Bruce Rock to Narembeen 1995

Bruce Rock to Narembeen, day 2, Friday 27 October 1995. I only had 39 km to do this day, so I didn’t hurry getting going. I left Bruce Rock at 8:49. It would have been better to leave earlier because of the heat. The maximum temperature that day was about 30 and winds were ENE which meant that they would be opposing me some of the way and help me a bit on the southward legs, on the zigzag road to Narembeen.

Narembeen

At one point on this journey I turned a corner from heading due south to heading due east, and copped a gust of wind straight in my face at the same time that I was presented with the vision splendid, of the sunlit road extended, 10 kilometres ahead. It was a terrific vision such as you don’t get closer to the coast. I was to get more accustomed to it as the ride went on. As I rolled on I realised that the farther portion of the road was not the road to Narembeen, but a gravel extension of this leg. In the event I turned south again with about 5km of the vision still ahead.

I had drink breaks at 2896 and 2910. I passed the sign saying ‘Welcome to the Shire of Narembeen, Population 1290 (or something like that), Wheat and Sheep’. The first crop I saw was a herd of cattle who stared at me and galloped about in alarm at this unusual appearance of a middle-aged man on a home-made bike.

I reached Narembeen, 2922, at 11:13. The girl in the bar said my room wasn’t quite ready and gave me a glass of iced water to drink while I was waiting. I finished this, then went and left the bike in front of my unit while I went to do my usual shopping for biscuits and milk and something for lunch and breakfast. When I came back to the bar she was waiting with my key, wondering where I had got to.

The unit was quite spacious but there were no flyscreens on the windows, so I had to close them and rely on the air-conditioner. The hot afternoon sun beat directly on the front of my unit. I had a cup of tea and a camembert cheese and a few biscuits, then had a sleep.

Later I showered and changed and walked round the town. I had developed a stomach-ache which got worse during the evening. It went all up my front and back, and my abdomen was tight and painful. In addition, I was starting to feel very depressed, which was the worst thing.

I made a few ‘phone calls – Narembeen was the only town during this trip that had a credit-card ‘phone, very convenient. I hate trying to have a proper conversation with people while groping for coins and feeding the machine. I decided also, though I didn’t feel able to go any further at that time, to book the motel at Kondinin for the following night, and at Hyden for Sunday and Monday nights. I had decided a few days before starting this trip that it didn’t make any sense to stay only one night at Hyden – I would need a full day to rest and do Wave Rock properly.

Having done this I had dinner in the pub (pepper steak with chips and salad) and settled down in my unit to watch TV and wait for the stomach-ache to go away. Normally I wouldn’t have bothered with dinner but since I was on a ride I had to have proper meals no matter how I felt.

The pub was jumping that Friday night, with all the local young people drinking and smoking and playing pool and working the juke-box. It was a simple old pub with doors open wide directly onto the pavement and no signs telling you to do this and not to do that. I joined the crowd for a while before bed and felt better for it.

Reading at Narembeen: 2922. Km for day: 40. Aggregate: 89. Km/hr to Narembeen: 17.1. Km/day: 44.5.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Perth to Wave Rock Tour 1995
Perth to Bruce Rock 1995
Bruce Rock to Narembeen 1995 (This post)
Narembeen to Kondinin 1995
Kondinin to Hyden 1995
Hyden to Wave Rock 1995
Hyden to Kondinin 1995
Kondindin to Corrigin 1995
Corrigin to Quairading 1995
Quairading to Beverley 1995
Beverley to Mundaring 1995
Mundaring to Cottesloe 1995

Places Mentioned in this Post:

Tags: Bruce Rock, Narembeen

Bruce Rock to Narembeen 1995

Other Days on this Tour:

Places Mentioned in this Post:

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