Northcliffe to Pemberton 1998

Northcliffe to Pemberton, day 5, Friday 16 October 1998. The morning was cool with strong NW winds. Rain started to fall after I left Northcliffe at 9:27 but I didn’t stop, the rain wasn’t too heavy and cleared up after a few km. I had been expecting a very wet and windy day, as had the weather bureau. That evening the weatherman on TV explained how the expected strong cold front had got ahead of itself and collapsed, but there was another strong front expected to come through early on Saturday with plenty of rain and hail behind it and there would be no escaping that one.

Pemberton main street

On this Friday, after the early shower, I had it clear, though still very windy, all the way to Pemberton, where it began to rain just as I arrived at the shops. I took a rest stop at 6478. The wind was strong and directly against me but was moderated by the forest through which I was riding most of the way.

I turned gratefully into the last run into Pemberton with the strong wind behind me and the well-known steep downhill road into the town. The bike accelerated rapidly and reached 63 kph for the second time in the trip before I put the brakes on – there was traffic and the road went around a curve and I didn’t feel safe. I might have got over 70 kph but I rolled into town at 55 kph before having to slow almost to a walk for the steep climb into the Pemberton town centre, stopping at the shops at 6493, 11:23.

The Gloucester Motel had said I couldn’t check in until 1:30 or 2 pm so I got a pie and choc milk and ate them in the park when the rain had stopped. Then I looked around the shops and checked that the Chinese restaurant was still there and that it opened at 5 pm. I tried to buy some pedals but was told that there would be none in town – Manjimup was the more likely place.

I went up to the Gloucester Motel just before 1, intending to leave the heavy luggage there and go on to the Gloucester Tree, but the motel let me check in so I decided to have a rest and go to the tree afterwards.

The motel unit, No. 55, $45, was nice. It had a TV and clock radio, an air conditioner and two heaters, a radiator and a fan heater. It had a balcony looking out onto trees. Rain fell, making a noise on the iron roof as I took a rest and kids from 2 units up rushed back and forth banging on my door for a joke, but I didn’t take any notice of them.

Later I put on my raincoat and rode up to the Gloucester Tree. Gone are the days when you could just stroll up there, there would be no-one about and you could just climb up and down the tree at your leisure. Now there is a circular road, some structures and a vehicle park and it costs $8 per car to get to the tree, or $3 for a motorbike. They let me in free, but people in a couple of vehicles had to pay, then when they got to the tree they found that climbing was forbidden anyway because of the stormy weather.

The tree itself doesn’t look very impressive any more. It has been shorn of much of its foliage in an effort to save its life, hammered by tourists as it has been for a dozen years or so. I left that and went on the walk trails. I must have walked a long way, the weather was cold with some rain and the wind made a lot of noise in the trees but it was enjoyable. Eventually I found my way back to the main clearing where my bike was a bit wet and a shower was just rolling in. I put my bike under cover and waited for a while, then decided to get going, since it wasn’t that far back to the motel.

I had a hot shower and changed then went shopping and ordered a takeaway, duck in plum sauce, from the Chinese Restaurant.

I settled down to a pleasant evening of sewing and watching TV, including a rugby league test between Australia and New Zealand, but was worried about the pedal, although the snapping noise hadn’t got any worse during the two days and 100 or so km since I started to worry about it. I also had discovered another problem which I had suspected because of the feel of the pedalling motion but hadn’t been game to check before – the chain-ring assembly to which the snapping pedal was attached was loose and wobbling on the crankshaft. And I had left the socket wrench at home with the saddle cover. Inadequate preparation again, after all these years.

Rain and hail poured down all night. My legs were still sore. I was doubting if I would make it home. The next day, with the run to Bridgetown, loomed as the big challenge of the ride. If I could make it to Manjimup I could get new pedals and maybe borrow a socket wrench. If I made it to Bridgetown that would be the big hurdle overcome and it would get progressively easier. But it would be 69 km to Bridgetown.

Surprisingly I slept well and arose the next morning to face the challenge.

Reading at Pemberton: 6493. End of day: 6501. Km for day: 39. Aggregate: 287. Km per day: 57.4. Kph to Pemberton: 16.0.

Northcliffe to Pemberton 1998

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