Friday 9 January 2009

Ride Down Under Summary


-->
Ride Down Under Summary
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 Summary
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.
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.
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.
Leeuwin Lighthouse, Augusta
WalpoleAlbany 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.
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

Thursday 8 January 2009

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
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!

Wednesday 7 January 2009

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!

Monday 5 January 2009

Day 18 - 20

Day 18 (3 January 09)
Albany - Bremer Bay
Distance: 189.41km
Weather: Cloudy / Drizzle
Accident: 0
Puncture: 0
Accommodation: Bremer Bay Caravan Park ($13.50)

Day 19 (4 January 09)
Bremer Bay - Jerramungup
Distance: 105km
Weather: Fine (Hot!)
Accident: 0
Puncture: 0
Accommodation: Jerramungup Caravan Park ($10)

Day 20 (5 January 09)
Jerramungup - Ravensthorpe
Distance: 119km
Weather: Fine
Accident: 0
Puncture: 1
Accommodation: Ravesthorpe Caravan Park ($10)

Day 18
The rest days were over, its time to leave Albany and ride long way to Bremer Bay. I met really nice people here, even we are total strange 3 days ago. We become really good friends, I think this is a really good part of travelling. Anyway, the ride was just long and flat way. The scenery didn't change a lot whole day. But thanks to the cloudy weather, it kept me away from heat and bloody annoying flys. Arrived in Bremer Bay at 16.00. By the time I get there I was totally run out of energy. I set a tent, went shopping, had quick dinner and jump into bed at 20.00.

Day 19
Up at 5.00. Dead slept for 10 hours. Since I couldn't see Bremer Bay yesterday, I did look around the town, well it was even hard to say it was a town as there was only one general store and one gas station in the town. But the beach there was beautiful, the colour of the sand was totally white.
Left the Bremer Bay at 9.00. Today's goal point was Jerramungup, about 100 km up north. The way was not exciting. Got to Jerramungup around 14.00. Checked into a caravan park. There was not much in town but there was 2 pet kangaroo in the Caravan Park.

Day 20
Up at 4.30. I decided to leave as soon as the sun rises. And it was a really good choice. It was really cool in the morning, the sunrise was total beauty, and of course no car on the road. 90 % of scenery I see on the way today was bush. Its totally the same. Continuous bushes made me feel like riding at the same place forever like in a shitty computer game or something. So I was just counting the distance shown on my cycle computer.
Arrived in Ravesthorpe around 12.00. Had lunch at a cafe, checked in a caravan park, realised that the back tire was flat, repaired it, went shopping, and now I'm writing the blog.

No photos for today as I forgot to take cable here.

Friday 2 January 2009

Day 17

Tea Time!


Day 17 (2-Jan-09)

Albany –(Car)- Stirling Range National Park – (On foot)-Bluff Knoll –(Car)- Albany

Distance: 180km (Car), 6.4 km (On foot), 0km (Bike)

Weather: Fine (Hot!)

Puncture: 0

Accident: 0

There was no ride today. I extend the stay in Albany to go to the highest point of WA. Even I just trek for 6.4km. I’m totally exhausted (><;) So I just put some photos of the trekking and etc.

Enjoy!










Thursday 1 January 2009

Day 16

Day 16 (1-January- 2008)
Distance: 68km
Weather: Cloudy – Fine
Puncture: 0
Accident: 0
Accommodation: Albany YHA ($25)

Happy New Year! Hope you had a great over year party.
Today was a day off. I took a bike trip around the city to Frenchman Bay by and Emu Point with a Japanese girl I met at the YHA. I thought the trip would be about 40km ish but eventually we end up with riding 68km. As she is not used to ride a bike for long distance so it must have been a great start day of year 2008.
The Bridge, Albany
Frenchman Bay, Albany
I need a good sleep for mountain climbing tomorrow. Good night.