2009AUG042057
Aftermath
Name: Peter Renshaw
Location: Kinglake
Date: 2009AUG04
Description:
Kinglake is now a favourite stop off for cyclists. It wasn't always so. The road down to St. Andrews wasn't always sealed. I know I used to ride it. On the day of Black Saturday a group of riders were making their way to this cafe via Mt. Slide road. The story is below.
Breakdown at Kangaroo Ground (2009APR02)
Off for a quick rece of Kangaroo Ground today. Get a few shots of the KL range and the surrounding areas. I should be working but until I get the fires out of me I won't work hard. Better to take my own advice, take some shots write some stuff up. Get it out of the system.
On the way I wanted to stop at the round-about and walk across to the main rd to take some shots down the road towards the KG general store. Spent many a day working around here when I was with the Shire. Also it is a bike route I spent many a day pushing gears over the hills admiring the view.
Breakdown
I noticed a car just up from the road. So I pulled in and went over to see how they where going. Chris was fumbling around looking for a way to set the jack up. It was his mates car. His car had been banged up on a freeway. A new Audi rammed up the back of his new Merc. At first I thought he was a bit lame around machinery. He couldn't get the plastic plug off the mount point for the fancy German jack. So I went and got my trusty toolkit. The one with the extra tools I found I needed when I last had a flat.
So I undid the plastic cap with a key from my keyring. Couldn't find a screwdriver. Next set the jack up and we got the wheel off. The old low profile tyres with non-standard mags was screwed. Whoever owned it was a rev-head. With an AMG V8 in the front that's not hard to do. But this tyre and the other back one showed signs of excessive acceleration. Trying to get the new wheel didn't work either. The bolts turned out to be 1/8th" to 1/4" short. I suggested RACV. So a call to the owner confirmed an RACV tow was the order of the day.
Christophers story
I let Chris know I'd be up the road for about half an hour. The shots you see here are what followed. I really wanted to get to the Kangaroo Ground Memorial tower. It's one of the highest points in KG. From here you get un-interrupted 360 degree views of the area. I specifically wanted some shots of KL and the surrounding area of Strathewen, www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3406218660/. I got them in just before the batteries went flat. Then drove back to check on Chris. He'd called the RACV, despatched his kid off to school by bus and was on the phone again. I'd grabbed my food bag. Always when I'm out I'll have some water and a food bag with fruit, sandwiches and the like.
I started to chat with Chris and let him know why I was there taking shots of the ranges remember people who I knew. Seems it wasn't turning out to be Chris's day. His car all banged up, end of year with financials due and people chasing him. I passed him over my fruit bag commenting, "it's not your day today". Turns out Chris is a local - 'bout 6Km was in the area on the Black Saturday. A whole bunch of them bike ride regularly together. Training for the Bay Classic. On this day of 46 degrees while I was safely within home range at the pool. Chris and his mates decided it would be a good day to ride through KG and up to Kinglake via Mount Slide Road. As it turns out a few couldn't keep up so the detoured to a flatter route. Had they continued they would have been 6 more casualties on the roads. The owner of the car is a local CFA member who went into Marysville in the first few days and is shakey. I let him know to keep an eye out for him.
We talked more about fires, Kinglake, how my Dad stayed and fought and the conditions on the day. Checked if Chris needed any water. Then it was time to leave. I'd got my shots.
It's +day 56, just another day.
===================
Travelling from Mittens Bridge to Kinglake via Kinglake-Heidelberg road. Main street with a few riders I passed on the way up. Fueling up ready to go down.
next >>>
2009AUG042057
Aftermath
Name: Peter Renshaw
Location: Kinglake
Date: 2009AUG04
Description:
Kinglake is now a favourite stop off for cyclists. It wasn't always so. The road down to St. Andrews wasn't always sealed. I know I used to ride it. On the day of Black Saturday a group of riders were making their way to this cafe via Mt. Slide road. The story is below.
Breakdown at Kangaroo Ground (2009APR02)
Off for a quick rece of Kangaroo Ground today. Get a few shots of the KL range and the surrounding areas. I should be working but until I get the fires out of me I won't work hard. Better to take my own advice, take some shots write some stuff up. Get it out of the system.
On the way I wanted to stop at the round-about and walk across to the main rd to take some shots down the road towards the KG general store. Spent many a day working around here when I was with the Shire. Also it is a bike route I spent many a day pushing gears over the hills admiring the view.
Breakdown
I noticed a car just up from the road. So I pulled in and went over to see how they where going. Chris was fumbling around looking for a way to set the jack up. It was his mates car. His car had been banged up on a freeway. A new Audi rammed up the back of his new Merc. At first I thought he was a bit lame around machinery. He couldn't get the plastic plug off the mount point for the fancy German jack. So I went and got my trusty toolkit. The one with the extra tools I found I needed when I last had a flat.
So I undid the plastic cap with a key from my keyring. Couldn't find a screwdriver. Next set the jack up and we got the wheel off. The old low profile tyres with non-standard mags was screwed. Whoever owned it was a rev-head. With an AMG V8 in the front that's not hard to do. But this tyre and the other back one showed signs of excessive acceleration. Trying to get the new wheel didn't work either. The bolts turned out to be 1/8th" to 1/4" short. I suggested RACV. So a call to the owner confirmed an RACV tow was the order of the day.
Christophers story
I let Chris know I'd be up the road for about half an hour. The shots you see here are what followed. I really wanted to get to the Kangaroo Ground Memorial tower. It's one of the highest points in KG. From here you get un-interrupted 360 degree views of the area. I specifically wanted some shots of KL and the surrounding area of Strathewen, www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3406218660/. I got them in just before the batteries went flat. Then drove back to check on Chris. He'd called the RACV, despatched his kid off to school by bus and was on the phone again. I'd grabbed my food bag. Always when I'm out I'll have some water and a food bag with fruit, sandwiches and the like.
I started to chat with Chris and let him know why I was there taking shots of the ranges remember people who I knew. Seems it wasn't turning out to be Chris's day. His car all banged up, end of year with financials due and people chasing him. I passed him over my fruit bag commenting, "it's not your day today". Turns out Chris is a local - 'bout 6Km was in the area on the Black Saturday. A whole bunch of them bike ride regularly together. Training for the Bay Classic. On this day of 46 degrees while I was safely within home range at the pool. Chris and his mates decided it would be a good day to ride through KG and up to Kinglake via Mount Slide Road. As it turns out a few couldn't keep up so the detoured to a flatter route. Had they continued they would have been 6 more casualties on the roads. The owner of the car is a local CFA member who went into Marysville in the first few days and is shakey. I let him know to keep an eye out for him.
We talked more about fires, Kinglake, how my Dad stayed and fought and the conditions on the day. Checked if Chris needed any water. Then it was time to leave. I'd got my shots.
It's +day 56, just another day.
===================
Travelling from Mittens Bridge to Kinglake via Kinglake-Heidelberg road. Main street with a few riders I passed on the way up. Fueling up ready to go down.
next >>>