Day 32 31st July Munglinup to Esperance

Second fantastic down wind ride in a row.  Again averaged over 30km/hr again. (the fastest team averaged 35km/hr).

Many of the group are leaving the ride at Esperance so the opportunity was taken to take group photos whilst at morning tea.  All those leaving will be missed.  Some will join again for the last couple of day into Sydney.

 

 B team.  Includes two riders over 75yrs

 Those leaving at Esperance

 International riders (l to r  Bruno, Matea (Italy), Simone, Mike (NZ))

We are now half way though the ride in days and on Friday we pass the half way make in distance.  Time seems to be going so fast.  Still a few days before we leave WA though.

'Juliet' (Robyn's bike) had her first run this afternoon.  A few of us rode with Robyn along the foreshore bike path here at Esperance.  This certainly is a pretty town and the coast line is spectacular.

Allan and Robyn on Esperance Coast

Move over Anna Meares

  Tomorrow is a day off again so will explore a bit more (after the laundramat, bike maintenance, etc.  My bike has been running well with no problems other than three flats.  A few other have had some issues that need repairs (broken spokes, cracked rims etc).  All will need to be in good shape by Friday as the next bike shop is in Port Augusta about 2,000km away. 

Day 30 and 31 29 & 30th July Jerramungup to Ravensthorpe to Munglinup

Jim (ride leader and organiser) celebrated his 70th Birthday yesterday (29th July).  Much fun was had mostly at Jim's expense.  Balloons on helmet, presented with training wheels and many renditions of 'Happy Birthday' (even once in Italian).

  Jim turns 70.

Two great days of riding, especially today as it was the shortest day of the entire ride and good tailwind all day.

Still a few with upset tummies though improving.  So far the bugs have stayed away from me.

These last two days we are staying in sports complexes.  Both are relatively new and extremely well equipped.  Someone in WA has spent a lot of money on facilities in small rural towns.  Would be great if we could get such facilities in NSW rural towns. (Any pollies reading this take note).

Tonight's bedroom (our bed in centre of photo)

The weather has been much more pleasant the last few days and the riding easier due to good tailwinds.  Road is smooth and traffic light which has allowed us to ride two abreast again.

Robyn is sitting here in the sun with me doing puzzles while I type.  The afternoon is just lovely.

Roadies are cooking for us all again tonight so will be another terrific meal.

The following is a link to todays ride (I hope.   Am slowly working out all this computer stuff).   "http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1545947  

Here is the elevation profile for today.  Looks a bit like the Swiss Alps but it wasn't quite that steep.  Scale is a bit deceiving.

 Stewart riding "flat out"

 

 

 

Day 29 28th July Albany to Jerramungup

Rain over night threatened to make todays 180km ride rather unpleasant, however, the sun was shining this morning as we rode out of Albany.  Praise the Lord.   Good winds most of the day and in one short stretch when the wind was directly behind us we sailed along at 40km plus.  Really good fun.

I rode with the "B" team again today.  This team is riding really well now and we beat the top team into lunch and to Jerramungup.  The down side is that we are now the team that leaves last in the morning and have to clean up the venue including the toilets.  Me thinks we will ride slower tomorrow.

A group of Christians from a very small locality called Wellstead provided lunch.  Home made vege soup,  bread rolls and salad,  lasagne, and spaghetti bolognaise and fruit cake.  Wow  what a feed for lunch. "Well fed in Wellstead" is a new B4B motto.   Thanks again to the generous folk at Wellstead.

  Garry ( only a confident cyclist wears pink) pointing out the Wellstead Community Resource Centre where we had lunch.

 Some of the wonderful angels who catered at Wellstead.

Farming country side around here and the crops are looking good.  Some canola well out in flower.  One family in Wellstead has 8,000ha in crop as well as sheep and cattle.  They strip their crop themselves.

Staying tonight in Jerramungup football club (Aussie rules of course).  Met a man who came from   Ki Ki (near Peake(where I spent the first 10 years of my life)).  He knew Bert Howe (old school mate).  It's a small world.

Riding into the sun rise.

