May 8, 2011
Day Two: North Dardanup to Dwellingup: It's uphill!
It was 09:00 by the time I got up and going. Did I mention it was uphill? This not the way for an old man (an out of shape old man) to start off a long distance cycle ride. But on the positive side, this is really the only significant hill between here and Adelaide.
Day six note to day one self: why did I say that?
All touring cyclists dread headwinds. Add a steep incline and a narrow road with no shoulder. But cycling in the Jarrah forest does have its consolations - it was pretty. 3 hrs later I'm in Dwellingup - not a problem (my legs don't agree with that statement). I was considering pushing beyond here on the back road to Williams and stealth camping again, but remembering my promise to take it easy... I stopped for lunch at the pub and I'm spending the night at the motor camp. They have lodging for Bibbulmum track walkers - a small "dog box" of a room with a bed and table for $30 a night. I hope my snoring doesn't keep the other lodgers awake - and here's hoping theirs won't have even the slightest impact on me.
And did I mention the road kill and the flies? Poor kangaroos get slaughtered on the roads at night. Like deer on the US roads, they are blinded by car headlights and don't stand a chace. There are lots of kangaroos in the bush, and consequently lots of road kill. Unless they are fresh kill, the aroma can be invigorating. Australia is also famous for its flies, but they aren't too much trouble on a bike if you going fast enough to outrun them. 5km per hr up a hill is not fast enough... Feasting on road kill, they lie in wait for unspecting cyclists. I was fly mugged quite a few times today.
My target for tomorrow's ride is the Quindanning Pub. They do great meals there.
Top speed: 54 km per hr on a steep but short lived downhill stretch and I paid for it with an immediate even steeper uphill.
Memorable moments: * The pub lunch and refreshing ale. * My wife drove up from Perth in the morning to see me off - it took her a bit over an hour by car .... ho hum * Swapping over my Katmandu knock-off camp mat for my wife's Thermarest - what a lifesaver.
Photos to follow
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Today's ride: 25 km (16 miles)
Total: 95 km (59 miles)
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