.