OnYaBike

Well that’s enough for now and this is my last post after 9 months and 4,500 kilometres on the road. I’m very happy to have made it in one piece and I have really enjoyed the experience and the joy of meeting so many supportive, kind and interesting people.

I hope you have enjoyed the stories and the photos. I’ regret not having kept a blog with photos of my first trip from Brisbane to Perth via Darwin but if I do another trip I wont make that mistake again.

For the sake of closure this is how I got back to the east coast - in late October I cycled west from Lancelin  to the highway going south, hopped a bus to Perth then flew to Sydney from there.

I’ve spent the last seven months in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and I am returning to Melbourne to do a bit of exercise with my brain instead of my body for the next couple of years. I haven’t given up the idea of another trip but it wouldn’t be for a while yet.

Again thanks to all who have contributed to the journey in their various individual ways

Tuesday

Health Clinic to get new scripts

Cloudy morning, light shower early morning and afternoon , heavy rain early evening. Every one - myself included - wants to know when the weather will finally settle. Count myself lucky to have a caravan for shelter even if it’s main door and window are missing. Gale force winds and some rain at night.

Monday

Back to the health centre to have two more ticks removed, update web site, email etc etc. Made doctors appointment for tomorrow for script renewal.

Sunday

Very quiet day reading and resting.

Saturday

Moved to a different caravan today as the previous night’s one was due to be removed today. The prospective buyer came, mumbled something about wheel bearing problems, promisied to return later but not seen again today.  Had a fit at the general store about lunch time. A relatively minor one that forced me on to the floor but didn’t render me unconscious. One of the staff was very understanding and supportive while another was much less so and seemed to want me out of the way asap, her behaviour bordering on being officious. Seems I’ve been drinking too much tea lately or perhaps a reaction to the ‘local ‘ the nurse gave me yesterday so she could cut out the head of a tick that wouldn’t come with the body she got out of my back.

Friday

Very hot and muggy day in Lancelin, torrential rain on and off throughout sometimes falling at around 45 degrees to the ground, driven by the wind: email, rest, phone, website . Morning spent in caffe, again, reading the paper, tea, sandwiches, cake etc etc no wonder I don’t appear to have lost much weight on this trip. Found a new place to stay at the other caravan park in town that is being dismantled but had a partly demolished caravan that will afford me sufficient cover from the unusually bad weather. Went to the health clinic and Helen the nurse there removed a big tick from my back while another helen -a new trainee - assisted.

Saw on the news on TV at the local pub that unseasonal rain and hail has done serious damage to the hoped for bumper crop  of canola. Seems a farmer just can’t win out here in recent years. Massive thunder storm at night felt as if the wind would pick the caravan up and toss it into the air at any moment.

Sunday

Woke to an easterly gale that made cycling uncomfortable;  at least not a headwind. Met a man just on leaving the park who was metal detecting the sand pits around the kid’s swings; the theory being, I suppose, that
when you swing high the chances are good any coin in your pocket is likely to fall out. He said the pickings were not good at tis time of the year.

Stopped at Ocean reef boat harbour for a break from the wind and fasting. Too hot to go anywhere by about midday so
went to the movies instead at Joondalup. Saw ‘Max Payne’, the title says more about the emotional experience of enduring the bad dialogue and incredilous script but in the ‘bangs for your buck’ categorgy its value even through to the the very last noisy credit.

Cycled for a couple of hours after still following the coast. Found a hidy hole to camp in in a tiny surbaan park behind a set of ovals off the road heading east to Worrnbull road. Had a reasonable night’s rest drspite the yapping dog in the property next door who was covinced I shouldn’t be there.

Monday

Up before sunrise to avoid the dog and the heat. Got onto highway 60 going north. Got as far as the Yanchipp National forest before calling a halt due to the rising temp. Getting quite hot quite early in the day now - have to be careful of the old engine - don’t want it overheating and blowing a valve. Decided to skip the rest of the day as it’s too hot and I haven’t had a full day off for ages. Had a good night’s rest, clear sky no sign of rain.

