Day 28 Overlander Roadhouse to Bush Camp 121 km

I have had the most wonderful day. It was cold overnight and only 8 degrees at 6.00 am nevertheless I was packed and on the road by 6.45 pm after Karen brought me coffee while I was loading the bike.

For the 1st time in at least 10 days there was no wind and I was keen to make the most of the conditions. I reached Billabong Roadhouse 47 km on by 10.00 am where I had short break for a drink and a piece of cake.

Back on the road there was a mild tailwind and this helped power me through a succession of hills. Nothing major but continual rolling climbs and descents. Around 12.00 noon I had done about 80 km when a camper van pulled off the road ahead of me. I didn’t know why it had stopped so I passed it and kept going until a horn tooted. Then I realised the driver  had stopped to speak to me so I turned back.

Peter and Silvana have passed me at least 3 times since Broome and Peter had decided he wanted to have a chat. We had a really good chinwag and they gave me a bag of fruit, a coke and a bag of almonds. My lunch was suddenly looking a whole lot better.

My planned destination for the day Nerren Nerren Rest Stop was only 10 km further so it became my lunch stop. Just as I pulled in Terry and Chloe called me over for a chat. They both enjoy cycling and we had a good chat about bikes and the merits of Schwalbe Marathon tires in avoiding punctures.

There was a good shade shelter at Nerren Nerren so I took up residence for lunch and then read a book until 3.00 pm. I decided I could do another 30 km and then had the realisation that I would be in range of Northampton tomorrow which means I may be able to watch the Bulldogs v Hawks in the 1st Semi-final of the AFL.

The was wind now a bit contrary, sometimes helpful, sometimes not. All along the way there had been lots of wildflower however just around 4.45 pm I found myself among sandy heathland and the windflowers were abundant and magnificent. I decided I had to find a campsite so I could spend some time taking pictures in this area.

Luckily I found a small cutaway track that I could set up in and for once I was able to get tent pegs in the ground. Once the tent was up I went about with my camera. I feel privileged to be able to camp in such a beautiful place.

For dinner I had Mee Goreng followed by Mexican Tuna and rice with an orange for dessert and a cup of lemon and ginger tea. Perfect end to a great day.

Day 27 Woomeral to Overlander Roadhouse 75 km

An early start saw me on the road by 6.30 am. The wind seemed to have moderated and I was able to sit on 15 kph most of the way.

In the 1st hour there were some rocky hills on either side of the road. I stopped to climb one to get a better view.  From above I was surprised to see how flat and open the countryside was.

A little further on there was a lookout on another hill so I rode up to it. I was pretty happy that I was able to ride up the steep last section without effort even on a fully loaded touring bike.

Wildflowers were everywhere so I made a few stops to get pictures. In such a barren area the flowers really stand out.

I also crossed the 26th Parallel so I must be near North Korea (oh that is the 52nd Parallel)

Eventually got to Overlander by 1.00 pm in time for lunch. I was undecided on whether to go further so I found a spot in the shade so I could update the blog.

I had a nice chat with a couple of cyclists about touring and the GVBR. Chris invited me to stay at his place in Carnarvon. Pity I didn’t meet him to 2 days ago. His business card shows him to be a Moose Whisperer and Anchovy Trainer. Apparently his skills are not in demand so he has plenty of time for cycling.

Decided later that I would stay at Overlander. Probably the wrong decision as the camping area is a dump however for $11 a night I shouldn’t expect much. It got quite hot in afternoon so I thought it better to relax in the shade than push on.

Chris, Karen?, Ella and Sam who invited me to dinner.

Later in the afternoon a family arrived to stay in the camp park with their caravan. They invited me to join them for dinner of steak, sausages and veggies. Chris a Sydney builder and his family are spending 3 months travelling and have travelled via Broken Hill, Alice Springs and Darwin. We spent a lovely evening chatting and yes more free beer and the promise of coffee in the morning!

                           

 

Day 26 Carnarvon to Wooramel 120 km

At the start of the day my plan was to see if I could do 80 km into the wind. It was still blowing 30 kph from the South East and as that is the direction I was going it was tough.

