Got up early to go to the railway station and catch The Overland train bound for Melbourne. The ride’s not too spectacular but it was a good chance for me to catch up on some sleep, which I did do mostly in the dining car. :)
Martin and Lynnette picked me up in Melbourne. We met 2 of their friends on the streets and went for some Indian food with them.
I slept well but was disturbed by Lucy the mouse in the middle of the night. Lucy was rummaging through my rubbish and I managed to take a picture of her.
I continued on Parmango Road slash Balladonia Track towards the Eyre Highway. In some places the track felt like corrugated iron and cycling was difficult. I tried to ride off the road but that wasn’t possible everywhere. Progress was slow then.
Pretty exhausted I made it to Balladonia Road House where I am the only guest in the dorm room. I had a big burger for dinner and will sleep well for sure.
Cycled: 91km
A somewhat more adventurous day (compared to the previous ones). :)
The paved road ended not long after I left in the morning. The track was quite ok even though a couple of signs at the road side had painted a bleak picture yesterday. The farmland disappeared and made way for light forest.
My shelter for the night was an abandoned homestead, Deralinya, about half-way between last night’s camp spot and Balladonia Road House at the Eyre Highway.
Deralinya appears to be a well-known place amongst outback travelers, as there is a well-signed guest book, some emergency rations (probably out of date), mattresses, self-drawn maps, and other goodies.
Cycled: 88km
The past days I spent in Esperance. Among other things I met a local couchsurfer, David, for some chatting, and I saw Sally the seal.
Then today I left the town and continued eastish, first on Fisheries Road, to Condingup. The countryside is heavily used for agriculture. Then I turned off onto what I thought was called Balladonia Track, but OpenstreetMap nowadays calls it Parmango Road. According to the map, Balladonia Road is a rough(er) track somewhat more to the east. I don’t have working GPS with me so I can only guess that I’m on Parmango Road, really.
In the evening I pitched tent between the narrow strip of trees next to the road and a fenced-off field of rapeseed.
Cycled: 102km
I left early for this long ride today on the South Coast Highway. A somewhat uneventful ride which took quite a while and I arrived in Esperance after nightfall. It also took me a while to find the local hostel. For some reason I knocked on the wrong door and the person there didn’t know anything about a hostel.
I’ll stay here again for a day or two to stock up on food and energy before the long ride through the real outback and across the Nullarbor plain towards Adelaide.
Cycled: 202km
The last two days saw me hang around Ravensthorpe. There is not much to do here, but I saw the local charity shop, library, and pub.
Yesterday I saw a big snake near my ‘flat’. A neighbor told me that they were all harmless down here, but checking at the library revealed that it was possibly a Tiger Snake (which is somewhat dangerously venomous).
Today, then, I weathered off a massive thunderstorm under my tin roof, as well as outside.
A rather short day today, and not much to report. The countryside hasn’t changed much either.
I checked into a container at the local camp site. I’ll stay here in Ravensthorpe for a day or two to relax a bit before attempting the long ride on the South Coast Highway to Esperance.
Cycled: 75km
Wave Rock is interesting and impressive.
I was there quite late (around 10am) and spent an hour looking around.
Then I went on eastwards, and later in a southeastern and southern direction. My Coles bags are starting to show some wear, but I’m sure they’ll keep me company for a while longer (also, there are no alternatives).
In Lake King I tried to get a room in the local pub/hotel. Everything was fully booked, so I pitched tent on the local camp site.
Cycled: 137km
After a cooked breakfast I left Corrigin to the south-east, towards Kondinin. Left and right of the road is farmland, mostly flat.
I’m still wearing my cycling helmet, and a thin long-sleeve jacket against the sun.
For some reason it was already dark when I arrived in Hyden. I’ll visit Wave Rock tomorrow.
Cycled: 126km
My original plan was to go east from Beverly over minor tracks. However, yesterday I had found a wallet with bank cards at the side of the road, and later at night a cell phone. Beverly had no open police station – however, Brookton, a bit to the south, does. So after a visit to the Beverley Aeronautical Museum I first continued south on the Great Southern Highway, then turned into Brookton, where I dropped off phone and wallet. I can, if no-one else claims it within a year or so and if I’m still in Australia, call myself happy owner of a new cell phone. Yay.
From Brookton I went east, to Corrigin. I’m still (and will be for a while) in what is probably considered densely populated station country. The land left and right of the road is often fenced in and used for agriculture or grazing.
Cycled: 126km
The past days I stayed in Perth. At first I couchsurfed in some suburb with a couple of guys in a shared house. The time there was good. I did get my introduction to climbing there. I then moved to Donald’s place, in a suburb called Midland. I stocked up on food and drink for the ride to Adelaide, and on this fine morning I finally left the city behind.
I went due east on the Great Eastern Highway, then in York turned south towards Beverly. The ride was easy and the road pretty flat’ish. I’m a bit scared of the sun, though, and of the distance between here and Adelaide (almost 2800km).
Cycled: 120km
The past days went by quickly. I stayed with Lance and Kerry, but this being a work week I spent most of my time on my own, either at their place relaxing or strolling around the neighbourhood.
I also managed to finish building the charging device for my bike. Let’s hope it works reliably.
No cycling these days.
Thankfully, Lance dropped me off at the airport again this morning. These two are really amazing hosts and friends.
I’m on my way to the next major destination, Australia.
The morning was a bit hectic as the bus was late, so my hosts generously drove me over to the airport. I left Réunion without having been up the volcanoes.
Amazingly, Lance and Kerry picked me up at the airport again in Johannesburg. Lance had successfully finished his AmsterCow ride. We spent a fun afternoon shooting their airgun and paintball gun, and watching the sun set.
The day before yesterday I moved to couchsurfers in, or I should say near, Saint-Paul, closer to Saint-Denis (and the airport). They were fun and friendly people, computer nerds and musicians. They helped me recover my bike boxes from Nils’ old house, where I stayed the night when I first arrived from Johannesburg two months ago. Nils had long left, but the original owners had kindly kept the boxes. They weren’t at home, though, whenever I tried, so I eventually sneaked into their yard to get the boxes.
My new hosts also took me to to a lovely spot called Trois-Bassins (I think) named after the three cascading waterfalls and accompanying lakes.
Went paragliding today. Yay! Though it was quite a short flight (and tandem, of course).