Tuesday

Up early hard day’s going today as hot and road quite hilly traversing the sand dunes - some pretty steep - road usually good with generous shoulder although ocassonal 5 to 10km stretches with none at all. Camped about 25kms out from Lancelin by the road side. A couple of fierce electrical storms at night afforded a good test for my new’bivvy’ bag. It proved waterproof but a fair bit of comdenstion made the sleeping bag a litte damp but nothing serious. Unlike the tick
plague encountered these last few days. Big brown, sometime yellow leg spotted ticks everwhere. I wondered if they were the sort uninterested in human blood until I found a few comforably attached ready for the big drink. Pulled about 6 ticks off today. Had a good night despite the thunder, lightening and rain.

Wednesday

Cycled the remaining 25kms into Lancelin this nmorning arriving about 9am. Had a good sit down in the cafe drinking black tea and toasted sandwiches and softdrink and cake! Figured I hadn’t had a treat really since leaving Fremantle. Update the website, email, wash clothes, body. A chance to go to thje local infirmary to get myself checked out for more ticks as I had to pull 4 off this morning who had started to dig themselves in. Will have a few days off at this neat comprehensively equipped little holiday village before tackling the 4km hill to get out of here.Very hot and muggy day just like the build up to the wet season in NT. Slept opppsite the first tee at the local golf course in a rest shelter. Got away early not wanting to encounter any early morning golfers not that there wasn’t much chance of that with the westerly
gale that was blowing.

Thursday

Very hot and muggy day in Lancelin, email, rest, phone, website. Morning spent in caffe reading the paper,tea, sandwiches, cake etc etc.

Spent the night at the main caravan park $13.50 for a powered site under a tree at the back of the park. Heavy rain during the early morning got into the zippers of my bivvy bag so escaped to under the awning of the caravan opposite.

During the night a fox got into a minor bit of my gear. Greg, the park haniperson woke me with a fright when he came in intending to do some work on the awning before the owners arrived later. The rain was so torrential he abandoned the idea and went back to his workshop to have a smoke.

Lost my written diary for these days but highlights included finally getting into Fremantle. Getting the train into Perth to buz a bivvy bag having to approach 4 backpackers in Freo before getting a room and lots more fun. If I find my notes I[will update this.

120 kms from Walpole to Manjimup. 120 kms of hills, some very steep i.e. pulling out of the Shannon and Warren river valley. Weather was not in the least kind with torrential down pours on Monday and Wednesday nights and light to heavy storms during the day - even some hail for Wednesday lunch.

Makes it hard to know how to dress for this weather. One minute I’m sun-baking worrying about getting my pretty little nose burnt, the next I’m running for cover to get dressed like a deep-sea diver to avoid the rain and hail.

I feel pretty depleted physically doing 30 kms on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to arrive in Manjimup about 2pm on a rainy Thursday afternoon. Friday and Saturday mostly raining so spent time poking around town.

Stayed at the local backpackers Thursday niight and local caravan park Friday night. The local backpackers  is really a dorm come employment agency for migrant workers paid around $16.00 per hour for a variety of ‘p word’ farm work including, planting, pruning, picking. The carabvan park is happily located tright in the centre of town on the wrong side of the railway tracks.

Weather still unstable some sun but mostly rain with wind from the West. Haven’t had two consecutive days of sunshine this month. I think my body would go into shock if it got that much vitamin D in one go.

On the up side the forest has been spectacular as have the wild flowers. Only 340 odd kms to go to Perth - not that I’ll go anywhere near the place - much too dangerous for me and my loaded bike; better to go around it.

Its only 65kms from Denmark to Walpole but I found the trip very tiring and physically draining due to the topography and the wind. I really needed a few days off after just a few days ‘on’ cycling up and down the hills here in the SW - reminded me of the foothills of the Blue Mountains were I first set off almost 8 months ago.

Tuesday - left Denmark in midday sunshine and light winds. Very hilly hard going, overcast by afternoon with increasing wind from the west. Made 25 kms, camped in bush near Owingup Creek.

