Dumbleyung to Wagin 2007

Dumbleyung to Wagin day 4, Sunday 21 October 2007. The wind had indeed turned around to the SSE during the night. I had only 40 km to go to Wagin but wanted to take a diversion or two to get as close to the lake as I could. I had studied the map in the Information Bay and knew that I would have to make a left turn down Lake Road at about 6 km out of Dumbleyung. After a good breakfast I left my hotel at 9:40, 426. I rode back over the railway line to get onto the main street of town, which would lead to the Wagin Road.

Wagin

The morning was sunny with some cloud. It was cool to start but warm in the sun. I reached Lake Road at 432.7 and as expected it was all gravel, with a steep slope that I chose to walk up, and down on the way back. The sign said ‘picnic area’ but when I got there, after less than a kilometre as expected, there was just a gravel turning circle, no facilities. The lake was at last in view but was some way off, down a thickly wooded slope and through an area of mudflats and dead trees. I took some pictures, then headed back to the road, which I reached at 434.4.

At 436 I saw the sign ‘scenic drive – no through road’ on the left, so decided to try that. Once again the road was gravel, with some unrideable slopes and a cattle grid which I had to walk over carefully. Had this been a through road back to the main road I would have kept going, but I only went a km in to find a reasonable view of the lake and take more pictures. The sun was warm and there were a lot of flies. I was glad to get back to the sealed road at 438 and get a cross-breeze.

I passed the sign W 30 at 439 and rested at 444. At one point I was going up a rise and saw what I thought would be my last view of the lake, so I took a picture, but the lake was still visible later on so I took another. I rested again at 458 then started to look out for signs of the approaching town of Wagin. I hadn’t been here since 1993. At last I was at the head of the long straight road into town. Away ahead of me I saw a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and a group of people talking and playing around it. They slowly dispersed as I passed them and left them a long way behind as I proceeded into Wagin.

I was looking for my motel in Tudhoe Street, but I couldn’t find Tudhoe Street. I was actually on it – the main road into town changed its name to Tudhoe Street while in the town. I rode slowly on through, looking at signs. I would have passed right by my motel. I had a hope when I saw a sign that began TUD but it was Tudor Street. I passed a lady in a park and asked her, but she didn’t know. She suggested I go to the Ram park and look at the tourist information map.

I went into the park, which has a giant ram and picnic and barbecue areas, and a little stream and walkways and a miniature bike path for children. I found the map and realised that I had just come along Tudhoe Street, so rode back to the motel. There was no-one there and no-one answered the bell. So I rode back to the park. On my way I saw a sign near the open door of an old hotel saying ‘Mitchell’s Motel Units’ so I went around that corner and saw these rather tatty looking units. At least they were open for business so I had that in mind as an option if I couldn’t get into the one I had booked.

In the park, a few people were enjoying a Sunday picnic. A couple of children were riding on the path. One fell off his bike with a crash and his mate, or brother, was so distracted by this that he crashed his bike into a rotunda. But they were both all right and resumed riding about. I sat for a while and looked at the map for the next day, and finished a packet of biscuits and a bottle of water.

Then I rode back to the motel I had booked. Same problem. But there was a phone number on the door so I got out my mobile and rang that. It was answered after a few rings. A man said he would be with me in a few minutes. After that time a truck came into the motel car park and a man got out with dirty white overalls and black greasy hands. He explained that ‘Bec’ was away somewhere and she would deal with the paperwork that later in the afternoon, and he would give me the key and my milk and get back to the other job he was doing.

I was relieved to get into my nice unit, No. 12, $75, and have the rest, the shower and change. There was an air-conditioner which I put on warm and angled down to dry my stuff.

I bought some stuff to have for breakfast and another bottle of drink. I had assumed that the main road from Dumbleyung that became Tudhoe Street, became in turn the main road to Narrogin as it angled north after it left the town centre. It was just as well I checked because such was not the case. That road actually led to Arthur River. The Ram park where I had been earlier, was off that road. To get to Narrogin, I would have to turn right off Tudhoe into Trent Street, which became Ballagin Street, which in turn became the Great Southern Highway. Trent Street is just a minor side street and there is no sign saying ‘Narrogin >’.

The mobile came in handy again when I was west of my motel still looking for dinner options and decided to ring the Albert Facey Motel in Narrogin. I had the number with me. My call was successful but the lady said she would ring me back in a minute to confirm that there was a unit available. I ended the call and put the mobile back in its case on my belt and waited for it to ring. I didn’t hear anything but after a while I was aware of some vibration at my waist. The mobile was vibrating rather than ringing. I snatched it out and tried to receive the call but it didn’t work, but somehow by stabbing buttons I was able to ring them back and complete the booking. I didn’t find out how to make the mobile ring rather than vibrate, until a 15 year old boy did it for me when I got back. It must have been set up for a deaf person.

I had already had a look at the main street of town and the park so I just wandered around the back streets. I found a Baptist church whose foundation stone had been laid in ’07′ and found another church whose foundation stone had been laid in ’02′. At this second church I had to walk in the open gate to see this, and a man came out and asked me if I was coming to the barbecue. I apologised for coming in, he said that was all right. I said I was just visiting the town. I said I presumed that 02 meant 1902, and he smiled and agreed.

I just got a couple of hot pies for dinner and settled into my unit to watch Sunday night TV, which was ruined by the Great Debate, complete with worm. The usual ABC programs had been cancelled. I saw something on SBS, which can be received in most country towns now.

Reading at Wagin: 473. Day: 47 km. Cumulative 190 km. kpd 47.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Places Mentioned in this Post:

Tags: Dumbleyung, Wagin

Dumbleyung to Wagin 2007

Other Days on this Tour:

Places Mentioned in this Post:

Want To Provide Some Feedback?