Worthos Cycle Southwest OZ - 2009

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We are Graham & Jenny - the Worthos. Over 34 days in July/August 2009 we completed our first long cycle trip. The route was a 2000km anti-clockwise journey south along the tarmac from Perth to Mandurah, Bundbury, Bussellton, Dunsborough, Yalingup, Margaret River, Karidale, along Stewart Road to Pemberton, then on to Northcliffe, Shannon, Walpole, Denmark, Albany, north along the Chesterpass Road to Porongurup, Stirling Range Retreat, Ongerup, Lake Grace, Kulin, Wickepin, Brookton, York, Northam, Mundaring, and back to Perth.

We carried our clothing and camping equipment, spares and tools and apart from shadowing each other the entire trip was unsupported. Each bike was equipped with front and rear Ortlieb Roller Classic panniers and we each had an Ultimate 5 Plus handlebar bag. Each bike was loaded with approximately 30kg of gear distributed over the four paniers. Jenny's bike (Jbike) is a Trek 520 tourer and Graham's bike (Gbike) is a Surly Long Haul Trucker. We chose Surly racks front and rear on each bike to carry our rather heavy panniers. Apart from two punctures on Jbike in the last two days of the journey and a single, rather spectacular blowout on Gbike in the town of Kulin, our journey was completed without any gear failure or problems.

For cyclists, the edge/shoulder of the road governs the comfort, safety and speed of the journey. The entirety of our trip was on sealed roads with variable shoulder conditions. Over the trip we experienced many different road surfaces and we would welcome an opportunity to advise road engineers on the preferred road surface to keep the growing cyclist fraternity both happy and safe. The best road situation for cyclists is where there is a painted white line up to a meter wide along the left shoulder which creates a visual barrier between vehicles and cyclists. Western Australia is a bike-conscious state and most cities and towns have dedicated bike paths or, as is often the case, a marked bike lane along the left shoulder of the road to protect the cyclist. Throughout this trip the road width, and therefore shoulder conditions varied. Fortunately, for much of our trip the traffic volume was low. Being mid-winter also meant there were few tourist buses and cars and we were also fortunate to travel through the vast wheat and sheep areas at a time when the massive road trains were off the road.

Our Trip Diary:
Two days of pre trip preparation and exploring bike paths in Perth.
Day 1. Perth to Mandurah 79km
Day 2. Mandurah to Australind 92km
Day 3. Australind to Busselton
Day 4. Busselton to Yallingup
Day 5. Yallingup to Margaret River
Day 6. Margaret River
Day 7. Margaret River to Alexandra Bridge Crossing
Day 8. Alexandra Bridge Crossing to Pemberton
Day 9. Pemberton to Northcliffe
Day 10. Northcliffe to Shannon National Park Camping Ground
Day 11. Shannon National Park to Walpole
Day 12. Walpole to Denmark
Day 13. Denmark to Albany
Day 14-17. Albany
Day 18. Albany to Porongurup
Day 19. Porongurup to Striling Range Retreat
Day 20. Stirling range retreat to Ongerup Day
Day 21. Ongerup to Lake Grace
Day 22. Lake Grace to Kulin
Day 23-27. Kulin
Day 28 Kulin to Wickepin
Day 29. Wickepin to Brookton
Day 30. Brookton to York
Day 31. York
Day 32. York to Northam
Day 33. Northam to Mundaring
Day 34. Mundaring to Perth
Post trip treats in Perth

Day 1. Perth to Mandurah 79km
Our ride into Freo (Fremantle) was our first introduction to cycling up hills with loaded panniers and city traffic- not for the minimalists. The importance of a good road shoulder became apparent. After visiting Fleet Cycles we had our obligatory stop at the Freo bakery and Dome coffee shop before taking to the highway once more and making our way southward to Mandurah. Great ride with a good shoulder and fantastic tail wind (top speed over 30kph, a benchmark for the future). Checked into the Tree Tops Tourist park and put our weary legs to rest.

Day 2. Mandurah to Australind 92km
Set off at gentleman's hours along the Old Coast Road heading for Busselton. Good shoulder once again made for easier riding, but still a challenging day’s ride. By late afternoon the weather had taken a turn for the worse and we found ourselves caught in heavy rain and pushing into a strong headwind. By dusk, we were looking for shelter and faced with fading daylight and bad weather Australind seemed a safe haven for two weary cyclists. We secured a cabin at the Australind Tourist Park and sourced a good Ozy steak and a glass of red at the Tavern next door.

Day 3. Australind to Busselton 65km
Gentleman’s hours saw us once again on the road. Took the Busselton Hwy and the good shoulder again proved a winner for safety and comfort (if riding a bicycle all day is your idea of comfort). Weather fairly kind with just a few showers on the journey - nothing to complain about. Stayed at the Amaroo motel and checked out a few of the local eateries. After just 3 days of cycling we were beginning to realize that late nights and nightclubs were not going to feature in our trip (not that there were many nightclubs to be found anyway). The kilometers were starting to build in the muscle memory and the quads and hamstrings were getting a little fragile at times - ah, what some people do for entertainment.

Day 4. Busselton to Yallingup
Breakfast by the sea and a wonderful cycle along an amazing seaside bike path, one of the best we have seen. Eventually the path took us onto Caves Road and we continued along this for the remainder of the day’s ride. No shoulder, but the traffic was kind. The approach to our beachside camping site at Yallingup was down a huge hill with some amazing views of the Indian Ocean. Set up camp and explored the sights of Yallingup, a very quick exercise, not much happening in Yallingup.

Day 5. Yallingup to Margaret River
Repacked the panniers and began the steep climb out of Yallingup. Discovered a great little country café to indulge our taste buds and then off along Caves Rd once more. It was a very scenic road but gusty winds and rather undulating/hilly for cycling. We were quick to understand that any road deemed scenic or a tourist path was a sure bet to involve hills. Lots of wineries and happy tourists on sampling tours in the Margaret River area. We were pleased to see the welcome sign into Margaret River.

Day 6. Margaret River
Rest day in Margaret River. Spent the day on one of the many wonderful wine tours (6 wineries, lunch, chocolates and cheese, what more could you ask for) and enjoyed the company of some interesting people who had joined the same tour. A good move to leave the bikes behind for the day.

Day 7. Margaret River to Alexandra Bridge Crossing
Kept with tradition and set off at gentleman’s hours. Took Busselton Hwy instead of Caves Road, hoping to ride along a good shoulder, but misjudged the hwy, no shoulder to speak of. The traffic was fine and posed no problems. Decided to spend the night at Alexandra Bridge camping Ground. Beautiful part of Oz! Met one of the locals Sandy (a volunteer park ranger), who shared some of that old-fashioned country hospitality and repaid us a visit at dinner time with a pot of delicious homemade pumpkin soup. Just what two cold and weary cyclists needed.

Day 8. Alexandra Bridge Crossing to Pemberton
Panniers packed and our camp site breakfast finished, we set off on the next leg of the journey. Not sure if it was to be Pemberton or Nannup. Luck to have a tail wind today, and the road not too hilly. We were both feeling strong and up for a challenge so decided to take the Stewart Road to the Vasse Hwy. Again no shoulder, but traffic understanding and sparse. Vasse Hwy into Pemberton very scenic (code for hilly), beautiful country side and massive tall Karri and Jarrah tree forests. The rain had brought out the wonderful colours of the trees and the scent of the forest was breath taking, something best experienced on a bike - absolutely amazing! Last few kilometers into Pemberton were a screaming down hill thrill. Never travelled that fast on a bicycle before. Soaked with rain, heavy panniers and tired - we were glad to reach the motel.

Day 9. Pemberton to Northcliffe
After speaking with a local cyclist we headed toward Northcliffe as it was said to be the most sheltered and most scenic road. Only trouble was, it involved climbing the massive hill we had ridden down yesterday. Man, that was an even steeper hill to climb back to the top. Time heals all pain and we thoroughly enjoyed our cycle into Northcliffe, even though we got rained on and we were thankful for our thermals and wet weather gear. The tall timber forests are amazing and being on bicycles made the trees seem even taller. We felt like tiny ants moving along the road. We finally reached Northcliffe and secured our room for the night. The Northcliffe hotel served a great steak with an amazing 11 veggies! The jury was still out on the watering hole that served the best Ozy red, so it was decided it needed more research.

Day 10. Northcliffe to Shannon National Park Camping Ground
Poured rain all night, but had eased by morning. Ride along Middleton Road very scenic, beautiful tall timber forests continued - this time predominantly Tingle trees. Slowed down for some steep hills just before South Western Hwy, leading into Shannon National Park. Lady luck was with us at Shannon Camping ground and we secured one of the two wooden huts available to travellers. Very rustic and Cikgu took charge of central heating system, a potbelly stove that needed constant attention - using only wet wood. A rather basic meal of baked beans eaten from the can, which had been heated on top of the very hot potbelly stove.

Day 11. Shannon National Park to Walpole
First 20km were hilly, not an easy ride but really beautiful massive trees. The riding eventually became a little easier as we rode into the more open areas, which were ‘heavy’ with the scent of the blossoming wattles - stunning! Last 15km found us back in the tall tree forests, very hilly and wet. Not the place for the chain to come of your bike. Cikgu to the rescue, and Jen was on her way again - may chivalry never die. The last 5km into Walpole was a very wet ride. Almost too taxing for the wet weather gear, thank heavens for the Ortlieb Classic Roller panniers, worth every dollar we spent on them as our gear remained totally dry. Arrived at the hotel looking like two drowned rats - one of them seriously core cold.

Day 12. Walpole to Denmark
After a visit to the well managed visitors centre for information on the road ahead and a stop at the local bakery to indulge in those yummy country treats we were ready to hit the road once again. The sky looked very ominous and we were sure that it was going to be another one of those drenching rides to the next stop, but someone was looking after us. The day turned out to be a perfect cycling day. Came across a fantastic teahouse at Nornalup and sampled some amazing cakes, luckily we were both burning some pretty serious calories during the day. 17km into the ride we took the road into the Valley of the Giants. Steep, hilly climb at times, but the most amazing scenery. Up close and personal with some of the biggest trees we have seen. The perfumes of the forest were magnificent, something magnified from the seat of a bicycle. You really became part of the fabric of the forest and we loved every moment of the ride. Back onto the main road into Denmark we cycled through some great farming country, absolutely stunning. Good road to cycle on, good shoulder and not a lot of traffic, although it was a little hilly at times. 14km out of Denmark was a killer climb, the 2km seemed like four and the Worthos were digging deep. Kangaroos were passing us going up hill. We finally made it into Denmark and found a good tavern/motel to rest our weary bodies.

Day 13. Denmark to Albany
We stopped for breaky at a great little coffee shop in Denmark, McSweeny’s Café to replenish energy for the days ride. Took the South coast Hwy and the first 10km presented a hilly ride, but we had an amazing tail wind. Traffic a lot busier for the first part of the trip. Road eventually flattened out and once again blessed us with a good shoulder to ride on for about 20km. Last 10km of the day’s ride was hilly again. We were amazed to see massive wind turbines on the Albany coastline. We got into Albany at about 2.30pm and secured our accommodation at the Dolphin Lodge, in the Middleton Beach area. Time to celebrate, as we had reached what we considered to be the half way point, both geographically and emotionally.

Day 14-17. Albany
We spent four days in Albany. Had our bikes serviced, splurged on some cycling gear, bought new gel saddles (shear luxury for weary bums) and did lots of walking and riding around the town. We also rewarded ourselves by watching hours of the Tour De France, something that had eluded us during our travels, as most TV channels were covering the cricket. With batteries recharged and the forecast of favourable weather conditions, we were packed and ready for the second half of the journey. For the first time we weren't heading south or east. We were about to head Nor nor east, towards the ruggedly beautiful and imposing Stirling Range out into the relatively flat wheat and sheep agricultural area, referred to as The Great Southern region.

Day 18. Albany to Porongurup
After having our final coffee at the Bay Merchants Deli (the coffee became almost a daily ritual, we had struck up a friendship with the proprietors of the Bay Merchant Deli, a wonderful little gourmet place close to our accommodation - a favourite meeting place for the Albany Cyclist Club). We headed off along another beautiful seaside bike path with amazing ocean views. After 20 minutes we joined the Chester Pass Road and headed for the Porongurup National Park. Good ride, only the last 8km hilly. Found a magic little Teahouse, the only shop option, we should add. It served great food and the owner gave us helpful advice about the local wineries. We had phoned from Albany and organized our stay at the Porongurup Chalets, but before checking in we visited the nearby Jingalla Winnery to sample some of the local gourmet foods and wines of the region.

