On Day 4 of my M2C eBike adventure I was riding 55 kilometres from Moculta to Mount Pleasant. My husband Derek would be joining me at the Eden Valley Pub at lunch time. It was 34 kilometres to the pub, and then a further 21 kilometres to my accommodation for the night.
Knowing that there would be over 800 metres of climbing for the day, I planned to be conservative with my eBike battery in the morning. (I wanted plenty of power in reserve for after lunch!)
Another factor that made me slower on Day 4 of my M2C ride, was that I was feeling tired by now. If I could have, I would have liked a rest day at Moculta, but my accommodation near Mount Pleasant could not be postponed.
Moculta to Keyneton
Surprisingly for the middle of January, it was chilly and damp as I started out towards Keyneton.
One of my favourite spots, not far from Moculta is the Gnadenberg Lutheran Church, built in 1860, with the bell tower added in 1904.
The manse and stables still remain and the topiary hedge is well cared for.
Enjoying the coolness of the morning and the quiet, tree-lined roads,
I pedalled on to Keyneton.
Keyneton
Keyneton is a beautiful little village with so much to see: – the community Post Office, the Independent Chapel, the Soldiers Memorial Hall and the historic Lutheran church and graveyard.
As the day was cloudy, I didn’t take many photographs, but I couldn’t resist my favourite – the ivy-covered bell tower at the Lutheran Church.
Eighteen kilometres down, sixteen more to the pub.
Even though I was tired, the scenery was beautiful and I enjoyed the ride.
Eden Valley
A few kilometres out of Eden Valley, I saw the bright lights of a motorbike at the top of the next hill. It was my husband Derek. He took this photo of me as I cycled up the hill towards him.
It was great to see Derek after four days apart, and fun to take this photo of our bikes together.
Our lunch at the Eden Valley Hotel was excellent, and yes, I couldn’t resist a glass of local sparkling Shiraz.
Eden Valley to Mount Pleasant
Soon it was time for Derek to head home and for me to resume my journey to Mount Pleasant.
The weather became quite warm. Luckily I had been very careful with my use of the eBike battery in the morning, so I was able to use plenty of assistance to get up the remaining hills.
Highlights of the afternoon included the bridge over the Marne River,
the “tunnel to the sky” on Cookes Hill Road
and the views north from Verrals Road.
Feeling the heat, I was glad to arrive at my accommodation for the night, just a few kilometres short of Mount Pleasant.
Note: Since I did this ride, a loop into Springton has been included in the Murray to Clare Cycling Trail. Springton has a number of historical points of interest, including the Herbig Family Tree, which was the home for a German immigrant and his family for five years.
Namgarina Vineyard
My accommodation at AirBnB Namgarina Vineyard is well worth mentioning. Great value at $58, my beautiful bedroom was clean and comfortable.The setting was quiet and picturesque, and hosts Julianne and her husband were very kind and considerate. I highly recommend this as an overnight stay for a couple or for anybody travelling solo.
Summary of my Day 4 ride from Moculta to Mount Pleasant on the M2C
My Strava record shows that I had cycled 57 kilometres and climbed 947 metres. The same ride recorded with Ride with GPS shows an elevation gain of 863 metres.
This is an extremely scenic section of the M2C, and well worth doing as a day trip.
If you would like to stay an extra day in Mount Pleasant, try this Kidman Trail loop.
For further information about the Murray to Clare Lavender Cycling Trail or to download the full map, see the main page. You can read about my last day on the trail in this story about my ride from Mount Pleasant to Murray Bridge.
Top photo: On Peggy Hill Road