 

Day 28 27th July Rest Day in Albany

Rest day today.  Managed to find a laundromat yesterday so we would have all day for sight seeing.
Went for a walk along the coast.  Albany is a pretty town with islands, bays and hills so there are many pleasant views.  Some went out the whale museum.

Standing on Middleton beach, Albany

Coastal view, Albany

 View from look out.

Some time to service the bike again and relax.  The morning was fine with slight winds but the weather has deteriorated this afternoon with more rain and very strong winds.  Fortunately the winds at the moment are coming from the west.  Hopefully they will stay in that direction for the next four days.

All is still going well.  Everyone is getting along.  Roadies are doing a wonderful job of keeping us safe in the traffic and feeding us. 

Another lllllllooooonnnnnnngggggg day again tomorrow.

Day 27 26th July Kojonup to Albany

How do you feel when you lay in bed in the morning  knowing you have 150km to ride while listening to the rain on the roof and howling wind?   Thankful to be alive!!!

Fortunately the rain eased a bit as we headed off toward Albany.  Drizzled for the first 40km, then mostly fine.  Very favourable tailwinds most of the way made the ride seem shorter.  Thankfully.  The roads are becoming increasingly undulating.  Todays ride was at least largely down hill as it meandered toward the coast.

Flat, flat, flat would describe our ride from Perth to Albany best.  Not the topography form but rather the tyre form.  Two flats in our group in the first 20km south of Perth and about four more before we reached Albany.  Marked contrast to the first 20 days of riding with no flats.  One of these was mine.

 Lunch at Mount Barker

 

Any available space or moment is used for drying clothes.

 

Staying tonight and tomorrow night in the Bethel Baptist Church complex.  Very impressive indeed. Last night the local churches provided dinner.  Yet another superb meal.  Especially desert.  Fridge is still full of left over pavlova, sweets etc.  Everyone is still recovering from last nights meal to bother eating.

Short service-type meeting with the locals in the church last night.  It was again my turn to lead devotions.  Robyn played the church's grand piano for the singing.  She was delighted.
 

Days 25 and 26 24 &25th July Perth to Williams to Kojonup

Rained most of the night and thought we would be leaving Perth in the rain.  Praise the Lord it fined up enough so that we left dry.

 Robyn's new wheels for the next 3 days.

About to leave Perth  (Fastest team)

 

 

There are now three teams.  The fastest team keeps changing names depending on what is topical at the moment.  First day out of Perth they were the Quokkas because some had been to Rottnest Island.

Previous day names were: Wildflowers, Black Swans etc.

 

Robyn was our roadie.  She did a great job.  Best looking Roadie for years.  Her job is to follow the group (Quokkas) and warn via UHF of following vehicles, carrying rider day bags, water and (most important) lollies etc.  She didn't run over any of us so it was a good beginning.

 

Big Hill out of Perth was a grind though not too steep then hilly for rest of day.  Good tailwinds made the 158km trip a little easier. 

Stayed in Anglican Church and Hall in Williams.  The power went out as we were about to sit down to dinner so we had dinner by candle (torch) light.  Would have been romantic if the other 45 blokes weren't there.   Thus unable to charge electrical gadgets, write blogs etc that night.

Today the trip was further south to Kojonup (everythingup inup WAup endsup withup up!!!!).  Short day today, only 95km and favourable tailwinds again.  Decided to ride with the B team for a bit of R & R.  They ride a bit slower so it was an easy ride today.  Undulating but nothing too difficult.

Kojonup is a rural town (pop 2000) in wheat/sheep belt.  Very green at moment.  Countryside more like home though hilly.  Canola already flowering.  Has a delightful Cake shop which we all made use of.  The fastest team was called the "Custard Tarts" today in honour of the promised indulgence ahead.

Off to Albany tomorrow for another rest day (O it's tough riding across Australia).

See ya tomorrow. 

Days 23 and 24    22 & 23 July   Rest days in Perth

Chance to sleep in this morning then the normal rest day chores,  washing clothes, service the bike, pick up wife from airport etc etc. (not listed in order of importance).

Also had the Navara serviced.  Done 10,000km since it left home so was in need of new oil and filter. Arrange Mobile Lube guy to come to us as there were four vehicles that needed service.

