Midland to Yealering 1989

Midland to Yealering, 8 day Wheatbelt Tour 1989. Cumulative distance: 512km.

The purpose of this ride was to reach Yealering and come back to Perth by a different route. The original plan of stops was Sawyers Valley – York – Brookton – Yealering, but I found that Sawyers Valley offered no accomodation, so I booked at El Caballo Blanco in Wooroloo instead. This raised the possibility of bypassing York and cutting through back roads to Beverley on Day 2. This would make days 3 and 4 easier.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Midland to Wooroloo, Day 1, Tuesday 24 October 1989. Left Midland Railway Station at 11.20 am, up Great Eastern Highway with a good tailwind. My contour map showed that the steep part of Greenmount Hill would finish about 8km from Midland. I got to 6.5km without changing to bottom gear, then had to leave the road because of two overwidth trucks, and their escorts, crawling up behind. After that I completed the climb in bottom gear with no trouble.

Stopped at Mahogany Creek and again just after Chidlow. Reached El Caballo at Wooroloo at 2 pm. Had rest and swim. I was the only guest staying there. At dinner, waiter Danny Bailey expressed interest in reading a copy of my biketrip report.  ... Read more

Wooroloo to Beverley. Day 2, Wednesday 25 October 1989. Left El Caballo Blanco at 7:45 am., clear cool morning, light southerly wind that would freshen and turn south-westerly later. The AM section of my radio suddenly ceased working. Thought it was poor reception. Turned down Wariin Road, steep climb up gravel. Surface OK. I decided to divide the trip into 4 18km legs and take 3 rest-stops at about 18-km. intervals.

Reached Great Southern Highway, turned onto it for a short way then turned again left onto gravel, at West Talbot Road, which would take me all the way to Beverley. The road went through State Forest. I was impressed by the abundance and variety of wildflowers. Took the first break after 18km, second after 39, third after 56, at the point where the sealed road began.  ... Read more

Beverley to Pingelley, Day 3, Thursday 26 October 1989. Started down the Great Southern Highway at 7:55 into a moderate headwind. Pleasant country. Arrived at Brookton (17171), an attractive town, about 10. I had an early lunch and a sleep on the grass in front of the railway station.

I arrived in Pingelly about 11.55. The hotel was a bit run-down and the owners had gone to Perth, leaving people in charge who didn’t know what they were doing. There is a motel in Pingelly but this wasn’t listed on my accomodation guide, otherwise I would have used it.

The town wasn’t as well cared for as Beverley and the railway station was ruined and vandalised like the one at Mt Barker (qv 1987).  ... Read more

Pingelley to Yealering, Day 4, Friday 27 October 1989. I left Pingelly at 8:04. I couldn’t pay my hotel bill because I couldn’t find anyone anywhere in the place. I resolved to pay by money order later in the trip. It was a lovely cool sunny day with a light breeze that the radio promised would freshen and tend westerly during the day – perfect for the day’s ride.

Nice country, large fields of grain, some forest, lots of wildflowers and birds. I stopped for a rest at 17207km, 17222 and 17237. The last rest was at the intersection, of the straight sealed road that runs due east into Yealering, with the 10km of gravel track which I had taken as a short cut from the main Yealering road.  ... Read more

Yealering to Narrogin, Day 5, Saturday 28 October 1989. The Yealering Hotel was the first on this trip, where they were willing to get up at 6:30 am to get me a decent breakfast.

Started riding at 8:07 am, went to look at two things Rosemary had recommended; the old manse built in 1912 and the mural painted by the children at the local school, on the outside of the school library. This shows the lake with some happy faces and in big letters “Yealering Welcomes You”.

Turned onto the Wickepin Road at 8:16 on a fine morning with a moderate north-westerly that helped me until I reached the turn-off to Wickepin. After this I had strengthening headwinds all the way to Narrogin.  ... Read more

Narrogin to Quindanning, Day 6, Sunday 29 October 1989. I left Narrogin at 8:25. South-westerly headwind. Got to the top of a rise and a sign pointed sharp left saying ‘Alternative route to Williams and Perth’. This was in fact the short way but it didn’t look like it and I had no detailed map.

A boy pointed up the hill and said that was the usual way to Williams, so I took it. It added 4km to my journey and included 14km of gravel. This is the sort of mistake to avoid when there is a longer distance to travel under worse conditions, but at the end of this day it didn’t matter and there were three advantages; very little traffic; I saw a fox trot across the road in front of me and vanish into the wheat; and I reached Williams (17356) just when the rain began and so was able to find shelter.  ... Read more

Quindanning to Dwellingup, Day 7, Monday 30 October 1989. Very cold morning. Left Quindanning at 7:55.

Stopped at 17406, passed through Marradong (17416). Steep descent in, steep climb out. Nothing much there any more – no shop.

Stopped again at 17422. Saw two different coloured varieties of a wildflower I had seen at New Norcia in September. There was plenty of hill-climbing to be done all day. Got into the jarrah forest and saw plenty of blue leschenaultia wildflowers. Third stop at 17436, fourth stop at 17450. The wind was no factor on this day.

Arrived at Dwellingup 12:55. Pleasant hotel, bit expensive at $25 without meals or private plumbing. Looked around the town, did some shopping for breakfast and drinks for the next day.  ... Read more

Dwellingup to Perth, Day 8, Tuesday 31 October 1989. I left Dwellingup at 7:45 on a lovely morning and headed up Del Park Road, which joins the Southwestern Highway at North Dandalup and is the quickest way to Perth. The jarrah forest was splendid and full of birdsong. The trend was downhill but there were still some steep climbs.

Stopped after one hour’s riding at 17478. Came to the edge of the scarp and saw the view of the coastal plain before rushing downhill towards North Dandalup. (17486). I didn’t stop there but waited until 17495, reached after the second hour’s riding. When I resumed I found that I had stopped 1km short of a shop.

After Serpentine the road headed back into the foothills and there was climbing to do.  ... Read more