arriving in Historic Richmond

It looked a bit grim, weather-wise - when I pulled back the curtains...  there'd been some wind and a few spots of rain overnight, but although only 11, it was still dry and the wind was still coming from the west!!  Amazing...
I knew there was a ridge to cover, which started as soon as I left Bonnie Brae House and a grind of 6km took me an hour - the last 2km onto the gravel road, which was a more direct and shorter route to Richmond.  I thought that the whole day would be on gravel road and that was OK...  most cycle trails are loose gravel which are much harder to ride than this hard packed gravel road...  so all was well.
At the first section of the road, I thought I was riding through the Adelaide Hills - bare hills with a few gum trees down in the gullies - some sheep and cows munching away on the green grass. 
the country then changed into thicker forest in the Pelham Wet Forest reserve - the weather suddenly got colder and felt like it will rain any minute - the wind shook the trees - OK I think, now its time for the weather to get to me - but the clouds blew away and the sun came out again and all was well in the world again!!  Yay!!
Most of today was going downhill, with a few ups in between, but the arrival of a sealed road certainly made things look even rosier!! 
Now we cycling through rich country - horsey country - stables and trotting tracks....  suddenly I was approaching the outskirts of Brighton - well, good place to have lunch I think... found a cafe and got a egg burger and chips to help me going the last 30km. 
Back on the road again and after nearly being hit by a bogan in a cheap black car, I was arriving into wine country - rows of grapes on both sides of the road...  but no cellar doors so ever onwards... 
Arrival in Richmond felt like arriving into another country - well, I haven't been to England, but I have been to Sweden and with the birch trees and chestnut trees with black birds bouncing around felt like I was definitely not in Australia.  But then the blue gums certainly did not look like they were in the right place either.
Well, most people know about Richmond, its saturated in Tasmanian history and the old buildings certainly reflect this.
So tomorrow I will be cycling over the old bridge - then ever onwards to the east coast!