Midland

Midland is a suburb in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern Highway.

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

Mundaring to Midland day 9, Tuesday 1 November 2011.

I left Mundaring at 9:00 on a mild sunny morning with moderate easterly winds. I reached the edge of the scarp at Bilgoman Road at 523 and started the run down Greenmount Hill.

I didn’t try to go really fast because the road is winding and the traffic busy. Also, I was surprised to find that although the Great Eastern Highway east of Mundaring is really good now, west of Mundaring it is still the same old road that hasn’t been fixed up for many years. I got to a top speed of 57 kph. I was doing about 55 kph when I saw a crack in the road. I managed to avoid it but there was another one too soon after it, that I didn’t avoid.  ... Read more

Mundaring to Cottesloe, day 11, Thursday 23 October 2003. After a leisurely breakfast in bed watching Rugrats I ventured out with my camera to get some better orchid pictures. I tramped around for a while and found more and better orchids, more fully open. They were most prolific. I seemed to have come here at just about the perfect time.

As a bonus, when I finally walked back along the track to the bit of fence where I could climb back into the motel grounds, I passed another orchid that I hadn’t noticed on the way out. But this was a variant! The structure was the same but the petals were purple and pointed instead of blue with rounded ends, and the ‘tongue’ was bright yellow instead of dull mauve.  ... Read more

Mundaring to Cottesloe, day 11, Sunday 5 November 1995. The morning was hot and humid, with strong northerlies shifting northwesterly. It seemed that I had timed the big push from Beverley just right. One day later and it would have been very difficult – hot and humid with direct strong headwinds, to go with the gravel and long distance.

I was in no hurry this morning so after sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast I went to look for the blue sun orchids again. This time I found three that were in full bloom – very gratifying.

I left Traveller’s Rest Motel at 10:39, 3368.6. After a few ups and downs I came to the crest of Greenmount hill at 3378.1.  ... Read more

Gingin to Cottesloe, day 5, Friday 9 September 1994. The day was sunny and mild with NE winds shifting NW later. I left the Gingin hotel at 8:34 and went down the hill and onto the Brand Highway. I didn’t stop for my first rest until one hour later, having done 22 km (127).

I went through Muchea and joined the Great Northern Highway at 134. I took further rests at 145 (opposite the Air Force base) and 159.

An easy and pleasant day’s ride ended, with this whole ride, at Midland railway station at 12:06, 171. I boarded the train that had just come in and went home to Cottesloe.

Reading at Midland: 171. Day’s ride: 66km. Aggregate: 330. Km/day: 66.  ... Read more

Mundaring to Cottesloe, last phase, Friday 29 October 1993. This was not a full riding day. I decided just to go to Midland and get the train all the way back to Cottesloe.

The morning was fine and sunny so I took a walk to see if the orchids were open. They were. Consultation with an expert later revealed that they were a rare orchid, the Scented Sun Orchid, yet here they were growing like weeds over a wide area. It was quite a bonus for the trip. The Kings Park Guides and other people made expeditions to look at them after I had told of their existence. Because they were right behind the Motel, their location could be easily and exactly described.  ... Read more

Midland to Moora, 7 day tour 1990, cumulative distance 450 km.

Midland to Gingin, day 1, Monday 29 October 1990. I left Midland rail terminal at 9:25 and went up the Great Northern Highway. Winds were strong from the side, sometimes with and sometimes against me. There was intermittent rain. I stopped for a drink at 19710. As I passed through Bullsbrook a Macchi Trainer passed so low over me that I could smell its exhaust. I rested again at 19724.

A shower of rain passed over the road but I missed the worst of it – most of the rain fell ahead of me, as I was to find splashing through puddles some time later. I turned on to the Brand Highway at Muchea. On this last stretch to Gingin a noisy thunderstorm approached from the west, but I was able to get ahead of its path and could see it passing behind me.  ... Read more

Midland to Yealering, 8 day Wheatbelt Tour 1989. Cumulative distance: 512km.

The purpose of this ride was to reach Yealering and come back to Perth by a different route. The original plan of stops was Sawyers Valley – York – Brookton – Yealering, but I found that Sawyers Valley offered no accomodation, so I booked at El Caballo Blanco in Wooroloo instead. This raised the possibility of bypassing York and cutting through back roads to Beverley on Day 2. This would make days 3 and 4 easier.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour: