March 20, 2024
Have I mentioned the pea gravel?
Dandalup hut to Dwellingup
It was quite windy again overnight which kept the insects away, although we did pitch the inner shell of our tents on the platforms in the hut just in case. It was chilly as well so my fleece jacket got another airing.
A cup of tea, breakfast of muesli and baby food (apple pear and cinnamon is my favourite) and a coffee via my Aeropress rounded off breakfast nicely. We made a coffee for Shea before she headed off on her leisurely 120 kilometre ride before 7am.
Without the onerous responsibility of navigation weighing heavily on my shoulders, I could concentrate my efforts on whinging about the pea gravel. And didn’t I do a good job on that. Just ask Pete! There were probably less sections with the stuff but they were probably the worst we’d encountered. It was bike surfing downhill and an interminably slow trudge up. I’m not even sure Shea would have been able to get up some of then. She had really fat tyres on her bike, 65mm wide tyres compared to our 45mm.
Todays ride was a mix of forest tracks, gravel roads and single track. We even had a short stint on a sealed road. Bloody luxury! The forest is changing again. We’re leaving the Jarrah and entering the Marri forests which are impressively tall and ancient. A bit like Pete really.
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9 months ago
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of birdlife around; it’s very quiet and peaceful. That was until we heard the low drone of some mechanical contraption that got louder and louder as we approached. Turns out it’s a massive conveyor that transports bauxite 100 kilometres away to Collie. We could hear it’s endless drone for at least an hour, which, whilst annoying from my perspective, gave Pete a respite from my pea gravel whingathon.
We got to Dwellingup by the respectable time of 3pm having encountered our first person or vehicle as we entered town. After hoovering down the best ever chocolate milkshake we rode back up a hill to the Dwellingup caravan park and our luxury chalet. It has a bed and a shower so that qualifies as luxury. Chalet? Not so sure about that.
Post shower the first job was washing our clothes. The laundry was at the far end of this resort, just past the chairlifts and the beginners ski run, so that added an easy kilometre onto our days total. Somehow all my putrid clothes ended up in the Westinghouse washomatic circa 1990’s machine still in the plastic bag I’d stuffed them into. They did manage to slowly work their way out of the bag but I fear they missed the first few vital cycles as they came out only marginally less filthy than when they went in. On a positive note my laundry bag has never been cleaner. Too late for another wash, we’re off to the pub for dinner and a beer.
Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 191 km (119 miles)
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