Robyn arrived soon after lunch.  Good to see her again after three and a half weeks.  We decided to move out of the luxurious accommodation provided by Jim and move into a B&B for the night.  Sometime we have to suffer the hardships of normal life.

Roughing it at B&B

 

New standard for Bike 4 Bibles breakfast

Had dinner with old friends from 2009 trip from Perth to Sydney.  Garry and Veronica opened their home to Jim & Lyn & Nick, Mark & his wife Robyn,  Robyn and I.  Had a great time reminiscing and catching up with their news.  The old stories are just as funny now after 4 years.  It was a wonderful night.  Garry is joining the ride from Perth to Esperance.

Tuesday Robyn and  I ( after dragging ourselves away from our temporary accommodation) drove north to catch up with  Daniel, Anna and Noah.   Had lunch with Anna, picked up Noah after his first day in new school and caught Daniel after work.  Lovely to see them all.  They seem settled in Perth and have just moved into their new home (still not finished).

 

Daniel, Anna and Noah

 Noah    

Arrived back at camp in time for team meeting,  greeting new riders, etc before early lights out again.

 

 

 

Day 22 21 July Lancelin to Perth

OK back again.  Two days off means two days off so no time to do the blog on the last couple of days.  We are now in Williams and the power in the hall has blown a fuse or something so can not get pictures from the camera as the battery is flat and..... and.... enough excuses already.  Will put pictures up tomorrow hopefully.

Ride to Perth was more pleasant and interesting than many of the days before.  Tailwind for the last 40km made the ride through the outer suburbs of Perth quick.  For some this was their last day of riding.  Bit sad and they will be missed. 

Four of the group Jim, Sally, Stewed and John completed the last leg of rides all the away around Australia with Bike 4 Bibles.   Well done to these four.  No Photo.

Nick, Gordon, Helen and David  (all related to each other though from different families --- beware the take over)

Staying tonight in a Seventh Day Adventist Camping area, actually in the church hall.

Picking up Robyn from Airport tomorrow. 

Days 20 & 21 19 - 20th July Cliff Head to cervantes to Lancelin

Hi, back again.  Didn't have time yesterday after showers, washing clothes and drying out the tent.

Awoke in the dark again at Cliff Head yesterday.  Zero degrees and frost on the cars.  Hard to believe that it could get so cold right on the beach.  Quick warm up around the fire over breakfast and we were on the road again.  Sad to leave such a beautiful spot. ( We tried to talk Jim into a late check out but he wasn't interested).
Cliff Head Camp site as the sun rose.

Yesterdays ride took us south along the coast with many great views of the Indian Ocean.  Two beautiful locations provided excellent morning tea and lunch stops.

Leeman wharf looking back at morning tea.  

 Lunch at Jurien ( Only the privileged few had vanilla slice.  Please don't tell the others.)

The wind was more favourable with only lighter head winds in the afternoon.    Stayed in a sports complex in Cervantes.  Warm showers only lasted for the first few riders (I wasn't one of them).

Old anchor off sunken ship (forgotten name) of the coast at Cervantes.  Thought it might slow me down a bit so left it behind.

 

Cold again this morning. Only one degree.  All rugged up again as we headed out of Cervantes.  Headwinds again greeted us and it promised to be another long day.  Popped into the Pinnacles after 14km, natural feature caused by nature/erosion etc over thousands of years  (google then if you want a technical explanation).  Was an extra 11km to the ride but very interesting and worth the ride in and back.

 

The Pinnacles Desert WA

Ok I didn't take this photo  Here is my best effort.

 

The ride than into morning tea was tough.  Head winds of 40 km/hr and somewhat hilly.  (my heart rate beat at speeds that haven't been reached since I last saw Robyn).

 

Fortunately the last 20km were down hill making the first 80km of the ride all worth while.  Speeds in excess of 60km/hr in the last 5km.

 

Staying in yet another sports complex here in Lancelin.  Visited a cake shop this arvo.  Had to try as many of the wares as possible.  Not bad coffee also.

 

Quick trip along the beach in the Navara then return to base for a nap and chance to catch up with this blog.

