Harrismith to Narrogin 1999

Harrismith to Narrogin, day 6, Friday 15 October 1999. This loomed as the second challenge day of the trip, though more so than Day 3. I thought that if I made Narrogin on this day it would get progressively easier and I would get home all right. I was dismayed to find when I awoke that the wind had freshened again and was nearly as strong as the day before, and shifting NW. It looked as though another strong rain system was moving in, though the morning was sunny. Clouds gathered as the day went on.

Narrogin

I went into the hotel kitchen and made my breakfast. Another man was staying at the hotel and was doing the same. We sat and ate breakfast and read some of the papers that were lying about.

I went to have a hot shower but someone was already using one of the showers and only one of them can work at a time, so I had to wait shivering until he had finished. After packing up I left the hotel at 8:19, 357, rode out of town and turned left onto the dirt road, 358. The going was not hard – the surface was good, just damp enough for it to be firm without being soft, and the NW wind actually helped a bit over the first few km where the road heads a bit S.

I reached Tincurrin at 368 – there was 1 km of sealed road extending either side of this small locality. The shop was open and the proprietor was busy packing envelopes with what looked like some local newsletter. I bought a small choc milk to have further on. He said ‘just a little choc milk’ as I paid him. Perhaps I should have explained that there wasn’t room on my bike otherwise I would have bought his entire stock.

I rested at 374. About a quarter of the journey was done and I felt good, the road was no problem and the wind was manageable, I was comfortable and making reasonable speed. The road ran close beside the railway line which is good because such roads are usually quite level, for obvious reasons.

The dirt road ended at 384. I stopped briefly to check the map, to make sure that I wasn’t misinterpreting the intersection, and was reassured that the sealed road I was about to take was the correct one. I crossed the railway line and rested at 390 and checked the map. The road would not be close to the railway line for a long way so I could expect some hills from now on.

I was at an intersection where the road went east, west and north. The sign post said ‘Narrogin 38′ and I had come 33 km, so the journey was 71 km. My guess was pretty right. My stop was just north of Taarblin Lake, and as I went on my way the road rose and I beheld the lake, a bleak expanse of grey water under the grey sky with thousands of dead trees sticking out of it.

I rested again at 406, on the bank where the road ran on an old wooden bridge across a tumbling creek. This was the Yilliminning River. It seemed a picturesque place to stop until the big mosquitoes found me. They took heavy casualties but I decided to get going. I had not put the Aerogard, bought in Pingelly, in my back pack where I could easily get it.

When I had done 57 km, at 414, I passed a sign that said ‘Harrismith 56 Narrogin 12′. So the journey was now 68 km, or 69 for me. Taking the south road had added a km to the distance. I rested at 418, at the top of a rise, then reached the railway crossing to enter Narrogin at 427. This was 70 km from Harrismith.

I had decided to stay in one of the motels rather than an old hotel in the centre of town. But both the motels are some way out of, and uphill from, the centre of Narrogin, on the Williams Road. I had chosen the Narrogin Motel because it was slightly closer to the town centre and advertised ‘spa’s’. After a stiff climb with weary legs but the bike still going beautifully I reached the motel at 4:29, 12:17.

The door to Reception was locked and I had to knock before a filipina lady opened it for me. The place was open for business all right but they keep the door locked.

I got into Unit 37, then went to look for the ‘spa’s’. There were none. I checked the information kit in the unit and there was no mention of any spa. But they are building a pool near the rotary hoist so I will give the place another try next time.

After a rest and shower I walked down into town for some shopping. On the way I passed the impressive war memorial in a pleasant park. I bought a camera in the post office, then went to hunt for better maps. In a newsagent I found one called ‘Outer Perth Region’ which gave the whole area I was about to travel in complete detail. I hadn’t been able to find this in Perth. It was a great help in days to come.

I bought a postcard, then looked about for a supermarket. I could not find one. I had a vague memory of one in a new centre built, as often in country towns, behind the old main street. I went to the Chemist shop and while there asked a woman where Coles was. She was a bit startled to be approached by a strange man but was quite friendly when she realised that I was not a threat. She gave me detailed directions.

I went to Coles for my usual shopping. While in the checkout queue I saw the young woman again. She smiled and said “Well, you made it all right then!”

I took a few photographs around the town, then walked back to the motel. Then with the sun going down I rode back to get Chicken Treat. I passed the police station with no lights on my bike. By the time I rode back it was nearly dark.

Rain fell that night, but not as much as on Wednesday night.

Reading at Narrogin, end of day:431. Day’s ride: 74 km. Aggregate: 353. Km/day: 59. kph to motel: 15.6.

Harrismith to Narrogin 1999

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