Katanning

Katanning is a town located 277 km south east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Southern Highway. Katanning features a unique playground of over-sized structures named the “All Ages Playground”.

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

Tambellup to Katanning day 2, Friday 19 October 2007. I left Tambellup Hotel at 10:04 after a good breakfast and rode up the Great Southern Highway. The morning was cool and sunny but cloud was increasing and there was a ENE headwind.

I rested at 343 and passed through Broomehill at 352. I was aware of becoming dehydrated – I had not taken in enough fluids at the start of the day. I would take care about that in the days that followed. I rested again at 359, then came to a sign saying ‘Katanning town Boundary’ when I was still 10 km south of the town. They must have urban ambitions. As I approached Katanning I came to a right turn that said ‘Cornwall St.  ... Read more

Katanning to Dumbleyung day 3, Saturday 20 October 2007. I set off down Clive Street at 10 on a cool morning with a helpful south-westerly, as predicted. This got quite fresh as the day went on. The phrase ‘huge tail-wind’ came to my mind as I climbed a big hill later on. The day was cool and cloudy and some of the clouds to the south looked quite threatening but there was no rain on me that day. There was some sun later.

The road went through pleasant country, with a rising trend which I had expected because I had a topographical map of this area, which started 24 km from Katanning, and it showed a big hill half-way between the towns, then a steep descent to a flat area around Dumbleyung and the lake.  ... Read more

Perth to the Stirling Range, 9 days, 1993. Cumulative distance 596km. This was to be the fulfilment of a dream that started in 1987, when I rode by the western edge of the Stirling Range and was prevented by weather and tiredness from taking a detour into it.

The idea was to get to Bluff Knoll, climb it, and ride back to Perth. Instead of starting the ride at Bunbury, as I had so many others, I decided to start this one at Albany, using the new flexibility offered by the discovery that, for $25, Niteroad will take your bike to Albany or Bunbury in less than 24 hours, or to any other point at which it is desired that a ride should start.  … Read more

Gnowangerup to Katanning, day 4, Saturday 23 October 1993. The winds started out with a promise of a bit of southerly in the westerly but as the day went on they shifted to the north again. This was to be 61km into a fresh head- or cross-wind.

I left Gnowangerup at 9:04 and took my first rest at 27533, then again at at 27546. I wanted to save a kilometre by taking the gravel track 1km before the normal turnoff to Broomehill, because the map showed it going right into the town. As it turned out the roads got a bit confused, or I did, and the km was wasted finding the Great Southern Highway again. I stopped at Broomehill, 27561, for a drink, at a shop in the main street.  ... Read more

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.

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.  ... Read more