Saturday 22^nd September

Normally the wind gets up in the afternoon in Western Australia but it was up by 6am this morning plus it was cold and overcast. Which way was the wind blowing? Right in my face from the West of course! I was feeling very sorry for myself as it was 15 to 20 mph and making decent headway was hard and tiring. I even had to drop to the small ring for the first time on the trip getting up one undulation with a really strong spell of wind. I was stopped by a big hairy man controlling traffic at some roadworks. He asked me why I was putting myself through this. I couldn’t work that one out myself.

After 60km I could see what looked like a traffic cone in the distance but it moved position in the road and I realized it was a pair of cyclists in orange jerseys. That chase was on! It took a good half hour but I gradually caught them up. They were from an organized ride with 15 spread out participants from Perth to Sydney then going to New Zealand and not finishing until November! Had a chat for a while and it was nice to know others were suffering in the headwind too. I left them behind as I was off to try some birdwatching later so time was tight. They were going to have a day off the next day then will be doing some shorter days than me, so I doubt I’ll see them again.

The trip today was from a spot 50 km east of Ravensthorpe and then nearly to Esperance before taking a cut off and heading north to out motel at Gibson’s Soak. When I turned north I lost the headwind and could enjoy the last 10 km or so in the sunshine. Well enjoy it apart from the regular mobbing by nesting Australian Magpies that were a little tiresome. Presumably they felt the same about me. Mandy saw a lady cyclist from the group ride who had sticks in her helmet to fend them off!

Arrived at the rather rundown motel and then went back to Esperance to a lake which was supposed to hold a bird we wanted. If it did, it was hiding well. Town was deserted as there was an important Aussie Rules Football final on. Had lasagna in Italian place that had wi-fi but not enough umph to update the blog! Infuriating country.

142 km today in 5 hours 24 minutes – an average of 25.5km. Total so far 743km

 A truck gives Chris a wide berth as most of them thankfully do.

 Our lunchstop

 We've seen lots of these signs but have yet to see a Kangaroo jumping over a cow.

I'm not the only fool on a bike. I caught these guys up. They were Aussies on an organised trip for 15 cycling Perth to Sydney then onto New Zealand and at a much more relaxed pace than I have allowed myself. They are out there until November!

Insect repellent is essential equipment at the lake we have been hurrying to visit near Esperance. Shame the birds did not show up too.

Friday 21^st September

Intended early start is delayed as we have Purple Crowned Lorikeets feeding in trees outside the room. They are not rare but usually seen flying very fast calling as they go so it is nice to see them close up, albeit partially hidden by the flowers they are feeding on. It is warm when I set off to head 69km south east down highway 40. It is quite a well worn and smooth surface and the undulations are less pronounced than yesterday. I get to the junction with the South Coast Highway (Highway 1) at a fast (for me!) average of 20 mph (32 kph). Here we stop at the library where we’ve heard there is internet access. They’re right so we can publish the first few days of the blog but fear everyone will have lost interest and forgotten about it. We go to the Palace Hotel which reviews suggest serve huge meals. They must have changed chefs as the fish and chips we have is rather a small portion. After ordering it we realise there is a chance of a bird we have missed before south of here down on the coast at Hopetoun. I therefore plan to do just another 50 km east before Mandy picks me up and we return to Ravensthorpe after a diversion to the seaside town. As I leave town I’m mobbed by another Butcherbird and this time it actually hits my cycling helmet but luckily it’s glancing blow. They are very persistent but I eventually get away. The undulations are larger again and there is a strong headwind making headway very tiring. After I get picked up and head back the hills I’ve climbed look even worse than they felt for me. I forget to turn my Strava off so the car journey is recorded too!

The trip down to Hopetown is as pleasant as the rather theatrical motel proprietor told us and we see Emu and Kangaroo along the way. Alas we don’t see the Hooded Plover we are after though we do see signs about them on the beach. We find a range vehicle and ask the range about them. She says she thinks they nest on the airfield where she also works. Luckily before we head off there we see a picture on her phone – but it is a different bird that is there.

Back to the motel to eat pizza, turning down the suggestion of an Indian meal at the restaurant across the road. It does not seem sensible to risk tummy trouble with some long rides in the next few days.

It was only about 20 degrees C today but all my clothes are salt encrusted.

120.5 km today with 4hours and 10 minutes in the saddle at an average of 28.9 kph. 601.0 km so far.

Purple Crowned Lorikeet that delayed departure

 Leaving Lake King Tavern after the birds had flown.

 Farm Gate "Art" is a bit of a thing around here!