Day 19. Porongurup to Striling Range Retreat
Set off for the Stirling Range and on the adivice of the chalet owner we took the Spring Road as a shortcut. Yes a short cut… but a gravel road that was badly corrugated, not a pleasant ride and hard on Jen's injured left wrist. Back on the main road, a better ride with slight undulating sections, although some sections had been recently sealed and the surface was difficult to ride on. Closer to Stirling Range Retreat, which was our destination for the night, we had our second amazing down hill run, this time it lasted for about 10km and we reached speeds of over 44kph with loaded panniers. Hoping all would stay tight, no stray wildlife or flat tyres at that speed. We stayed in the rammed earth cabins that night.

Day 20. Stirling Range Retreat to Ongerup
A cold cloudy day greeted us for the ride to Ongerup. Interestingly, along the boundary fence, adjacent to our cabin there was a grass landing strip and before setting off we had a chat with an amazing 90 year old glider pilot. He and others were preparing their flimsy aircraft to ride the thermals over Bluff Point. It was a difficult ride today due to the weather and road conditions - hilly ride with a strong westerly wind on our left front quarter. Eventually we rolled into Ongerup, rather weary and feeling cold.

Day 21. Ongerup to Lake Grace
Another cold, cloudy day with a constant westerly wind, although not as strong as yesterday. First 20km hilly and difficult at times, but then it leveled out going into Pingurup. On arriving at Pingurup we decided to ride on to Lake Grace. Our longest days riding thus far, 106km. We were wacked but jubilant to reach Lake Grace after such a big day in the saddle. The last 56km presented both sections of hilly, difficult riding. Fortunately all hills do have downsides and these were always the reward for our hard efforts. The last 10km was a welcomed down hill run for two very weary, but contended riders.

Day 22. Lake Grace to Kulin
Breakfast at Rosie’s Coffee Shop and a packed lunch ready for the day’s ride. The Worthos headed off northwest towards Kulin and a period off our bikes. Light westerly blowing and abundant sunshine we thought the ride was going to be routine, as the locals had assured us that it was a flat and good sealed road was waiting. We have since learned that the term flat or gently undulating to a motorist is a very different scenario for a cyclist. Our ride into Kulin was not an easy one. A newly sealed road with coarse screening in the asphalt, an increasingly stronger side wind and a rather hilly course. We were glad to see the end of the ride by mid afternoon. Due to the distances between towns, lunch was often a stop along the side of the road with not another person insight, except each other. The last 10km into Kulin is known as the Tin Horse Hwy. This fascinating 10km stretch was one of slowest on our travels as we stopped at each tin horse sculpture to take photos (see a sample in this report). Kulin is famous for its Bush Race Carnival held every August. The locals have been creatively competitive in constructing all manner of humorous racing-related sculptures from drums and surplus farm equipment.

Day 23-27. Kulin
We spent five wonderful days in Kulin with family. Enjoying the atmosphere of a small country town and the sights/tourist icons of the surrounding region, such as Wave Rock. Our legs had a chance to rest and it was great to enjoy some time with our family. We joined in the celebrations for Lana’s fourth birthday, with lots of cup cakes and laughter. It was very special for Poppy to walk Emma to her school nearby.

Day 28 Kulin to Wickepin
It was hard to say goodbye, but it was time to hit the road again with bodies re-energized and the major part of our journey behind us. We had a good ride into Wickepin. The road was not too undulating with very little traffic. We stayed at the Wickepin Hotel and enjoyed the atmosphere of an old fashioned country hotel, whose best days were long since past.

Day 29. Wickepin to Brookton
Left Wickepin with the option of stopping at Pingelly, or riding onto Brookton. Ou peddle into Pingelly was a hard ride against a strong north westerly wind and the road was quite hilly. There was only one flat section in the middle for about 10km. On arriving at Pingelly and after a welcome meat pie and coffee, we decided to advance our programme and ride a further 20km to Brookton. It was a good ride into Brookton and we stayed at the Brookton Club Hotel. Again, this was a typical old fashioned country hotel in excellent condition, with a grand old dinning room where we enjoyed our breakfast the next morning.

