Birregurra to Airey's Inlet via Dean's Marsh, Benwerrin and Big Hill on the Great Ocean Road

Mono directional challenging ride, fitter advanced riders might consider the return ride to Birregurra in the same day.

  Involves prolonged uphill climbs, prolonged potentially fast decents, two steeper (relatively short) sections on the Benwerrin Hill climb and one section on the Big Hill climb.   Ride starts in undulating open grazing country.  Soon after Deans Marsh the forest takes over with the Benwerrin hill road peaking out through moist temeprate rainforest.  The decent into Lorne is prolonged.   A graduated decent through drier eucalypt forest until the road bursts out onto the coast.  BEWARE - This decent has several tightening radius bends in the road otherwise a good dry weather surface for any rider to decend on.   Turn left onto the Great Ocean Road where the scenery changes to small sndy beaches hemmed in by massive bedrock platforms and hanging sandstone cliffs.  Continue onto the base of Big Hill which is at it's steepest right at the bottom up this twisted piece of road known locally as the "corkscrew" The gradient becomes more relaxed after several hundred meters of climbing and much flatter towards the top.   The decent is slightly technical with a pair of tightening radius turns which; if to be taken fast, require very late apexing before diving into the corners other wise you run out of carriageway on the exits.... continue down onto the Eastern View Beach flat section and onto Aireys Inlet.   There is a good Pub at Airey's Inlet (re-opened in Dec 2011) and a well stocked a general store with petrol.diesel as well as 2 or 3 good cafes, a bakery and a top flite 4 star restaurant which is usually open for lunch in the high season.   If you are feeling fit then the return ride is self explanatory, the decent from Benwerrin into Deans Marsh has more open sweeping bends and can be taken at considerable speeds for advanced riders.