 The Palace Hotel in Ravensthorpe, gets even worse reviews than where we are staying

 Our motel room

In the late afternoon we went another 50km to the seaside.

It was cold and we did not see the bird we were after.

Thursday 20^th September - nearly 100 miles directly east.

Breakfast outside in the sun at Mary’s Farm Cottages but with a coat on as it was chilly. Saw a Western Corella (a white parrot restricted to this area) amongst other birds. By 8.40 when I started it had warmed up enough to not need a gillet. Reduced tyre pressure seems to work bringing the feeling down from danger of destruction to just unpleasant! Cycled a total of 158 km which showed on Strava as 99.7 miles. If I’d realized I’d have gone up the road a bit to make the 100! Route was entirely on the highway 107 which was nearly all straight easterly with a variable head and side wind. 

Passed through Lake Grace and Newdegate, having a roadhouse meal of pie and chips in the sun outside the latter. I did pass over Lake Grace and Lake King salt lakes but other than that it was arable farmland with occasional patches of Mallee woodand. Oh, and the road was an unrelenting series of large undulations, so apart from over the lakes themselves I was either pedaling uphill or going down the next dip. Mostly it felt like uphill! Keith will remember such straight undulating roads from the latter stages of the USA trip but this is just cycling day 4. No internet at the isolated Lake King Tavern where we stay tonight but if and when we ever do get online I’ll be interested to see how much elevation gain I did today. Oh and just before the end I was mobbed by a butcherbird as I cycled. It would have had a shock if it had made contact with my helmet.

157.9 km today. 480.5 km so far. That’s 300 miles and over 10% of the total distance.

Undulating road and Lake King in distance

Lake King Salt Lake

Salt on Lake Grace

Yes there are some road-trains!

Oversize load passes Chris

All day was a series of undulations like this!

Roadtrain up close

Bobtailed Lizard

Snake

Bike in a tree. Thankfully not Chris's

Beer at the end of just under 100 miles

Wednesday 19^th September – Rough roads south and east

Early birdwatching followed by taking the bike to Narrogin where I restart my ride at 11 am to ride to stay in holiday cottage near the settlement of Kukerin. It is sunny but cool enough for a long-sleeved jersey and never get over heated. 50 km south to Wagin a town we visited on a previous trip and never thought we’d return. It is home to an enormous Ram statue which gives an indication of what is important round here! It is a farming and railway town. The main street is from the early 1900s and apart from changing the windows they’ve done little else since! Have a filling Lasagna at the Lamb Shank Café which I fear may be the best in town. Head east to Dumbleyung where there is a lake where Sir Malcolm Campbell set records in one of his Bluebird boats. There is a replica in a memorial in the centre of this very small town. Then it is just 36 km to a small collection of new holiday cottages. Sit on the patio with a cold Emu lager and watch the sun set before the temperature drops. Main problem today was the rough granular road surface on the main roads here. The last 50 or more km were very harsh on me and the bike. I put foam pipe insulation on the handlebars to help iron out the vibrations from my wrists. My small bike computer that measures the speed and distance packed up. A battery change seemed to solve it but then it happened again, so I fear the vibrations may have damaged it. This will be a problem as it tells me when to expect turns etc.  As I end the day I have no internet again so cannot update the blog. I reduce my tyre pressure to try to cope better with the rough surfaces tomorrow. It was nothing like this on the USA roads, not even in Texas which had the roughest roads we encountered.

Small scorpion in room tonight and a possibly live snake on the road today.

126.6 km today. 322.6 km so far (bike Odo reset to zero today)

Starting from Narrogin

Wagin - Home of the Giant Ram!

Lunch at the Lambshank Cafe in Wagin

The replica Bluebird at Dumbleyung

End of the day at Kukerin with a can of amber nectar

Tuesday 18th September – Just Bird and Marsupial watching

Intentional day off. Starts at 4 degrees C and it stays cold all morning. Plenty of layers and heating on in car. Go to several spots for our missing birds but don’t wee them. Very pleasant woodland drives and no other cars seen. No Numbats seen either which is an elusive small marsupial that eats termites by day. After daylight we also do a drive in the dark and see 2 Woylies which are rabbit sized hopping marsupials and several Brush Tailed Possums showing well in trees near the car spotted by Mandy who hangs out window with powerful torch looking for eyeshine. One has a youngster on its back. We also see two Southern Boobook Owls (named after he call they make) and a very obliging Tawny Frogmouth posing on a fence.

No cycling today

Blue Breasted Fairy Wren tiny bird only found in small area of Western Australia

Blue Breasted Fairy Wren getting agitated and displaying against the recording I'm playing from my phone.