I stopped at a servo and bought coffee and sandwiches and was on my way at 7.10 am
Quick stop at the Carnarvon Cemetery to check that there are no Salter, Meehan, Kilpatrick, Hargett, Dore or Bulwinkles in residence.

These palms are in a line outside the cemetery.

On the road it was just a slog into the wind. Rarely got over 14 kph and was often sitting on 12 kph. Not much traffic although every now and then some “oversize” loads came down the road.

It isn’t easy eating 2 minutes noodles with a fly net on!

 Not only was the wind annoying there are flies. Ever since entering the Gascoyne region flies descend in a swarm whenever I stop. I have taken to wearing my fly net when I take a break.

I saw 2 Thorny Devils beside the road. The 1st I almost ran over and had to take evasive action. By the time I stopped and turned around it was gone. The 2nd one was scampering away as I approached. I also saw lots of feral goats.

I had knocked off 60 km by lunch but there wasn’t any shade to rest under so I got back on the bike. Just after I had done 80 km there was a rest stop but it was too early to stop. By 4.15 pm I had done 90 km and I stopped in rest area and thought about camping there. It was very exposed to the wind and the ground was too hard to get tent pegs in so I got back on the bike.

As I went on there was less and less cover and I realised I could reach Wooramel if I kept going. I got there just on sunset. I was pretty pleased with myself because I have done longer days before but never this distance into a headwind. Totally knackered tonight, I will sleep very well in spite of the very loud generator in the camp park.

Day 25 Bush Camp to Carnarvon 60 km

Awoke about 5.00 am, still dark and lots of stars visible. Saw a shooting star  while I was having a pee. Had breakfast, muesli and a cup of coffee before packing up. The wind was still blowing hard from the South East..

Finally on the road at 7.00 am my latest start since Port Hedland. This lack of enthusiasm
Probably caused by the continual headwind. It wasn’t too bad for the 1st hour but then the wind got stronger. I found out later when I got to Carnarvon that it has been averaging 35 kph. No wonder I am finding it hard going.

Not much to see along the road apart from roadkill and occasional patches of windflowers.

Not far out from Carnarvon I crossed the Gascoyne River which was dry but must be a mighty river when it rains. Near the river are a number of banana plantations. A sign promised me a banana smoothie in 5 km but I didn’t find it.

About 10 km out I saw this gecko beside the road. It allowed me to get fairly close before trying to hide in some dried grass. It would have been hard to spot if I hadn’t seen where it was hiding.

Eventually got to Carnarvon and had a look around. Unfortunately the wind was making the beach and waterside uncomfortable so I didn’t spend long there. Had lunch sitting outside a café. A couple who have passed me on the road a number of times stopped for a chat.

Decided to find a caravan park back toward the road to Geraldton. There are a lot of caravan parks here, I didn’t like the 1st one I stopped at so I rode further and found one just beyond the IGA supermarket. It was a bit more upmarket and cost more than I would normally pay but it had good facilities and they were doing baked potatoes for dinner.

Dinner was very good and there were lots of crusties sitting around drinking. Not having planned this ahead I had water.

Day 24 Minilya Roadhouse to bush camp 80 km

After packing up I made a quick visit to the roadhouse for coffee and sandwiches and water.
The coffee was a disappointment, the sandwiches were excellent and the water was a fair price.

I checked the weather forecast last night and unfortunately the prediction of south easterly wind of 20-30 kph was accurate and it is supposed to continue for 3 days. This meant a slow slog into the wind all day.

I passed the turnoff to Minilya Station early in the day. It had this engine supporting a signpost.

It took until 11.00 am to cover the 45 km to Yalabia Rest Stop where I stopped to rest and have lunch. The only highlight was patches of a very pink wildflower in some places. Otherwise I just had my head down trying to progress into the wind.

After lunch it was much the same, For a period the wind seemed to ease and I was able to go faster and then the wind got stranger. By 4.00 pm I had covered 80 km which was 20 kn less than I wanted but I was just crawling along so I pulled off the road and made camp behind some trees.

I was pretty tired and hungry so once the tent was up I got into the food bag. Cup-a-soup, cheese and crackers and lemon and ginger tea all consumed rapidly. Later I had dinner Mexican Tuna and Beans with rice. It didn't take me long to get to sleep.

