Narrogin to Brookton 1993

Narrogin to Brookton, day 7, Tuesday 26 October 1993. The day started off calm, but a westerly steadily increased in strength. This was mainly a cross-breeze, opposing slightly most of the time with the occasional bit of help when the road ran a bit NNE. The day was clear. I left Narrogin at 7:59. I felt surprisingly good, as though the efforts of the previous 3 days were finally paying off in better fitness.

Brookton

I did not stop until 27706, north of Cuballing. I had done just under 19km in the first hour. I rested at Popanyinning, 27721, had a choc milk and sat at the picnic spot for a while. I rested at Pingelly, sat down for a while, 27737. This was only 20km short of Brookton and there was plenty of time. I saw the hotel where I stayed during the Yealering ride of 1989. This was the worst accomodation of any of these rides.

I did the last 20 km to Brookton non-stop, arriving at the hotel at 12:23, 27758. I was very relieved and pleased to have done it so easily, but I should have stopped for drinks more often. What made the day’s trip relatively easy was that the road follows the railway line quite closely all the way up, so that hills are smoothed out, and the country generally isn’t rising as you head north.

Usual routine, with a very pleasant relieved restful sleep, then a look round the town.

Brookton is a quiet town that has been bigger and busier. The Brookton Highway starts here, and most of the traffic takes this route to and from Perth. From Brookton to York there is mostly local traffic – not much. Many of these old country towns give the impression of having seen better days. It is hard to imagine the present populations having the will or the skill to build the substantial churches, masonic halls, public institutions and war memorials that often look neglected now.

In Brookton there are the usual churches, plus a stunted little building, not abandoned but not well maintained either, called the ‘Westminster Presbyterian Church’ apparently a small sect that refused to join the Uniting Church 20 years ago. Perhaps Brookton is their last stronghold. I wondered who its congregation were and how many of them were left, and what they believed that was important enough to keep them separate.

Reading at Brookton: 27758. 70 km for the day. Aggregate 442. km/FRD 62. Hotel to hotel speed: 15.9 kph – best of the trip to date.

Narrogin to Brookton 1993

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