Ride Down Under Summery

Ride Down Under Summery

Ah well, this is the last part of the long trip. Summarising the data collected during the trip and read the diary through. These information will be utilized for the next ride. Yes, cycling is science.

Ride Facts

Duration

23Days (From 17-December-2008 to 08-January-09)

Total Cycle Distance

1902.20km

Average speed

21km/h

Visited municipalities

Perth, Rockingham, Mandurah, Dawsville, Myalup Beach, Australind, Bunbury, Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Gracetown, Margaret River,Prevelly, Augusta, East Augusta, Nannup, Manjimup, Pemberton, Northcliffe, Walpole, Valley of Giants, Parry Beach, Denmark, Mount Barker, Albany, Stirling Range National Park, Bremer Bay, Jerrangup, Ravensthrope, Munglinup, Esperance

Acccicents

0

Punctures

1

Course Summery

Perth – Busselton (Flat Busy Ride)

Difficulty: 1 / Fun: 3

Suggested Duration: 2-3 days

Beautiful Coast lines and some forest ride, but a lot of traffic.

Perth

Busselton - Augusta (Fun and Tipsy Ride)

Difficulty: 2 / Fun: 5

Suggested Duration: 2-3 days

There are so many attractions such as caves, beaches, wineries on the way. Cave Rode is thinner road compare to highways but much less traffic and sceneries are beautiful. Need to be careful to ride in the afternoon, as drivers from wineries are getting tipsy.

Yallingup

Nigligi Cave, Margaret River RegionCanel Rock, Margaret Rever Region

Wineries, Margaret River Region

Augusta – Walpole (Mountain Hill Ride)

Difficulty: 4 / Fun 5

Suggested Duration: 3-4 days

If you like hilly roads this area would be perfect. If you ride in the early morning, you wouldn't see any traffic. And there are so many sealed minor roads which would be ideal for touring. Don’t forget to take a good map.

Great Tingle Tree, The Valley of GiantsWhere the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meat, Cape Leeuwin, Augusta

Leeuwin Lighthouse, Augusta

Walpole – Albany Ride (Costal Flat Ride)

Difficulty: 2 / Fun 5

Suggested Duration: 3-4 days

This area is also fun part as there are attraction like Tree Top Walk, William Bay, and pretty little towns like Walpole and Denmark every 50km.There is a bit of traffic but wouldn't be problematic.Tree Top Walk, The Valley of Giants

Albany to Esperance (Challenge Ride)

Difficulty: 4 / Fun 1

Suggested Duration: 4-5 days

This part is only for feelings of achievement. Not many major attractions on the way (apart from Bremer Bay and Hopetown). The way is basically flat mostly bush, very few towns (most of them are very small) and shops every 100km. You definitely need need tent and enough food and drink to complete this ride.

Sunrise, Ravensthpope

Great Ocean Drive, Esperance

Over all Course (Perth - Esperance)

Difficulty : 3 (Beginner to Intermediate)

The route from Perth to Esperance via Margaret river region and Albany would be very suitable for beginner to intermediate bike tourists as the ways are mostly flat and traffic wouldn’t be too much concern apart from the part between Perth and Mandura. However, there ARE some steep hills as well particularly near Nunnup, Manjmup and Pemberton. So that you need to be reasonably fit, (but you would be fit enough by the time you get to the hilly area if you start from Perth)

Recommended revel: Very High

Even though I didn’t see many bike tourists through the trip this course particularly from Busselton to Albany is one of the things you must do before you die. There were diverse nature of deserts, bushes, deep forests, mountains, rivers and beautiful beaches. So this changes would made you wonder what's going on next and also the animals. I encountered many animals through the trip, the most memorable one was in the deep forest near Pemberton, I saw 2 kangaroos jumping next to me for a while.

And this part of WA is one of the most popular tourist destinations as well so you would see a lot of unforgettable, interesting and funny people on the way for sure!!

