Day 1 – Melbourne to Horsham
First off: the good news. All our luggage fit perfectly within the bike’s weight limits. The less-good news? Volume is a thing. Something had to stay behind. The choice was between tango gear and warm clothing. Naturally, we left the warm clothing. Priorities.
The plan was to leave home around 10:00. Which, in true Armenian fashion, translated to a bit after 11:30. To top it off, Nouné also had to duck into the office for some last-minute tasks. The road can wait; paperwork can’t.
Ballarat – Lunch, Not Coffee
By the time we rolled into Ballarat it was 1:30, and we were far too hungry for “just coffee.” Fortunately, Eclectic Tastes Café lived up to its name: incredible food, generous portions, and exactly what we needed to reset after the late start. The new plan: lunch here, have coffee at Foreigners Café in Ararat, then sneak in a quick culture fix at TAMA.
Plans vs. Reality
A quick check of the clock: both Foreigners Café and TAMA closed at 4:00. The best we could do was arrive at 3:50. Not exactly enough time to savour a latte and an art exhibition. So we pivoted: pub coffee instead.
Except, as fate would have it, we needed fuel approaching Ararat. We pulled into the Ararat Roadhouse, only to discover that they serve perfectly decent barista coffee. Crisis averted. Sorry Ararat — we owe you a proper visit next time.
Passenger Privileges
By the way, I’ve always known the pillion rider is shielded from the elements by the rider up front. But this was the first time it became hilariously obvious. A photo of our helmets side by side told the whole story: Nouné’s visor, perfectly clean. Mine? Covered in a small insect cemetery.
Horsham – At Last
After a fifteen-minute break (coffee for me, hot chocolate for Nouné), we pushed on straight to Horsham. By evening we were checked into our hotel, heater blasting, thawing out, and preparing to see what culinary delights Horsham has to offer.
Day 1 complete. Only several thousand kilometres — and probably several thousand more mosquitos — to go.