Lancelin beach, the Navara and me

 

 

One more day before we reach Perth.  Then two days off.  Robyn arrives Monday arvo (expecting another high heart rate).

 

Sunset over the Indian Ocean

 

Day 19 18th July Geraldton to Cliff Head 102km

Before leaving home someone said that Broome to Perth was all down hill,  am not sure that this is true.  It certainly is all down wind.  An other day of southerlies has meant that we have had to earn every kilometre travelled.  Fortunately todays winds were not as strong as yesterdays and the ride a little shorter.

Stayed last night in the Geraldton Anglican Cathedral. An impressive and unusual building.  All very comfortable though.  Nice to have real showers after a rather difficult ride.

Left early again this morning to continue our ride south.  Camping tonight on the beach at a place called Cliff Head (probably won't find it on the map).  It is an idyllic, isolated camping spot, off the beaten track. (Not a grey nomad in sight).  Surf is flat and cold so resisted a swim though a couple of the more adventurist one's did dip a toe in.  Must say the destination certainly was worth the effort today.  Not sure how Jim (team leader and organiser)

 

comes up with these terrific places to stay. 
Faster group stopped for a photo at the big prawn at  Dongara  on our way south.

Camp site at Cliff Head

West coast beach at Cliff Head

Three of the seven support vehicles.

Some stats:
          43 people in total
            5 food roadies,   3 "beep beep" roadies,    and  35 riders.
            7 vehicles with trailers.
           lots of smiles and twice as many sore legs.

Looking forward to watching the sun set in the Indian Ocean this evening.

Days 16, 17 and 18 15th -17th July Wooramel Roadhouse to Geraldton 3 days

No reception last two nights and too tired to do much tonight. Headwinds up to 45km/hr.   Getting closer to Perth and finally in the wheat belt.  Landscape is more interesting now and we are starting to get larger rolling hills.

Some photos will have to tell the story.

Homeless gnomes overlooking Shark Bay 

Shark Bay (in the distance)  the gnomes view

 

 Gordon and David  (not sure who the guy in the middle is).

Cook road crew  under make shift shelter

 

   Some days are a struggle and other days feel like the bike has a motor of its own!!!!

Sun set over Murchison River bridge.

Keeping warm around the fire at Murchison River Rest Area  (not long before a shower sent us off to our tents for the night.

The ride into Geraldton was too much for some.  Dianna asleep in the bike shop waiting for repairs to

her bike.

 

Geraldton Harbour (drizzly rain and all)

 

Day 15 14th July Carnarvon to Wooramel Roadhouse 124 km

Just another day in the office the our cyclists today. Most feeling a bit tired and finding the day a grind.  Some head side wind in the morning but the tiredness was more likely the hard two previous days and the big meal last night.  Approximately 1,750 km done so far.  The faster group still to suffer a puncture on the road.  As the tyres ware then will no doubt change.

Wooramel Roadhouse is again in the middle of no-where.  Didn't think there could be so much "no-where" anywhere.   We have the entire caravan park (smallish) to ourselves.  The owners put up the caravan park full sign.  Very generous of them.  The roadies and other are cooking tea at the moment.

No pictures today.  

Hoping for a good sleep tonight.

Day 14 13th July Minilya Roadhouse to Carnarvon 138km

Food, food, food seemed to dominate today.  Started before daybreak with an early start and breakfast supplied by the roadhouse.  (Didn't mention yesterday that the road house also supplied dinner.)

Dinner last night

 

 

 Small portion of breakfast this morning.

 

And to top it all off the folk of the Carnarvon Church of Christ catered for dinner and do they know who to cater.  We shared a meal with about 25 of the locals and the a church service.  Sang many of the songs we sing back home.  

 

Of course there was some riding involved.  138km slight winds for first one hundred km then slight head wind again.

 

Saw the first agriculture for 1600km today.  Banana and other fruit plantation just out side of Carnarvon.

Banana plantations on the outskirts of Carnarvon.

 

Still riding strong.  Fairly fast pace today in the faster of the two groups.  Only eight more days to Perth.  Lights out in a minute so better sign off.