Day 23 Coral Bay to Minilya Roadhouse 98 km

I packed most of my stuff last night so I was out of the hostel at 6.30 am. After a quick visit to the bakery next door for coffee and sandwiches I was on my way. The wind was still trying to blow me back to Broome but my legs were fresh after the rest day so I made steady progress.

There were some windflowers around the Coral Bay turn-off but these were the only ones all day. For the most part today’s scenery was scrub. The 1st 20 km was just spinifex and not trees at all. After that it was scrub.

I passed this memorial to a local cowboy. Sadly roadside memorials are fairly common on Australia’s main highways. This one was more elaborate than most.  It even had a seat so you could sit and contemplate.

There was also more roadkill on this stretch of road. Plenty of dead kangaroos and wallabies, as well as 1 dead emu, and a dead snake. I also saw 2 live feral goats. Add that to the feral cat I saw a couple of days ago and you could assume  things are out of control. There were signs up in a couple of places advertising poison baiting for wild dogs. I haven’t heard any dingoes on this trip yet.

About 10.00 am I spotted another cyclist coming the other way. Chris is cycling around Australia for Beyond Blue. We had a nice chat. He is towing a bob trailer and had fishing gear so he is taking a very relaxed approach. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture.

Not long after meeting Chris I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. I can’t remember if there was sign when we crossed it going up the East coast 3 years ago.

After almost 70 km I arrived at the Lyndon River Rest Stop and pulled into the shade shelter for a rest and lunch. I cooked some 2 minutes noodles and ate some crackers. I had already eaten the sandwiches 20 km earlier. It was 1.00 pm and I had made steady progress but still had 30 km to go.

While I was sitting there Dianne and Al pulled in. They were surprised to see me on my own as I had told them I was meeting Tony at Coral Bay. I updated them and they told me that they had enjoyed Exmouth but that Tracey’s dog had been attacked by a bull terrier and seriously damaged. Tracey too had lacerations that required suturing. Al had helped fight the dog off.
Just after Dianne and Al left I saw Tracey go past in her van.

After lunch the wind lessened and I was able to go a bit faster. 5km after rejoining the main highway I reached Minilya Roadhouse.  I could have gone to the Rest Stop just past the river and camped for nothing but I decided to camp at the roadhouse for $15. This way I could get a shower.

The camp park was only had a couple of caravans in it. I had my choice of sites with nice grass.

Just after I set up Sue and John arrived in the caravan and parked nearby. Sue offered me a cup of tea and we had a nice chat before I cooked dinner Mexican Tuna and Beans with Mexican Rice. Excellent!

After dinner I bought some chocolate and some fruit and enquired about drinking water as the camp park only has very smelly bore water. I was told I would have to buy it. So apparently it isn’t just the bore water that stinks here. Unfortunately it is 140 km to Carnarvon so I have no choice but to buy expensive bottled water.

Day 22 Rest Day for Joe – Tony heads for home

We planned a Ningaloo Reef Cruise today but the wind was up and a 4 metre swell was predicted so our cruise was cancelled. We weren’t unhappy about that as we had thought of an alternate plan that involved hiring kayaks and snorkels and exploring the inner reef in Coral Bay. This saved us $100 each and worked out well. We had a good paddle and then tied the kayaks to a buoy in the bay  and snorkelled around the area.

We both felt the reef was not as colourful as we have seen elsewhere but that may have been because the day was overcast. We did see lot of colourful fish.

After lunch Tony finished packing and I booked accommodation for Perth for myself, Lisa and Charli. I discovered they are arriving 2 days ahead of my original schedule. I can probably handle this as I am a few days ahead but I also want to include Monkey Mia which wasn’t on my original schedule.

The bus arrived just before 3.00 pm and Tony was off to Perth 16 hours away. Not before I suggested to the driver that he tie a rope to Tony’s bike and have him ride at the back. An idea appreciated by he driver but not by Tony. I was sorry to see him go but this trip just hasn’t worked out for him.

After Tony left I went back down to beach with my camera and worked out how to do panoramic shots. Pity I didn’t read the manual earlier in the day because I have discovered my waterproof camera can take shots under water.

