Busselton to Margaret River 2008

Busselton to Margaret River, day 4, Thursday 30 October 2008. The wind had turned around to the SE during the night. I left Busselton at 8:50. I had only 48 km to go to Margaret River but would have to climb the Wicher Range. The wind was strong and was turning to the SW but helped me a bit on my way to the Vasse turn-off and as far as Carbunup. There were still some showers coming through.

I rested at 453 next to a farm where a huge bull reposed in the morning sun watching a man on a tractor rushing around baling hay. I took an image. There were vineyards on the other side. The country was green and there were plenty of flowers, native ones and of course the ubiquitous gladioli and arum lilies. I have always loved this area.

I climbed up the hills without getting off to walk. I passed by the old Metricup Church. In 1978 I had come upon this church and gone inside and played the old pedal organ for a while. I seem to remember that in 1978 the road was narrower and the church was more nestled among the trees. The road is wider now and everything seems more open.

I rested again at 469, outside a resort. I was at the crest of a hill. I passed through Cowaramup, 474, stopping briefly to use the facilities.

I arrived in Margaret River. As I came down the hill, rode over the bridge and began the upward climb into the town, I remembered my first visit in 1978 when I had come over the bridge and started to ride into the town, but the old 3-speed hub Philco bike wouldn’t go. I looked down to see if there was something wrong with it, then looked up again and saw that I was in fact facing quite a steep climb. I was a bit tired on that occasion and decided that I had developed ‘hill blindness’ an inability to judge correctly the angle of the road ahead.

I rolled up to the hotel at 12:20. They had said that check-in time was 2 pm but they didn’t mind letting me in early. My unit was in a complex up the hill behind the hotel. It was all newly developed since my last visit in 2000. A big snail had attached itself to the door near the handle. It wasn’t anywhere near my garden so I left it alone. The room had a microwave oven, and an air-con conveniently positioned above the tea bench so that I could put one of the wicker chairs up there later and turn on warm air and dry stuff.

I decided not to try for Ganarabup beach as I had planned. The day was cold and windy and more rain threatened. I would definitely do it on the way back, chance what. This made more sense. I would have enough energy to get to Augusta and make the most of the Cape the next day. I had been worrying about fitting in both Gnarabup and the Cape and enjoying them.

I decided instead to walk around the town and look at the river. Showers came through regularly. Down by the river there is a system of filters and ponds to clean up the water flowing down from the town’s streets and gutters and drains before it gets into the river. I don’t remember this being in place on my last visit. I looked at the site where I remembered the Captain Freycinet motel being, and it seems to have been completely redeveloped for holiday apartments.

I found a coin phone and made two bookings – I booked the Augusta Hotel for the next night, the Friday, and booked a different motel in Margaret River for my way back on the Saturday. It gave me some satisfaction to be starting to book my way back, not that I wanted to go back but I had had doubts about getting this far and I felt really out on a limb now if anything went wrong.

The motel I booked for my way back was the Grange on Farrelly. I tried to book Prideau’s but it was full. I wanted something that would reduce the round trip I had to make to Gnarabup Beach, while still being within an easy walk of the town centre.

It was cold and wet and windy and the evening was drawing on so I settled into my unit and watched some TV. The snail had dropped off the door and got squashed when I closed the door, so that was that. There were no in-house videos or Foxtel, just GWN, WIN and ABC so I read my book too.

Reading at Margaret River: 486. Day: 49 km. Cumulative 229 km. kpd 57.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

1. Cottesloe To Cape Leeuwin Tour 2008
2. Cottesloe to Waroona 2008
3. Waroona to Bunbury 2008
4. Bunbury to Busselton 2008
5. Busselton to Margaret River 2008 (This post)
6. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 2008
7. Augusta to Margaret River 2008
8. Margaret River to Busselton 2008
9. Busselton to Bunbury 2008
10. Bunbury to Perth 2008

Places Mentioned in this Post:

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Related posts:

1. Margaret River to Busselton 2008
2. Augusta to Margaret River 2008
3. Busselton to Margaret River 1979
4. Busselton to Margaret River 1978
5. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 2008

Tags: Busselton, Carbunup, Cowaramup, Margaret River, Metricup, Vasse