York

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

Beverley to York day 7, Sunday 30 October 2011.

I left Beverley at 9:50 on a cool sunny morning with moderate E ? SE winds. I decided to take the scenic route, the Top Beverley Road, instead of sticking to the main Great Southern Highway. I had done this road before but didn’t remember the big hills that confront one heading north. Maybe this is because I am older and my current bike hasn’t the really easy gear that I had on the bike that I would have used before.

I had to walk up much of the first hill, then there was steep downhill rush, then another stiff climb with some walking. I didn’t really mind because there were good views from the top of these hills and I hadn’t far to go this day.  ... Read more

York to Mundaring day 8, Monday 31 October 2011.

I left York at 8:40 on a mild sunny morning with moderate easterly winds. It was mostly uphill for about 7 km as I climbed from the Avon valley into the Darling range. I took a rest at 466 and again at 482. I wasn’t thinking of the whole 60 km, just of the 48 to the Lakes roadhouse, where I would have a nice long rest and have, I thought, only 12 km to go.

I passed the West Talbot Road turn-off at 486, the Wariin Road turn-off at 489 and reached the Lakes sooner than I expected, at 496. After my drink and rest I rode onto the Great Eastern Highway and was impressed.  ... 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:

Quairading to York, day 9, Tuesday 21 October 2003. I left Quairading at 8:00 on a cool sunny morning with light north-easterly to south-easterly winds. Perfect tail-winds again. I took my first rest at 1275, leaned the bike against a tree.

As I was taking hold of the bike again I heard a snap as it bumped against the tree. I looked down and saw that a whole section of the right-hand pedal, a white plastic one, had broken away. It had had a bit broken off, and a crack in it, ever since I fitted it as a temporary expedient in 1999 when I was rushing to get the bike together for trials. It never got any worse so I just hadn’t got around to changing it for nearly 10000 kilometres.  ... Read more

York to Mundaring, day 10, Wednesday 22 October 2003. I left York at 8:28 on a fine sunny morning which promised a warm day. I headed west up the Great Southern highway, prepared for a long climb which started 6 or 7 km out of York. The wind was light from the east and south-east – perfect again.

I took a rest at 1347, then again at 1363. The road was very up and down. I reached The Lakes roadhouse at 1378, 11:28, and took a long lunch on a curried egg sandwich. It is always at this point that I think of the ride as achieved, over, though there is a bit more to go yet.

I passed through Sawyers’ Valley at 1391 and nearly missed the turn into the Travellers’ Rest Motel at Muindaring, because the road past there is now dual carriageway and things looked different from what I remembered.  ... Read more

Cottesloe to Harrismith 1999 – 11 days, 726 km cumulative distance. The aim of this trip was not decided at the outset. It depended on weather and wind conditions, how I felt and how the new bike, built with some difficulty and finally with some haste, would go. I was clear that I wanted to reach Wickepin on Day 4, but after that I would be flexible.

Originally I had planned to start from Albany and come back through Denmark and Walpole, visiting the Valley of the Giants and trying the new tree-top walk, but the ‘Walpole Problem’ of a 120 km gap with nowhere to stay between Walpole and Manjimup made me realise that I would have to come back through Northcliffe and up the South Western Highway, which I had only done the previous year.  ... Read more

Mundaring to York, day 2, Monday 11 October 1999. The morning was cool and cloudy with a light E headwind. This was to be the first big test of the ride, of the new bike and myself. I left Travellers Rest Motel at 8:15, 105, and reached The Lakes roadhouse at 8:55, 120. I had a drink and a rest then took the Great Southern highway. I rested again at 140, and as luck would have it found by the side of the road several of the rare blue sun orchids that I hadn’t found on my walk behind Travellers Rest Motel the previous afternoon.

I rested again at 156, then reached the Avon motel in York at 11:39, 167. On the downhill run into York I exceeded 50 kph and had trouble holding the bike on a straight course.  ... Read more

York to Pingelly, day 3, Tuesday 12 October 1999. The morning was cool and cloudy with a light N drift. I left the motel at 735, 167, and cycled east until I reached the start of the Top Beverley road, seeking to save a couple of km and avoid heavy traffic.

I rested at 190. The wind was very light, from the NW. I rode on through Beverley, 198, without stopping, and rested again at 213, by which time the wind had gone around to the SW, right against me, but it was still gentle. I reached Brookton at 11 am, 232. I had a long rest and drink here. I felt good and the bike was perfect, and the word ‘doddle’ occurred to me as I faced the last 20 km into Pingelly, which I reached at 253, 12:20.  ... 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