Had a pizza for dinner watching Hawks V Cats and chatted to a nice couple from the NT who have been travelling for 2 years. She is  a graphic designer and works about 20 hours a week while her husband picks up work along the way. They have found it hard here in WA because things are so quiet.

Day 21 Bullara Station to Coral Bay 75 km

The wind didn’t let up during the night so the tent was flapping when I woke at 5.00 am.
Packed up and got on the way by 6.30 am. Going out the gate the wind was helpful but once I got to the turnoff onto the Exmouth-Minilya Rd the wind was in my face and it became a slog for the next 60 km.

The road had rolling hills so I was crawling up hill and then having to peddle downhill. I took a couple of breaks and ate some muesli bars and cheese and crackers. My food supply has been running down so I am looking forward to finding a supermarket at Coral Bay.

Front Gate at Bullara in the early morning light

There wasn't much to see along the road. No trees, no growth over a metre in height probably because the wind is always strong here.

Finally the turnoff to Coral Bay appeared and I turned toward the coast. Immediately I had a pick up in speed as the wind was behind me.  Reached Coral Bay just on 12.30 pm and immediately spotted the Ningaloo Club Backpackers where Tony had booked in.

Called Tony and he appeared shortly after with the news that he will be bussing out tomorrow afternoon so I will be completing the journey on my own after all. Before he leaves we are going to do a Ningaloo Reef cruise.

                                              Tony and I are not in this picture!


In the late afternoon we went for a swim down the beach. Coral Bay is crystal clear and the sand is fine grained and white. Initially there were a lot of young things on the beach but these seemed to disappear and there only crusties left. The water was a nice temperature although the wind was cool when we came out.

It is easy to see why the beach here is so popular. The beach is quite sheltered and ideal for families with young kids and yet the coral reef is only 100 metres offshore making it ideal for snorkelling.

At dinner we met up Steve and Cornelia who had driven Tony to Exmouth from Tom Price. Tony made dinner, sausages and salad and I provided dessert, tinned peaches and custard. With a few beers it was an excellent evening made better when I watched the 2nd half of the AFL Elimination Final between the Bulldogs and Eagles. The Bulldogs won easily which was unexpected away from home.  A great night for me!

Day 20 Bush Camp to Bullara Station 86 km

Woke at 5.00 am but tried to steal a few more minutes sleep so I didn’t start packing up until 5.45 am. Even so I was on the road by 6.35 am and quickly rode the remaining 10 km to the Burkett Rd Rest Stop. Stopped to eat some breakfast and call Lisa and Tony.

Tony is waiting for me at Coral Bay but he will have to wait another day and half as I am still 144 km away. Got back on the road with a plan to try and get the 76 km to Bullara Station done before the wind and heat. Good plan but my legs didn’t have much punch in them so after another 60 km I was running out of gas.

Pulled up under some trees to eat some lunch and have a rest. The shade wasn’t much and the ground was rocky so it wasn’t a comfortable spot. I had 2 minutes noodles and some salmon and beans from a tin. After that I got my kindle out and read for a while before deciding it was too hot even in the shade and that I might as well be riding in the sun.

                                         The turnoff to Giwalia Bay has this guy fishing!

Just after lunch I disturbed a large goanna by the side of the road. It ran off into the scrub. I would not have noticed if it had remained still. It's colouring blended into the surrounding perfectly. It ran away with that awkward sideways gait.

Only 20 km to go but the wind was blowing directly in my face again. Crawling along at 13 kph until I saw a sign saying 11 km to Bullara Station.  With the end in sight my motivation was better and it wasn’t long until I saw the turn off. The Station House is 2 km off the road and has good facilities for caravans and campers.

                                                  Old Shearing Shed – Bullara Station

Booked in and had a shower and charged up my camera and the phone.

                                        Sculpture made from scrap metal – Bullara

There was a BYO Happy Hour at 5.30 pm. I bought some soft drink. Everyone else has well stock fridges in the camper vans. This was followed by the $5.00 beef roll which was excellent as it came with  potatoe bake and coleslaw. Followed by dessert of Apple slice and cream. It was the best value meal I have on this trip particularly as I had seconds of the potato and coleslaw.

It was still windy after dark which is unusual. Hopefully it will settle down by dawn.