Western Ring-necked Parrot.- common and very vocal

Tawny Frogmouth - night hunter, in the spotlight.

Monday 17th September - Birdwatching and biking

Get up early for birdwatching before I ride. Spend some time looking for the two birds we missed last year. As I type this we’ve still not seek or heard them but have had a pleasant time failing! It is down to 2 degrees C and only gets just into double figures at midday. Room has heating but the bathroom does not.

We drive me back to yesterday’s finish and I cycle back and carry on to Narrogin which is small but the biggest place for miles. A shameful 65 km for the day! I was going to do some more but by Narrogin it was cold, windy and grey so not very encouraging. We have an oriental honey coated chicken with rice, noodles and veg. Very tasty and a large portion of chicken. Could be the best café in this uninspiring little town that seems to have started as a railway town for shipping agricultural products.

We pack the bike up and go back to the cabin before going out to Barna Mia where they have captive nocturnal mammals that come to food for the likes of us to see. Several species about the size of a large rabbit or small hare. We see the Bilby that we most wanted to see. Boobook Owl calling from tree near our cabin. And so to bed in our kitchen!

68 km today at 27.7 kph - 196 km total so far.

Our lodge in Dryandra Forest - home for three nights

Cycling back passed the entrance to Dryandra

Bilby - our favourite nocturnal marsupial

Sunday 16^th September- I start the cycle and Mandy changes cars.

Up early and pack up. Tyre dropped 3 psi so call the roadside assistance we’ve luckily paid for. They come out and find a nail in tyre. Change to spare for us but no tyre repair places open on Sunday (bad planning!) We do the traditional start pictures on the beach with wheel of bike in the Indian Ocean before I set off through the suburbs to Armadale then down the Albany Highway to the south east. Mandy to go back to see if Hertz have a wheel of a similar car.

I’m wearing reflective arm covers but it is cold enough to enjoy them as arm warmers as it is cool & windy but sunny. Started the climb up onto the Darling Ranges. They are taller than the Cotswolds but the gradient is very gentle, so I could stay on the big ring. Caught up an Aussie out for his Sunday ride on a Scott bike like mine, with over 120 km done for him. Well that was his excuse for hi going slower than me! Must have been cold when he started. Chatted for a bit and he warned about granular, “grippy” road surface ahead and the big trucks. Not too many of the latter but the surface was rough on the arms and wrists. He was going a bit slowly for me so I said good bye and set off on my own.

Cycled a total of 96km to reach the Threeways Roadhouse where I was due to meet Mandy. I beat her there and order fish and chips but settle for water from my bottle to drink as the coke was over £5 a can! Mandy turns up in a different, slightly snazzier Kia Sportage given by Herz rather than change or fix the wheel. After I eat I decide to do another 30 km or so to reduce tomorrows ride and Mandy picks me up near a place called Wandering and we drive to our wilderness cabin in Dryandra Woodlands where we’ll stay for three nights. Arrive at dusk and check into our one roomed cabin. It’s like a kitchen with a double bed in it! Do a night drive and see Kangaroos which operate night and day but nothing else seen.

I’d forgotten to turn Strava on for first 36km and then phone died just before the pick up. I’d intended to use all trip but may not do so as want phone for photos and emergencies.

128 km today at 27.3 kph including some messing around at start.

Starting on the Beach by the Indian Ocean

About to leave hire car number 1 

Our home for three nights - bedsit land in the forest!

Saturday 15^th September – Arrival Day

Flight with Ethiad was OK changing at Abu Dhabi. As being pushed back at Heathrow the APU stopped and all electrics went off but when rebooted it was quickly back to normal and we were on our way. On arrival at Perth the bike box had made it relatively unscathed. It was sunny but cool. Picking the car up (Kia Sportage just serviced for our long trip) is very easy at Perth and we were on our way at 2pm to get some shopping done – Cycle helmet matching the Aussi regulations and a coolbox were top of the list. After some food shopping stopped for something to eat at Aussie fast food chain Hungry Jacks. Not great but fast and relatively cheap. Eating in Australia is expensive by UK and USA standards. Noticed a rear tyre looked soft. Re-inflate at nearby garage and drive to first night’s accommodation in a cabin on a caravan park on the coast where we’ve stayed before. Tyre still up as we unpack car and reassemble bike. To bed worrying about tyre. No time to update blog.

My Steed

Well here is the tool for the job, I hope. Scott CR1 before packing...

...and this is what it will look like when I get around to packing it away.