Day 30. Brookton to York
Set off from Brookton with the option of a short ride (30km) into Beverley or a longer ride (63km) into York. It was a good ride into Beverley and we made good time with speeds ranging between 22-34kmph. After a brief stop in Beverley for lunch we decided to ride on to York. We had been told by the locals that it was very hilly in the York region and as we rode on we dreaded the arrival of the hilly challenges that we had heard so much about and had experienced in other sections of our travels. Hills and loaded panniers are not good combinations for an enjoyable ride. Yes, the region around York is very hill, but thankfully for us, the road follows the meandering course of Avon River. On reaching York, we checked into the Settler’s House, a very historic building, which according to the local is haunted by a very mischievious, but friendly ghost.

Day 31. York
We had a rest day in York and enjoyed the old world charm of the town. It is a very historic town and they have gone to great lengths to restore the buildings to their former glory. This is a very popular tourist stop for many travellers and the price for accommodation and food reflected this so we rested for just one day.

Day 32. York to Northam
After getting more advice about local road conditions from an enthusiastic fellow touring cyclists we headed off along the road to Northam, skirting around the massive hill dominating the northern skyline. Generally speaking, a good ride with a few undulating sections. Not too strenuous (or perhaps we were just getting more accustomed to the challenges). There was very little traffic and the threatening weather took a turn for the better. Northam was a rather disappointing destination for us, especially when you consider the natural beauty and early colonial history of the place. It seemed to be lacking something - a soul, or maybe just a progressive town council. It was suggested by Hotelier Patrick that because many of the shops are owned by wives of wealthy farmers with a part-time commitment to operating a business, Northam was not likely to be an attractive destination for visitors - despite being relatively close by car and rail to Perth.

Day 33. Northam to Mundaring
Another cold, cloudy day, but very little wind to take into consideration. It was however, a very strenuous day of riding. Very hilly and lots of traffic, trucks… BIG ONES and many vehicles towing horse floats - returning from attending an equestrian event in Northam. We stopped at Bakers Hill bakery for lunch, along with a group of 75+ bikies and their amazing shiny silver and black machines. This was obviously the place with the best food, surely all the bikies couldn’t be wrong. It was just little daunting rocking up on our push bikes and parking them in the middle of so many expensive machines with their owners seriously decked out in their leathers. Ah, but we managed… and did it in style, sitting there proudly side by side sharing stories of each party's biking adventures. I think they thought we were a few bricks short of a barbeque. They were suitably interested in the adventure the Worthos had undertaken and had all but completed - considering one of us (the cyclists) was a mere female. Jen was pleased Cikgu set this guy straight on his rather warped view on the capabilities of female cyclists.

After an interesting lunch, we had no sooner got started up the next hill, when we encountered our first flat tire of the entire trip, pretty amazing. We pushed on to Mundaring, but due to the truffle Festival in Mundaring we stayed on the outskirts of the town at the Traveller’s Rest. During the night we made the necessary repairs to the tube. With no shops close by, the evening meal was “What ever is left in the food pannier”, a rather interesting combination of treats. We stayed cozy and warm as the weather took a turn for the worse. Glad to be off the road.

Day 34. Mundaring to Perth
Rode the 1km into the town centre and warmed with information from the visitor’s centre and a hot meat pie from the bakery, we decided to ride on into Perth instead of staying an extra night at the Mundaring Weir (7km from Mundaring). The bad weather set in just after we had committed ourselves to the ride into Perth. To add to our woes we scored the second flat tire of the entire journey, but luckily it was just before the BIG decent down the Darling escarpment into Perth. The weather was really bad at this stage, strong winds and gusty rain. Not the most enjoyable way to ride into Perth or to complete an epic journey. Just the same, it was a GREAT feeling to be safely down that steep descent and back in the outer suburbs of Perth. Once in the city, we paused for a celebratory MISSION ACCOMPLISHED embrace before checking into the Perth City YHA and were able to persuade them to allow us to take our bikes into our ground floor room.

Post trip treats in Perth
We spent the next four days enjoying Perth and its many beautiful bike paths. The Perth Around the River Ride (60KM) is a magnificent way to see the sights of Perth city from different locations. Sections of the ride are hilly, but the scenery is magnificent and certainly worth the effort. The bike facilities in Perth are amazing. I’m not sure why more people don’t make use of them. One of our days in Perth before our departure back to Singapore was spent on a wine tour of the Swan Valley. This was a great wine tour and a top way to see the Swan Valley region. The wines were pretty amazing also. Our last part of the Bike Adventure was dismantling our beloved bikes and packing them securely away in the bike boxes, ready for the flight back to Singapore.

A truly AWESOME ADVENTURE!

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