Katanning to Wagin 1993

Katanning to Wagin, day 5, Sunday 24 October 1993. The wind had strengthened from the west and there was to be rain. I left Katanning at 9:35 and headed due west for 12 km. Rain started soon after my day’s ride began and kept falling. It doesn’t take long to get soaked under these circumstances.

Wagin

The right toe-clip fell off at 27588. The nuts had shaken loose after only a few hundred km and the thing was dangling by a strap. I tied it on with wire and it was perfect. rested at 27595, after which the road turned north for a while. This was better because the wind was mainly a cross-wind, turning a bit southerly after squalls. Later the road resumed its NNW alignment and the wind was either against me or not helping.

I passed Woodanilling at 27606. I did not stop there because the main town was off the main road. I rested at 27607. The rain got so heavy for a while that I took shelter under a tree that was better than most, at 27616. There is no point in stopping to shelter most of the time because there is nowhere suitable. The trees are inadequate, you still get wet and you also get cold and stiff, and you don’t get any distance done.

I took another rest at 27621. The rain stopped at last at 27627 and I hoped it might hold off long enough to let me arrive in Wagin dry, but it started again at 27635. I passed Lake Norring, swollen by a late wet season to a very large body of water, lapping a little beach right along the side of the road for some distance. It is always a pleasant surprise to come across a huge water body among the rolling hills and paddocks and scrub.

A few km before Wagin I was troubled by a rattle on this bike that until then had hummed along silently. I found that the nuts holding the backrack under the saddle had fallen off as well, so that too had to be temporarily secured with wire. I always carry wire on these rides because it has a variety of uses, including improving TV reception in marginal areas.

I arrived in Wagin at 27637, 1:29. I was wet and cold but this was the best motel of the trip. It had an air conditioner that did very efficient heating. I unpacked and spread everything out while I rode out again for a bit of shopping, and when I got back it was mostly dry. I left the heating on for the rest of that cold wet day. The day’s washing got dry quickly as well. Slept, showered, changed, ‘phoned, looked round the town. As so often I had chicken and chips for tea.

Reading at Wagin: 27638. Day’s ride: 55km. Aggregate: 322km. km/FRD: 62. Speed motel – motel: 14 kph.

Charles A. Pierce

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Tags: Katanning, Lake Norring, Wagin, Woodanilling

Katanning to Wagin 1993

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