Cottesloe to Cape Leeuwin 2008

Cottesloe To Cape Leeuwin 2008, 9 days, cumulative distance 831 km. The aim of this trip was to advantage of the new electric train to Mandurah – the new Mandurah railway line – to start and finish a traditional south-west ride at Mandurah, saving a day each way.

Again I took my digital camera on this trip. I took pictures of orchids and wildflowers, and of the towns and countryside and of bodies of water. This was my first trip as a Senior, which saved a little money.

This time I used a ‘new’ bike which I had assembled out of good parts found on the side of the road at chuck-out weekends. When I finally scored a really good deep-rim back wheel I was able to put the whole thing together with a good front wheel and an alloy frame.  ... Read more

Cottesloe to Waroona, day 1, Monday 27 October 2008. The day was sunny with some cloud. I had previously booked the Drakesbrook Motel at Waroona for the first night. I left home in Cottesloe in time to catch the 9:27 train from Fremantle, got off at West Leederville, rode over to Leederville and waited a few minutes for the train from Clarkson, which would become the train to Mandurah. This all went smoothly and I arrived in Mandurah shortly before 11 am.

I should have checked the map before leaving, to see how to get to the Pinjarra road from Mandurah train station. I had some vague idea and set off in the wrong direction. Finally I worked out that I had to turn left on the way out of the train station, go to Mandurah road, then turn right, go down to Pinjarra Road and turn left.  ... Read more

Waroona to Bunbury, day 2, Tuesday 28 October 2008. Rain fell in the morning and the wind was SE moderate. I got going after the rain stopped, on a cloudy day, at 8:45. I rested at 321. I stopped briefly at the roadhouse at the Harvey turn-off, 332, to buy a carton of drink and incidentally recharge my mobile, since that service was also available. I took the next rest stop at 340 and drank the carton of drink.

A couple of times on the South Western Highway on this day there were road-works going on and a lollipop man restricting traffic to one direction at a time. Under these circumstances they asked me to stop so that a truck could come back and escort me through the works area.  ... Read more

Bunbury to Busselton, day 3, Wednesday 29 October 2008. I was in no hurry this morning. I left the hotel at 9:50 and headed down Blair Street which would lead into the Bussell highway. I couldn’t really get going because heavy showers kept sweeping through and I didn’t want to get self and bike wet at the start of a day’s ride, so I had to shelter at a bus stop.

After that I followed the road without thinking what I was doing. At some point I noticed that the wind was behind me, which wasn’t right because it was a fresh south-westerly. Then I came to a roundabout and a sign saying Donnybrook Perth   ... Read more

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.  ... Read more

Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, day 5, Friday 31 October 2008. I left the hotel at 9:40 am on a cool sunny morning, with fresh SW-SE winds, a headwind again. I rode through the big roundabout some 700m south of the town that allows turn-offs into Boodjidup Road, which seems now to lead to an industrial area.

I rested at 501, south of Warner Glen Road, leaning the bike against a sign that said Margaret River 14, Augusta 29. I passed through the small trendy town of Witchcliffe, which looked a bit tatty compared with eight years ago – some of the businesses had closed and signs and paintwork were fading away. I rested again at 516, just south of the Brockman Highway turn-off at Karridale.  ... Read more

Augusta to Margaret River, day 6, Saturday 1 November 2008. I went early to the IGA store right next to my block of units, to get a couple of items. I had some left-over food which had been too much for breakfast in Margaret River and which I had brought with me and put in the unit’s fridge. I rolled down the hill away from Augusta at 9:45. After days of southerly headwinds, the wind had turned around and was now a light north-easterly in my face. I wasn’t really surprised.

I rested at 563 and again at 578. I noticed some blue enamel orchids by the side of the road. Although I had laboured down this road only the day before, there was no sense of tedious backtracking.  ... Read more

Margaret River to Busselton, day 7, Sunday 2 November 2008. The day was sunny with some cloud. I left the motel at 10:05 and rolled down Farrelly Street into the main street and over the bridge. As I started the climb I noticed that the wind seemed to be light from the south, which encouraged me to think that it would freshen up from the SW and help me later. The forecast for Perth the previous evening had suggested WSW winds for today and I hadn’t been able to get a regional forecast.

I saw many prolific blue enamel orchids along the west side of the road as I rode on and I stopped a couple of times to take images.  ... Read more

Busselton to Bunbury, day 8, Monday 3 November 2008.

THE SMALL MIRACLE OF THE MOBILE PHONE

I left the motel at 9:50. I had hoped for a good SW wind to get me to Bunbury but the winds were W-NW. It was all right some of the way. As I came to the end of the Causeway and turned onto the main Bussell Highway I stopped briefly to adjust something and noticed what looked like a mobile phone in the sand on the side of the road just at the corner. I picked it up and it was indeed a mobile phone, a good Nokia with camera, and it appeared undamaged, but it was quite inactive. I had no charger for it so I put it in my bag and rode on.  ... Read more

Bunbury to Perth, day 9, Tuesday 4 November 2008. This was a momentous day in Melbourne (Melbourne Cup Day) but I had my own little task to focus on.

I had my breakfast in bed and got ready to leave, but couldn’t get away as early as I wanted because of the heavy showers that kept sweeping in off the ocean. Not a good idea to get self and bike wet at the start of a long ride. The wind was westerly with some south in it, and I hoped the southerly element would strengthen during the day. I decided to take it easy, not to try to break records.

I got rolling at 8:51. I got a good tailwind once I turned into Clifton street and continued into Koombana Drive and proceeded out of the city.  ... Read more