Wednesday - Another 25kms to Nornalup on winding, hilly, shoulderless road but at least - unlike Stirling Ranges road - no B-Double or B-Triples every 5 minutes. Increasing cloud cover and some afternoon showers. Camped on the Franklin River in a 3 sided boat shed - its’ open side facing the river - the local cafe owner suggested it might suit as overnight rain was expected. Rained on and off all night, driven by strong Westerlies making it difficult to find a sprayless spot in the three sided boat shed.

Thursday - overcast with rain squalls driven by blustery westerlies all day so I sat the day out sheltering in the shed. A few hardy boaters passed in various craft - tinnies and canoes; obviously curious as what the ‘hobo’ was doing holed up in the boat shed.

Friday - last 15kms into Walpole. A quaint little country town with a very pleasant YHA. Rest and recreation in W.

Saturday - Tripped out to the Tree top Walk to experience the ‘tall trees’ - Karri and Tingle. Its a long weekend here in WA this week so there were lots of tourists. A big group of people from the sub-continent provided a lot of observational entertainment. I think I enjoyed watching them at play more than obsering the trees.

Sunday - another R&R day as the weather is not good for cycling.

Monday - Departed Albany mid morning. 15km of undulating dairy country in skimpy sunshine. Camped on side road.

Tuesday - 25kms in overcast windy conditions continuing green pastured dairy country increasingly hilly. Rained most of the night. Had to decamp in moderate rain.

Wednesday - Increasing cloud cover, wind and rain. Arrived Denmark in heavy storm quite wet. Must have looked a sorry sight as was almost immediately approached by Tim an ex-cyclist now resident working for the Denmark office of Green Skills. He took me back to the office for morning tea and arranged for friends to put me up in their caravan for a few days until the rain passes.

Thursday - Web, washing, email etc. Heavy rain most of the day, increasing wind.

Friday-Monday Continuing cloud, wind and rain. S.E. W.A. is getting a good soaking. Happy to be tucked up in my donated caravan.

Stayed at the YHA in Albany, nice place if a little bit ‘Xie’.

R&R mainly rest as I’ve strained my only good arm and it needs some time to recover.

Gale force winds from the West most of the time, impossible to get out of here for the time being.

Wednesday - 30 kms cold and overcast day. Rain in afternoon and most of the night. Camped down a side road opposite a field of sheep who seemed to want to sing in chorus most of the evening and long into the night. Interesting picking out the different personalities by the difference in their ’song’. Woke to rain in the morning. Had to pack up in it - the first time that has happened since I set off.

Thursday - arrive Albany pushing into a gusting North Westerly.

Friday - R&R Albany- the usual - email, web, phone, shopping, washing etc etc.

Saturday - 40 kms to Ongerup - no rain but total cloud cover and cold. Camped campground under horse shelter. for $10 pn

Sunday - 30 kms to Borden - no rain but again total cloud cover and cold. Camp at the tennis complex in spectators enclosure.

Monday - 45kms Borden to base of Stiriling Ranges via the Amelup roadhouse. Shame about the roadhouse - pretty sad really. A million dollar view but not even a plastic chair to sit on to admire it over a cup of tea. Similar for the Lilly Windmill Cafe  - now not open for morning teas anymore but the next roadside cafe was great- friendly people, even a range of groceries and a nice area to sit and enjoy ‘the outside’.

The Ranges are beautiful and now have World Heritage Listing but quite frankly if you are a cyclist or towing a caravan I would think twice about traveling through them. The pass road is without doubt the most dangerous and stressful I have ever encountered. It is the feeder for the South West for grain shipments out of the port of Albany and there is an almost continual stream of B tripple and B double trucks using what is a narrow shoulder less winding road with frequent blind crests.

There is one passing lane only the entire length and the edges in some places slop so acutely down away from the roadside there is effectively no safe place to get off the road at all.

Such a shame one of the most picturesque valleys in WA, if not Australia, is also the most dangerous and stressful to traverse.

Tuesday - another day camping at the base of the ranges. I need the rest and to get away from the stress of the road trains.