I met so many different types of people during the trip local farmar, worker, tourists, foreing tourists, backpackers, working holidaymakers, students, hippies, and families. From what I experienced, I realised that there were so many people having totally different lifestyles and even they are all diferent they enjoy their lives very much. As I grow up in Japan and haven't seen such a diverse way of living like some people are living in Caravans and moving from one to another in weekly or monthly basis. Can you believe that? Well, there are not many people travelling on bike like me though.

To the end

Well, this is the end of this blog, Ride Down Under at this moment. Thank you for reading my blog patiently since I think my English is partly hardly understandable. I hope you will take your bike in the garage instead of the car or train for your next trip.

If you find this form of travel very interesting and want to know more about bike touring, I would like to help you. If you leave a message on this blog or e-mail me (okamotoy@hotmail.co.jp). I will do what I can.

Then, see you next time. This blog won't be updated for a while but I will still writing something in my personal blog, Yohei's Blog. So If you are kind enough to read my un understandable English, please check out http://yoheio.blogspot.com/ as well.

Have a great year.

09 January 2009

Mad Japanese Bike Tourist

Yohei

"Hey, why dont we travel on bike next time?" "NO WAY!!"

Day 23

Fast like the wind. The super machine, TransWA

Day 23 (08-Jan-09)
Esperance - (Bus) - Perth
Distance: 5km (bike) / 726km(bus)
Weather: Fine (Cool in Esperance, boiling hot in Perth)
Accident: 0
Puncture: o
Accommodation: My place in Perth

TransWA, you were way too fast. Your 2 hour ride was my one day bike ride. and you took me all way back to Perth in 9 hours from the town of east end, Esperance, which I took more than 20 days to come down from Perth.
I didn't realised that the industrial revolution made our lives so convenient. If you are in the bus, you are either sleeping, chatting, reading, eating or even daydreaming and bang! you are in where you wish to go.

Inside the machine

But the thing is.......

If you are in a bus, you are missing so many lives in the air of countries.The bike ride allow you to feel the fresh mornig breeze (and of course the heat and stupidly strong head winds), enjoy convasations with animals like cows, sheep, kangaroos, and horses (and a lot of flys and bugs) and the sunshine freshens you up with vitamin B (At the same time the Ultra Violet affect your skin.)"G'day mate" conversation with a kangaroo

These were what I was thinking in the bus back to Perth.

Anyway, my first journey in Australia was finished, I'm alive back in Perth! I will write the summery of the whole trip tommorow. Good night!

Day 21 - 22

Day 21 (06-Jan-09)
Ravensthorpe – Munglinup – Esperance
Distance: 195km
Weather: Drizzle then Fine
Accident: 0
Puncture: 0
Accommodation: Blue Waters Lodge YHA ($26 / Dorm)

Day 22 (07-Jan-09)
Esperance-Great Ocean Drive – Esperance
Distance: 57.31km
Weather: Fine (Very Windy)
Accident: 0
Puncture: 0
Accommodation: Blue Waters Lodge YHA ($26 / Dorm)

Day 21
Up at 4.30 as I planned. Today was the last but the longest ride of this bike touring. The day started off with drizzle weather. It’s better than boiling hot but too much drizzle is not good as well, well I’m water proof so no problem anyway. By 9.00 it got better and started getting sunny.
The way wasn’t very exciting as there was only one shop on the way to Esperance otherwise there were, bush, farmland or some mining sites. So actually I don’t remember much while I was riding between 80km to 160km.
I was just counting the distance on my cycle computer. I would say it was definitely a challenging ride. At the point of 175km a family met at the previous town pass me over and cheered me up!
However the last 20km was the hardest part. Wind started against me and my legs tiredness was hitting the peak (means I was very tired). The last 20km was like 200km for me. I couldn’t even keep up with an average of 20km/h. But finally, I found the word “Welcome to Esperance” on the side of the rode. I was so happy to see these words.As I got into the town centre I found a nicely located YHA at the beach front. Checked in and there was group of bus tour tourists when I explained what I had done, they surprised and celebrated me as well. I felt like I was a champion! Anyway my trip was over. I would stay here for 2 nights and I’m heading to Perth!

Day 22
great ocean drive, good!