Hi from Lakes Entrance, again.

I left Lakes Entrance after 8, subsequent to talking to the receptionist about the lack of wireless signal in my room. She assured me that I should be able to get a signal, and said she would have maintenance check out the WAP today. I headed west along the Princes Highway to Bairnsdale, arriving there around 9, and visiting a bakery for supplies for morning coffee.

I left the Highway a few kilometres past Bairnsdale, heading initially west, but eventually north, to the hamlet of Dargo, where I had morning coffee around 10:15. From there it was a steep climb up a narrow, but sealed, road to the Dargo High Plains. It’s 70km of very dusty gravel road across the plains to the Great Alpine Road, joining it about 10km to the west of Mt Hotham. I stopped about half way for a photo opportunity of Mt Hotham in the distance. A lot of the countryside appeared to be recovering from the ravages of bushfires.

I then headed downhill, though many twists and turns, to Bright, where I arrrived around 12, topped up the tank, and bought a chicken salad baguette for lunch. I retraced my path about 5km back along the Great Alpine Road, then headed east, through Mt Beauty, up to Falls Creek, and across the Bogong High Plains, eventually joining the Omeo Highway (that term is used rather loosely; it’s very narrow and extremely twisty in places). Shortly after joining the Omeo Highway, I took a brief break next to the Mitta Mitta River.

The section up to Falls Creeks and across the BHP was the most scenic; it was also quite varied, ranging from tall eucalypts, to stunted snow gums, and treeless heath flowering in red, orange and yellow. Once on the Omeo Highway, it was basically south back to Lakes Entrance, where I arrived shortly after 5. Today’s trip was 550km.

I wasn’t pleased to find that I still had no wireless signal. This time a different receptionist came over and rebooted the WAP, but still no joy. He pointed out where the WAP was in the roof on the second floor, so I suggested that I’d like to change rooms to one closer, if possible. There was one available, but we both felt it would be prudent to test out my laptop there, before moving in. Bugger me if still couldn’t get a signal indoors. On going back outside, and standing directly under the WAP, the signal strength was still only “good”, the same as it was downstairs outside my room. I told him that I think that the WAP is rooted, and the signal that I’m getting outside is from the WAP in reception. He said he’d have maintenance look at it tomorrow.

Cheers,
Julian