Pemberton

This is the eighth of a series of retrospective bike stories, of rides taken before 1987. 1987 was the first ride to be fully documented in the current format, with distances, speeds, rest stops and so on, moreover written as soon after the event as possible.

This was the year in which I got away from the Monday to Saturday 5-night, six-day format. I broke through limits and went further than before, into a lot of unknown territory for me, taking 8 nights and nine riding days. I started on a Friday instead of the traditional Monday.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Bridgetown to Pemberton, day 3, Sunday 17 November 1985. I had breakfast of snacks bought the previous afternoon. I set off down Hampton Street, crossed the river and this time turned left for the South Western Highway, not right for the Brockman Highway as in 1983.

I had only travelled this road by car and bus and not taken much notice of its topography, so I was pleased to discover that the road between Bridgetown and Manjimup is not too hilly. Just moderate, manageable ups and downs. I did the 35 km in reasonable time, passing Yornup where the radio station 6BY was located. It is now part of the GWN network. I took a drink break at about half-way.

In Manjimup I took the opportunity for a rest and refreshment break and telephoned to book a room in a riverside resort, the Forest Lodge, about 4 km east of Pemberton.  ... Read more

Pemberton to Northcliffe, day 4, Monday 18 November 1985. I set off from the Lodge and stopped in Pemberton to buy drinks. I only had 29 km to go to Northcliffe. This would be new road altogether for me, I had never been south of Pemberton by any vehicle.

I had decided to take a look at a famous tree, the Marianne North tree. In 1880 an English artist called Marianne North was touring Western Australia painting pictures of natural wonders. She painted one of a huge ancient karri tree with a lumpy growth about 5 metres up its trunk. This picture now hangs in the Kew Gardens in England. The tree is about 4 km west of the main Pemberton-Northcliffe Road, up a gravel track known as Ralphs Road or Old Vasse Road.  … Read more

Northcliffe to Manjimup, day 6, Wednesday 20 November 1985. This was to be one of the hardest days on these rides. The plan was to make the next overnight stop at Manjimup. I had my full breakfast, then an Episode, then I started to labour towards Pemberton.

I had a couple of drink stops and eventually made it without any other kind of stop, but as I turned right to go down Brockman Street into the town I could sense trouble coming. I struggled up the steep hill to the park at the north-eastern end of town and was relieved to find a public facility. After that I got more drinks and some food from the shop over the road and sat for a while getting the will to go on.  … Read more

Pemberton is a town located in the South West region of Western Australia. It is the home of the karri tree, the largest tree in Western Australia and the third largest hardwood tree in the world. The nearby Gloucester National Park contains three climbable karri trees, each in excess of 60 metres tall. Each of these trees has been fitted with metal rungs which allow visitors to climb these trees and reach the constructed lookout at the top.

Cottesloe to Windy Harbour Tour 1998 – 10 days, 627 km cumulative distance.

The aim of this trip was to return to Windy Harbour, only this time to do it better, faster, with less hardship and fewer mishaps than in 1985, drawing on the experience gained over the years.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

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.

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.  ... Read more

Pemberton to Bridgetown, day 6, Saturday 17 October 1998. This loomed as the second challenge day of the trip, though more so than Day 1. I thought that if I made Bridgetown on this day it would get progressively easier and I would get home all right. I left the motel at 8:19 and the odometer read 6502 as I reached the Vasse Highway and turned right. Winds were fresh W with a bit of NW before a squall but gradually going SW.

I have ridden along this stretch of road, let me see, five times. I thought it had been more. There were some showers but nothing too bad until I reached the well-remembered junction with South Western Highway , 6519, and found somewhere to shelter while I had my drink and a shower moved through.  ... Read more

Armadale to Pemberton via Nannup, 11 day tour, cumulative distance 712 km

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Kin Kin Retreat to Pemberton, day 6, Saturday 26 October 1991. Left Kin Kin at 7.55. Another fine cool day, with an easterly wind. I rode the 4km of gravel back to Wheatley Coast Road, then turned left, south, towards Quinninup. True to the map, there were about 7km of gravel before the sealed surface began about 1km north of Quinninup.

The road climbed towards Quinninup, then descended to the South Western Highway after that small town. At South Western Highway junction, 22240, I had a break, then turned north for 2-3km before turning onto another gravel road, Grays Road, to take a short cut to Pemberton. This cut many km off the journey and I wasn’t worried, when planning the day, by the prospect of a bit of gravel.  ... Read more