Mandurah to Wandering 2011

Mandurah to Wandering Tour 2011, nine days, cumulative distance: 357km.

I had planned to ride from Mandurah to Dwellingup on the first day, Monday 24th October, then to Boddington on the second and Wandering on the third.

On the Friday before starting the ride, I tried to book the first 3 nights’ accommodation. Dwellingup was all right for the Monday, but Boddington was fully booked for the Tuesday. So after fruitlessly searching Google and other sources for accommodation near Boddington, I decided to try to do the nearly 90 km from Dwellingup to Boddington in one day on the Tuesday.

The Wandering tavern does not supply accommodation, so I tried to book the Millfarm Bed and Breakfast. They were fully booked but were able to give me the number for the Wandering Brook Estate.  ... Read more

Mandurah to Dwellingup day 1, Monday 24 October 2011.

I left Mandurah rail station at 11.20 am, odometer reading 175, and went east to Mandurah Road where I turned right and went south until I reached the T-junction with Pinjarra Road. The wind was N to NE and quite strong.

I reached Pinjarra and stopped for a rest at 193. I bought a choc-milk and sat and rested for a while. I then headed north up the South Western highway and over the bridge to find, at 194, the Dwellingup road, which runs along the rail line on the western side for a distance.

The first 12 km were not climbing much and the wind was helpful. I took a rest at 206, then the steep climbs started as I needed to get up and over the scarp to reach Dwellingup.  ... Read more

Dwellingup, day 2 Tuesday 25 October 2011.

I awoke in the small hours to hear rain pouring down on the roof. It was still going when I woke in daylight and it was time to get up. I had planned to start really early, so that I could have plenty of rest stops and arrive in Wandering with enough daylight to shop and settle into the accommodation and look around.

I started eating breakfast at 5:30 am. The rain went on and on, and there was a north-easterly wind to go with it. It was an unusual rain system, coming from the north-east instead of the west.

By about 9 am with no break in sight for the winds and rain I had to accept that the planned 90 km effort was not feasible.  … Read more

Dwellingup to Boddington day 3, Wednesday 26 October 2011.

I had a big breakfast and tidied up my unit and set off at 8:35. The odometer read 218 as I turned left onto the main road. The winds were moderate NE turning NW and there was occasional light drizzle.

I got along quite well and was encouraged by this. I stopped at 235 for a drink break and walk around. Eventually I got out of the forest and into open country, scenery, landscapes, sheep, crops. I preferred that. I rested again at 252, I was feeling all right and confident. I reached Boddington at 12:15, 252.

I checked into my unit, $80. There was a microwave oven, and a light breakfast of toast and cereal was included in the price.  ... Read more

Boddington to Wandering day 4, Thursday 27 October 2011.

I had the toast and cereal and a hot pie for breakfast. I set off at 8:30, 269. Here it was, Day 4 and I hadn’t yet done 100 km. In the old days I would have done over 100km in the first 2 days. There was a light westerly wind. The road was less up-and-down now that I was getting away from the coast and the going was all right with pleasant scenery.

At Crossman, 281, I rested, and light drizzle began to fall. I say at Crossman, not in Crossman, because there is nothing there but the derelict remnants of a roadhouse. I don’t know if I remember ever visiting that roadhouse when it was alive.  ... Read more

Wandering to Pingelly day 5, Friday 28 October 2011.

I warmed up the other steak sandwich. It wasn’t so nice as the first one eaten fresh the night before, and the chips were soggy, but I stuffed it all down so I shouldn’t be found wanting on the long ride across empty country to Pingelly. While I was eating, a vehicle passed close by the chalet, slowed, then kept going. Again it didn’t occur to me that the absence of a motor vehicle near the chalet would have suggested that there was no-one there.

I got ready to leave then walked up the hill again, getting to the house at about 8:30 with the money. Two cars were parked in front of the house.  ... Read more

Pingelly to Beverley day 6, Saturday 29 October 2011.

I left Pingelly at 9:14 on a cool sunny morning with moderate E ? SE winds. The wind was perfect and the road was wide and its surface was smooth, and there wasn’t much traffic and no steep hills, just gentle undulations. This was one of the best runs of the ride.

I got to Brookton, 384, non-stop in about an hour. I stopped in the main shopping street and had a rest and a drink. The place was bigger than I remembered, probably because I had only stopped on the eastern side of the railway line before. I had to head into the wind up Brookton Highway for a couple of km then turn back NW into the continuation of the Great Southern Highway towards Beverley.  ... Read more

Beverley to York day 7, Sunday 30 October 2011.

I left Beverley at 9:50 on a cool sunny morning with moderate E ? SE winds. I decided to take the scenic route, the Top Beverley Road, instead of sticking to the main Great Southern Highway. I had done this road before but didn’t remember the big hills that confront one heading north. Maybe this is because I am older and my current bike hasn’t the really easy gear that I had on the bike that I would have used before.

I had to walk up much of the first hill, then there was steep downhill rush, then another stiff climb with some walking. I didn’t really mind because there were good views from the top of these hills and I hadn’t far to go this day.  ... Read more

York to Mundaring day 8, Monday 31 October 2011.

I left York at 8:40 on a mild sunny morning with moderate easterly winds. It was mostly uphill for about 7 km as I climbed from the Avon valley into the Darling range. I took a rest at 466 and again at 482. I wasn’t thinking of the whole 60 km, just of the 48 to the Lakes roadhouse, where I would have a nice long rest and have, I thought, only 12 km to go.

I passed the West Talbot Road turn-off at 486, the Wariin Road turn-off at 489 and reached the Lakes sooner than I expected, at 496. After my drink and rest I rode onto the Great Eastern Highway and was impressed.  ... Read more

Mundaring to Midland day 9, Tuesday 1 November 2011.

I left Mundaring at 9:00 on a mild sunny morning with moderate easterly winds. I reached the edge of the scarp at Bilgoman Road at 523 and started the run down Greenmount Hill.

I didn’t try to go really fast because the road is winding and the traffic busy. Also, I was surprised to find that although the Great Eastern Highway east of Mundaring is really good now, west of Mundaring it is still the same old road that hasn’t been fixed up for many years. I got to a top speed of 57 kph. I was doing about 55 kph when I saw a crack in the road. I managed to avoid it but there was another one too soon after it, that I didn’t avoid.  ... Read more