Donnybrook to Nannup 2005

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.

Nannup

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. It wasn’t long until the climbing started but I managed it, walked up some of it just to get a break from pedalling.

I took this exact route in 1992, in the other direction, from Nannup to Donnybrook. That was when I fell on loose gravel on a tricky corner and got a mysterious hip injury that didn’t show up on Xray but slowed me down for months. I have had pains in the right hip ever since, but doctors assure me that there is nothing wrong with it – any problems are in the knees and the back.

The countryside was very attractive and there was some traffic. I passed the famous quarry whence came the Donnybrook stone from which Perth’s major buildings were constructed until the advent of steel and glass. The road was very up and down, and on one of the downhill runs I reached the highest speed of the ride, 61kph.

I took a rest at 608 and checked the map to make sure I would find the bridge where I would have to turn right and get onto the gravel White Road. I couldn’t find my RAC map, the most exact and detailed, and thought that despite all my care I might have left it in the Donnybrook motel, but it mysteriously turned up in Nannup, to my relief, because the RAC maps are the best.

I found the bridge at 612 without any confusion and crossed it and proceeded up the gravel track. It wasn’t bad, I rattled along easily enough until I came to the right-hand bend with its gully erosion and loose gravel and potholes that I recognised instantly. I got off to walk carefully around it and took a couple of pictures.

Not long after that I came to the junction of White and Cundinup roads at 625 and had a rest, then found the sealed section of Cundinup road at 626. This started the last phase of the day’s ride and I felt that the hard part was over and I was all right now. There would be a downhill run into Nannup, I knew, because all roads into Nannup have a downhill run, particularly the one from Bridgetown.

I rested at 637 and reached the Vasse Highway junction at 639. Cloud built up and a few spots of rain blew in my face for the last few kilometres. That was the only rain of the whole Ride.

I reached Nannup at 646, 12:49. I was glad to have made it with plenty of time for everything. I checked into the unit (No. 1), was surprised to find that it was up to $85. The unit itself was no better than it had been when I first stayed there in 1991, just a bit more run-down – there was no remote for the TV and the fan in the shower didn’t work.

Anyway I was glad to have made it but had already decided that going next day to Augusta or Margaret River would be too difficult, given my state and the fact that there would be headwinds again if I headed west or south-west. Also, it would have been 72 km to Margaret river, most of it gravel, across uninhabited country and forests. Perhaps less of a challenge than the Chesapeake Road in 1987, but I had a tailwind that day. I have seen the folly of trying to do too much – I remembered 1981 and 2002. I would take the ‘chicken run’ back to Busselton the next day and was already thinking of a new Plan for the rest of the ride, which worked out well, as we shall see.

I did my shopping etc., had a rest, then looked around the town. I found a delightful ornamental garden that was open to the public, surrounding a four-star resort. I wandered around there for a while and took some pictures.

I walked back to town and found the Blythe Gardens, open for a free wander 7 days a week. These were interesting but not well tended. The most interesting part was an old FJ Holden which was used by members of the Blythe family for races until 1973. It was in a sad state and still smelt of oil. A notice on it gave its history. I took some pictures.

I left the Blythe Gardens, went to the Arboretum and saw the old bridge where the railway used to come into town between 1909 and 1984. The Arboretum is a fine stand of a great variety of trees, all labelled. Some of them are very large and must have been in the town for most of its history.

I walked back and bought mussels and chips with a crumbed sausage for dinner. I found a folding bed in the unit and arranged it so that I could lounge in front of the TV and eat and take it easy.

Reading at Nannup, end of day: 646. Km for day: 56. Aggregate: 245. Km/day: 61.

Charles A. Pierce

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Tags: Donnybrook, Nannup

Donnybrook to Nannup 2005

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