Dwellingup

Mandurah to Wandering Tour 2011, nine days, cumulative distance: 357km.

I had planned to ride from Mandurah to Dwellingup on the first day, Monday 24th October, then to Boddington on the second and Wandering on the third.

On the Friday before starting the ride, I tried to book the first 3 nights’ accommodation. Dwellingup was all right for the Monday, but Boddington was fully booked for the Tuesday. So after fruitlessly searching Google and other sources for accommodation near Boddington, I decided to try to do the nearly 90 km from Dwellingup to Boddington in one day on the Tuesday.

The Wandering tavern does not supply accommodation, so I tried to book the Millfarm Bed and Breakfast. They were fully booked but were able to give me the number for the Wandering Brook Estate.  ... Read more

Mandurah to Dwellingup day 1, Monday 24 October 2011.

I left Mandurah rail station at 11.20 am, odometer reading 175, and went east to Mandurah Road where I turned right and went south until I reached the T-junction with Pinjarra Road. The wind was N to NE and quite strong.

I reached Pinjarra and stopped for a rest at 193. I bought a choc-milk and sat and rested for a while. I then headed north up the South Western highway and over the bridge to find, at 194, the Dwellingup road, which runs along the rail line on the western side for a distance.

The first 12 km were not climbing much and the wind was helpful. I took a rest at 206, then the steep climbs started as I needed to get up and over the scarp to reach Dwellingup.  ... Read more

Dwellingup, day 2 Tuesday 25 October 2011.

I awoke in the small hours to hear rain pouring down on the roof. It was still going when I woke in daylight and it was time to get up. I had planned to start really early, so that I could have plenty of rest stops and arrive in Wandering with enough daylight to shop and settle into the accommodation and look around.

I started eating breakfast at 5:30 am. The rain went on and on, and there was a north-easterly wind to go with it. It was an unusual rain system, coming from the north-east instead of the west.

By about 9 am with no break in sight for the winds and rain I had to accept that the planned 90 km effort was not feasible.  … Read more

Dwellingup to Boddington day 3, Wednesday 26 October 2011.

I had a big breakfast and tidied up my unit and set off at 8:35. The odometer read 218 as I turned left onto the main road. The winds were moderate NE turning NW and there was occasional light drizzle.

I got along quite well and was encouraged by this. I stopped at 235 for a drink break and walk around. Eventually I got out of the forest and into open country, scenery, landscapes, sheep, crops. I preferred that. I rested again at 252, I was feeling all right and confident. I reached Boddington at 12:15, 252.

I checked into my unit, $80. There was a microwave oven, and a light breakfast of toast and cereal was included in the price.  ... Read more

Perth to Dumbleyung 2007, 9 days, cumulative distance 455 km. The aim of this trip, the first since 2005, was to take an opportunity which probably won’t come again; to start deep in the Great Southern and ride home via Dumbleyung and see Dumbleyung lake, which was more full than for some years due to a reasonable season in the area. I had this plan some years ago, during the Stirlings ride of 1993, but didn’t feel able to go there on that occasion.

Again I took my digital camera on this trip. I took pictures of orchids again, reflecting my particular interest, and of the towns and countryside and of bodies of water that were in better shape than usual.  ... Read more

Boddington to Dwellingup day 8, Thursday 20 October 2007. I ate the entire supply of breakfast stuff, meant for two. I didn’t feel too bad after having got a few hours’ sleep. The day was warm and humid and there was a NW wind now due to the movement of the low-pressure trough and the approach of the cold front, which last night had still been predicted to arrive at the capes ‘at dawn on Friday’. Some high cloud was coming in. The wind would help me a bit for the first 8km or so to the Marradong turn-off, but after that it would be a headwind.

I was amazed by the thousands of previously ‘rare’ blue orchids all along the road from Boddington to Dwellingup.  ... Read more

Dwellingup to Armadale day 9, Friday 26 October 2007. The morning was mild and cloudy with fresh westerly winds but no rain yet. I awoke to the yammering of the television at the end of the passage – the lump people had got hold of it and were making up for last night.

I needed to get going early so that I could be sure of getting to the Fremantle train before the rush hour ban on bikes took effect. To do that I wanted to get to Armadale no later than 2 pm. The journey should take no longer than four hours but I didn’t want to be pressed for time in case anything happened, as things can.

I had my breakfast in bed then just got dressed and checked I hadn’t left anything behind before I unlocked my bike and got going at 8:15.  ... Read more

Cottesloe to Yealering 2003 – 11 days, 586 km cumulative distance.

The aim of this trip was originally to visit Kulin, not because there is anything special there but because I have never been there and it has always been just out of reach, round the corner, a bit further down the track, but never on my way to or from anywhere on previous rides. As the title implies, another wimp-out occurred and I ended up visiting Yealering again.

I took my digital camera on this trip so it is the best-recorded trip ever. I took 48 pictures, but about a dozen of them were of orchids, reflecting my particular interest.

Charles A. Pierce

Other days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Pinjarra to Dwellingup, day 2, Tuesday 14 October 2003. I left Pinjarra Motel at 9:58 and rode up the South Western Highway to take a right turn up the Dwellingup road. The morning was cool with some sun, there was a westerly wind which was helpful all the way. The lady at the motel had asked me where I was going that day, I said Dwellingup, she said, ooh, it’s all uphill. But I knew that it wasn’t, just some of it, and I was prepared and would get off and walk if it got too hard.

I had a rest at 908 after 15km of gradually rising but not too difficult road. I was beside a pleasant scene of a hillside with rocks and trees and I took an analogue picture.  ... Read more

Dwellingup to Boddington, day 3, Wednesday 15 October 2003. I set off for Boddington on a cool sunny morning with no wind, but a helpful south-westerly was to arise as I proceeded.

The road was quite hilly, up and down through tall forest. I had only taken it once before, in the other direction, in 1999. I didn’t have a contour map of this region so didn’t know if the trend was downhill or uphill on this or the other occasion. I saw a big spider orchid beside the road as I rode along. I rested at 938 and 955 and arrived in Boddington at 971, 11:51. I felt as though I had done a good day’s work though the distance was only 52 km.  ... Read more