Started very early on Monday Jan 5th, at 5am. Started early to try avoid the heat but it was a warm summer day and in retrospect probably should've started an hour earlier.
I started the loop from Beaumont heading down to the city first. Starting early meant no traffic, so getting through the city section was straight forward, easily crossing all main roads. Once back to Beaumont I tackled all the hard climbs before it got too hot. This was the hardest section of the day and a hard slog.
Once up to Crafers, it got a bit easier and there were some interesting sections of woods and bush mixed in with small towns. Towards Hahndorf the shade disappeared and running along the main road was a bit sketchy with busy morning traffic but I got it done. In Hahndorf, I stopped to buy water, coke and snakes and had a short break before carrying on.
The main road out of Hahndorf was shadeless, dusty and hot! Once I got through this everything improved and it was just a matter of a few ups before the long downhill back to the start. The last section was hot as well, so would recommend a cooler day if someone else is attempting this.
I started carrying 1.5L of water and all the food I needed. I drank from a few water fountains I passed on the way. Otherwise I topped up my water bottles at the servo in Hahndorf. Finished with almost empty bottles.
Was a fun route with plenty of challenging sections but also good variety between city, hilltop views, thick bush and Australian countryside.