Ride Down Under 2: Day 13

Cows watching me

Day 13 (29-December-2008)

Walpole – Valley of the Giants (Tree Top Walk) – Parry Beach

Distance: 70km

Weather: Fine

Puncture: 0

Accident: 0

Accommodation: Parry Beach Place ($2)

Day 14 (30–December-2008)

Parry Beach – William Bay – Denmark – Mount Barker

Distance: 92km

Weather: Fine (Very Hot in Mount Barker)

Puncture: 0

Accident: 0

Accommodation: Mount Barker Caravan & Cabin Accommodation ($17)

Day 15 (31-December-2008)

Mount Barker - Albany

Distance: 51.3km

Weather: Fine

Puncture: 0

Accident: 0

Accommodation: Parry Beach Place

The ride has been a bit hard these days, as I think I had been riding fairly long without rest for about a week. I was riding the hilly wood Margaret River Region for couple of days with an average distance of over 100 and still didn’t take any rest. But anyway, I decided not to take a rest on the way. But the thing is that even I’m quite tired, once I’m on the bike riding, I feel recovered (for a while though,)!

Anyway, these are what I have done these 3 days.

Day 13

I tried one of the most famous tourism attractions of the area, Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants.

Tree Top Walk

This amazing walk takes you to the top of trees. You can walk on the bridges built between trees. Also, after the walk there is another walk path of giant tingle tree. (Takes 30 minutes / entry $8)

Meet the Proud Supporter of 2 Minutes Nodules on a highway totally by Chance

The Proud Supporter of 2 Minutes Nodules is one of my cycle mates in Perth, who is actually making a bike touring to Augusta soon. He told me before I start the trip that he would be in Parry Beach over Christmas and New Year. So I hoped to see him in down here. It was miracle, I would say. As I approached to the Parry Beach Road, the road to the beach offs the highway. There was a white van at the end of the Parry Beach Road. As I get close to the van, the window open and he was in the car! I think I was in a really good luck. In that night his family treated me with barbie, beer and stayed in the campsite with them. I feel really appreciate for him and his family! Cheers mate, and have a great bike trip to Augusta!

Day 14

Lave Parry beach around 7.00. Today’s destination was Mount Barker, the gateway to the Stirling Range National Park and Porolongup National park, the states highest mountain ranges. I came up with a great idea for the coming new year. Why don’t I go to the highest peak of the states, Bluff Knoll (1,073m), to see the first sunrise of 2009. So I changed the plan of going to Albany to Mount Barker.

William Bay

I stopped by this bay on the way as the Proud Supporter of 2 Minutes Nodules recommended this bay. Sandy Beach surrounded by rocks, this place would be a very safe swimming beach and good fishing spot and the strange scenery of the bay is worth to see.

Arrived in Mount Barker at 12.30. There was not much to do in the town and hot!! Checked in the caravan park, read book, had dinner and went to bed.

Day 15

This morning my legs’ sore was on the peak. So I decided not to go to the highest peak for the new year, but go to Albany to have some rest instead. The way was hard even it wasn’t hilly but a bit windy. It wasn’t a long ride but felt like riding 100km.

Arrived in Albany around 10.30. God luck I got the last second bed in the hostel. Actually the city of Albany was really packed. There were many many cars on the street and many tourists as well. I felt like I was in a big city since I was away from city with the population of 10,000 for a while. (Albany’s Population 32,000). In a meantime I met a German guy and Hong Kong girl and a couple from Scotland and Ukraine. We talked about anything for a while and end up with the conclusion of having a Barbie (BBQ) dinner to celebrate the end of the year. So I’m waiting the Barbie to be ready with a glass of Jim Beans with Coke, yum yum…

This is the last blog in the year of 2008 have a great rest year and have a happy new year, guys.