Kendenup

Kendenup is a small town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, within the Shire of Plantagenet. It is 345 kilometres (214 mi) south east of Perth and 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of Mount Barker. The Great Southern Railway (established 1889) passes through the town, being one of the original stations on the line.

Tenterden to Mt Barker, DAY 1, WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER 2002. I left Liz’ cabin at 2:14 on a mild cloudy afternoon with some rain and a north-westerly gale blowing. The odometer read 1007. Rain fell as I crunched along the 3km or so of gravel tracks to get to the Albany Highway.

When I got to the highway and turned south the wind was a great help, which was good because I didn’t feel well – I had got a cold a few days before and it had reached the stage where one might take a sickie if at work, but I was on holidays and determined to proceed with my plans.

About a dozen km into the ride the main gear cable broke.  ... Read more

Mount Barker to Cranbrook, day 8, Monday 12 October. The morning was overcast and the wind blew gale-force, spitting rain, from the north-east. I had thought the previous night that it would be good to turn right off the Albany Highway at Kendenup and take a detour through the western edge of the Stirlings. This would have nearly doubled the day’s ride and most of the addition would have been gravel with presumably many steep hills and sandbogs.

When I got to the Kendenup turnoff I felt the force of the opposing wind and saw the Stirlings becoming shrouded in rain or low cloud. I decided to save the Stirlings for a separate ride in the future. So my day’s ride was only 42km but it seemed hard enough.  … Read more