Cottesloe to Dunsborough 2005

Cottesloe to Dunsborough 2005 – 11 days, cumulative distance 670 km.

Charles A. Pierce

Other days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Cottesloe to Pinjarra, day 1, Monday 10 October 2005. I took the train to Armadale and rode away from there at 10.24, 401. The morning was cold with a fresh south-westerly headwind. The odometer read 404 when I passed the PJ 55 peg.

I rested at Serpentine, 419, at Keysbrook, 434, and at the PJ 10 peg, 449.

I reached the Pinjarra motel at 2.22, 460. I had a sleep and a swim and washed the riding clothes, then went to shop, make telephone calls and look around. I got chicken and chips and had an early dinner in the motel unit (Room 3, $60, microwave oven, the best value for money of the trip).

I had travelled rather slowly from Armadale and felt really tired and sore – I was not in full fitness and at 60 years old, I suppose everything is past its best.  ... Read more

Pinjarra to Harvey, day 2, Tuesday 11 October 2005. I left the Pinjarra Motel and turned onto the South Western Highway at 9:10. The morning was cool with a light NE tailwind that turned SW and freshened during the morning. I took a rest at 480, beside a creek and one of the many crosses that line the major roads, marking the spot of a fatal accident.

A magpie approached me, vocalising, and hopped up onto the bike, where it sat on the handlebars and spoke some more. I didn’t have any food for it.

I rested again at 498, at the sign that says ‘Welcome to the Shire of Harvey’, after passing non-stop through Waroona.

I was labouring over this relatively short easy ride and invented the ‘traffic-light stop’.  ... Read more

Harvey to Donnybrook, day 3, Wednesday 12 October 2005. I made a mistake on this cool sunny morning – I was looking for the back road to Wokalup to save a bit of distance, but couldn’t find it! It must have changed. The realisation began at this point, and was reinforced during the trip, that I must get a new set of maps before doing another trip. My old well-used maps with their memories have to be replaced.

I ended up doing a big round trip through the outskirts of Harvey, pleasant enough in itself on this fresh morning, and coming back to the hotel to go back to the south-western highway by the normal road. This added 5 kilometres to the day’s ride, which I didn’t need.  ... Read more

Donnybrook to Nannup, day 4, Thursday 13 October 2005. I had trouble getting going on this morning but made the effort. I had to make Nannup at least to have better options. The day was cool and sunny as usual, with headwinds and cloud building up during the day. I left at 8:23.

This day’s ride was to be in 3 stages. The total was only 56 km but I would have to climb the scarp, and the middle stage was 13 km of gravel.

The first stage was sealed road for 22 km. I had to turn right at the bottom of the town, not left to follow the main highway, but right into the Capel road. From this I had to take another left into the Tourist Drive.  ... Read more

Nannup to Busselton, day 5, Friday 14 October 2005. I left Nannup at 9:41. The morning was sunny and cool with a freshening westerly wind. I didn’t have too much trouble climbing the hills I had rushed down only the previous afternoon. I wasn’t in any hurry and I knew that this road would go for a long way through forests that would be rich in wildflowers, and I was looking for orchids. It wasn’t too long before I fond some yellow ones and took pictures.

I found many more of those all the way to Bunbury. I also found two different kinds of blue-violet orchids and took pictures.

I took a rest and a drink at 663 and at 667 I approached an establishment that had posters all along the road advertising mazes and teas and fun.  ... Read more

Busselton to Dunsborough, day 6, Saturday 15 October 2005. I left Busselton at 9:40, 708. The wind was still from the west but not too bad. I only had 26 km to go. I went along the coast until I had to turn south (left) and find the main road. I had a rest at 723 and arrived in Dunsborough at 734, 11:23.

There was a notice on the original front entrance saying that the reception area had been moved, and it took me a while to find it. I apologised for being early, before official check-in time, and the girl said no problem, she would move my room to one that was ready. I thanked her and paid in advance for 2 nights (Unit 11, $90 per night) and found my way to my room, which was conveniently next to the pool and spa.  ... Read more

Dunsborough to Yallingup, day 7, Sunday 16 October 2005. This was the first of two ‘rest days’ by which I mean riding less than 40km.

There was a fresh south-easterly wind. I left the motel at 767 at mid-morning and climbed the hill towards the Yallingup cave. I reached the cave turn-off at 775. The road curves and goes steeply downhill to find the hole in the ground, the entrance to the cave, now called Ngilgi cave. There are more structures there now and some rangers and it costs $15. When I first went down in 1978 it cost $1 and there was just one man and a small booth.

There were quite a few people there. It was a semi-guided tour, you go down the stairs then stand and listen to a short lecture before wandering around at your own pace.  ... Read more

Dunsborough to Busselton, day 8, Monday 17 October 2005. I decided to get up early at about 7 and go to Meelup beach, then come back and have breakfast and a bit more rest before leaving at 10. Meelup faces NE so the morning sun would shine full into it and it would be sheltered from the persistent southerly wind.

The morning was indeed sunny, though cold, as I left Dunsborough at 7:13, 802. I reached the Meelup beach road turn-off at 806 and the beach itself at 809. It was a delightful scene. I took a series of pictures.

There was no-one else there except for one woman and her car. She greeted me and said there were whales out at sea.  ... Read more

Busselton to Bunbury, day 9, Tuesday 18 October 2005. I hadn’t heard from the Ocean Drive motel at Bunbury but I assumed it would be all right. I set off from Busselton at 9:36, 840. There was no hurry, hence the late start.

I just took the Causeway to the main highway. I used to leave Busselton along the coast and go through Wonnerup before joining the main highway. This didn’t save any distance but it was a different way to go and quite picturesque. But some years ago coastal erosion took out long stretches of the coast road, so that I had to carry the bike over sand. Subsequently, new developments east of Busselton created a confusion of new roads for which I didn’t have maps, and I got lost.  ... Read more