Tuesday  - Depart Ravensthorpe after a few days rest in the caravan park with my own caravan including TV for $10 per night.

40kms to the turnoff to Fitzgerald River National Park. Camped in an open space opposite the silos. Moderate following wind but undulating countryside with some quite steep hills spaced about 7 to 10 kms apart. At least you get a good view of what you are up against for the next half hour or more.

Wednesday - 35 kms  - similar countryside and weather conditions although cloudy cover all day -very little sunshine and very cold - light rain in the afternoon.

Thursday - 35 kms - arrive Jerramungup - web, email phone. Camp in campground under an awning for $10 per night.

Friday - another day in Jerramungup resting as the trip from Ravensthorpe has tired me more than I realise. All those ups and downs. I must be getting out of practice.

Left Esperance late Tuesday morning -easy cycle 35kms to Dalyup, undulating countryside through wheat and sheep country. Wheat looks like its had a good start and is about 300mm high. Warmish day with some sunshine. Camped at Dalyup tennis courts - no sign of any habitation near the road but one hell of an impressive set of tennis courts- brand new with club house and barbie area out the back.

Wednesday gave rise to a solid tail wind that I sailed about 75kms into Minglinup - a one roadhouse village but paved and curbed streets and another extensive sports complex including tennis, football, cricket, lawn bowls and an impressive club house. Slept in a shed at the back of the old club house.

Thursday - a hard day into the wind across dry, scrubby and quite hilly country - Nickle country. Camped just past a huge nickle mine about 35kms out from Ravensthorpe. The mine worked all night and lit up the sky like it was a full-moon night.

Saturday - last hilly 30kms into Ravensthorpe - a leaden grey sky with heavy rain squalls -one that gave me the most complete soaking of the trip so far. Ravensthorpe probably has the steepest street of any town in WA. Apparently even the trucks have trouble getting up in both winter and summer. The experienced drivers stop at the bottom of the hill, change into low gear and take it all in that gear. Unaware drivers make the mistake of trying to shift down through their gears and find they can’t get into first when they need it. According to the two ladies in the Op shop who have a view onto the main road some really big trucks have got stuck including B triples and once a load of 300 sheep. The urine tipping off the back edge of the lorry was not a pleasant experience.

The road from Esperance is a pot-holed, two-lane, shoulder less road. Seems only a forgotten back-country road.

Left Norseman on Tuesday after a milkshake at the local cafe. If you are ever in Norseman a milkshake there is one of the highlights and not to be missed. Did 30kms taking it easy in the patchy sunshine and cold confused wind. Camped in a grove of She Oaks - a good night.

Wednesday did another 30kms in overcast cool weather past salt pans - a large one with some water about 40kms south of Norseman. Road paralleled the railway most of the time. About 5 trains of iron ore from up north thundered by- 125 carriages pulled by three locomotives.

Thursday - a very unpleasant day strong and cold SE wind. Did 36kms into Salmon Gums (Mallee Country) . Small town with every basic thing one might desire - pub, general store, roadhouse, caravan park (with honour box). The pub has the biggest plasma screen TV I have ever seen - 50 inches at least - and a warm mallee root powered open fireplace next to the bar. The caravan park was very well looked after with lovely hot water and a washing machine and clothes line

Friday - can’t remember seem to have missed a day here. Really need a palm pilot thingy to record my entries - so so ‘over’ writing them and then transcribing them to computer.

Saturday- one of the best cycling days I’ve had in a very long time. A brisk following wind warm sunny day, an easy undulating road meandering through small roadside lakes and paperbark forests closer to Esperance. Did 75kms today no strain all joy.

Sunday arrived Esperance midday - headed to first open bakery for a cuppa, sandwich, and read of Saturday’s paper- all in all a very enjoyable 200+ kms cycle south from Norseman.

Monday R&R Esperance - a pretty sea side resort/port town opposite a bay of picturesque islands.

Rest and recreation Norseman

Great down hill runs from Fraser range to Norseman. Arrived Norseman about 3.30pm on the front of a good following wind.