Odyssey in Oz.
Part One: Perth to Adelaide
by Andy and Margaret Quin
21st July 2009: The arrival
We took Perth in the early hours of a Wednesday morning. The flight from London had taken 20 hours with a short stop in Singapore where we twiddled our thumbs for an hour in an airport corridor whilst the plane was prepared for its next leg. On arrival the Guardians of Australia's borders insisted on us opening the bike boxes but seemed focused only on inspecting the tyres, lest we had brought too much Essex mud with us. It seemed we hadn't. So we entered the land of Oz. As luck would have it, a taxi large enough to take us and the bikes into the city was waiting outside the terminal. The driver, an emigrated Brit, with a still-strong Yorkshire accent, drove us quietly along empty dual carriageways, over the river, and into Hay Street where, after some gesturing, we were let through the locked doors of the Comfort Hotel to find rest for the night. They say this is the most isolated city in the world. In the dead of night it seemed like any other.
22nd July 2009: The first day
When we woke Perth was already stirring. Traffic was crawling up Hay Street, and the good people of the city were starting their daily journeys to work. The hotel room was just large enough for the four of us - Margaret, yours truly, and our two precious bikes, still encased in the cardboard boxes that seemed to have survived the journey from Heathrow. We spent part of the morning assembling the bikes, and then ventured outside, taking the free Redcat bus service along Hay Street and into the city centre for a first look round. We lunched in Chinatown, we shopped in Myers, before heading back. Our hotel is within five minutes walk of the WACCA, one of those famous Australian sporting arenas where too many English batsmen have been put to the sword.
24th July 2009: Wave rock
It was Friday. The ride did not start until Sunday and we still had time to kill. Margaret had seen a tourist brochure with a curious picture of a rock formation somewhere nearby. Known as Wave Rock, the structure gave the appearance of a multi-coloured roller about to crash the shore. So, with the best of intentions we hired a car and headed East. Some 250 kilometres later we finally arrived, took photos, had a quick gallop around the area before heading the 250k back to the city. Must remember to ask what "nearby" really means!
25th July 2009: Day return to Freemantle
This being our last full day in Perth, we met other members of the Trans-Nullabor group and rode together to Freemantle. The Swann River runs through Perth on its way to the ocean at Freemantle. Its banks contain well-used paths for walking and cycling and it was these we followed, round the curves of the river, through picturesque bays populated with yachts and overlooked by fancy apartments to the heart of Freemantle. The town contrasts poorly with the riverside. We drank coffee and ate at a cafe that one of the riders had been to before. Members gradually introduced themselves. Sizing up began. The return trip on the Southern bank was more picturesque, with good views of Perth's towering centre-city buildings against the river-scape. For some reason when given the choice of routes approaching the city we opted for the longer one and meandered further along the southern shore, towards the WACCA, and a hotel constructed in the shape of a huge boat, eventually cutting back through the city streets to the hotel. Tomorrow it all kicks off.
26th July 2009: To York
So we departed Perth today. As one we rolled down Hay Street, over the bridge, through the Eastern suburbs of the city heading towards.... well who knows where? It was a little awkward at first. Keeping together; stops and starts at numerous traffic lights; uncertainty about the riding of others and unexpected movements that might cause swerves or falls. There was something of a big hill around mid morning - up to Mundaring and a morning tea break. Thereafter the group fractured - faster riders stretching out and us slower cyclists becoming exposed. From lunch it was a short 15 miles to York, a motel, a bath and, for Margaret, a massage to ease leg muscles which were tightening in the last few miles. We strolled around York before dinner, observing the balustrades, the shop front, the bottle shop - until finally night fell earlier than we had expected. Our room's pretty comfortable, not that we have a lot of time to enjoy it. Still, there’s dreaming of the first of a number of 100 mile rides heading our way in a few hours.
July 27th 2009: To Merriden
Its Monday evening and we are in Merriden. We gained a personal best today - staying upright on the bike for 100 miles. We had stumbled out of York just before dawn and followed Phil's arrows on the road marked with self-raising flour (yes it really does stay there!); and then climbed up the old Goldfields Road for quite some distance, riding always eastwards into the sun; a quiet road, cut into low rolling hills with farmland at its sides. Only after lunch did we hit the Great Eastern highway and got a foretaste of things to come: a first batch of road-trains - huge trucks typically pulling two long trailers. Lunch was at Kellerberrin, laid on by a group of older ladies that Phil and Sue had recruited. Their finest soup, cakes and sandwiches. After this, the road flattened out, the miles rolled by - into the nineties and then one hundred. The first time we'd made a century. Despite the distance Margaret had saved enough energy to sprint into Merriden when the town sign finally came into view. We"re staying at the aptly named "Ave A Rest" campsite and motel. There are kangaroos in the compound - the first we've seen on this trip. They have pink ribbons around their necks (yes, really!). Someone said it’s to indicate that they belong to the site and should not be shot! Other explanations come to mind. Tonight we went down to a local bar / restaurant for a meal as a group. We all filled a large room, sitting around a long table, applauding ourselves for the day's achievement and getting a pep talk from Phil on the next day, how there will be fewer hills, more of a tail wind etc…
July 28th 2009: To Southern Cross
There is no mystery to this route. There are very few ways to travel overland between Perth and Adelaide and most seem to involve the Great Eastern highway. The road moves North East flanked on one side by the railway and, on the other by a pipeline. It's something of a mystery what each carries. We did see a passenger train today but this was moving so incredibly slowly that we might have overtaken it were it not heading in the other direction. Now one of the curious things about being in Australia is the movement of the sun. We are used to the sun moving from West to East in the southern sky. So having set off early along the road in an easterly direction - roughly the way we needed to go today - the sun became a source of disorientation to find the sun moving progressively towards the left - causing us to believe we were off track and heading South instead of East. Margaret spotted a roo today - large and the colour of the reddish-brown earth that has now replaced the green landscape nearer the coast. It feels like we have ridden into the desert. Today's curiosity - signs of the famous rabbit proof fence, the one featured in the Australian film of the same name concerning racism and policies directed at Aboriginal children. We are now at Southern Cross. We completed the ride at about 1:30. Tomorrow is the big one - 140 miles. No Sign of a tailwind yet.
July 29th 2009: To Kalgoorlie
Now its a strange fact that sometimes, just when you need a good night's sleep with 140 miles to do the next day,...you just don't get it! Maybe there was some anxiety about whether we could do it, but sleep did not come easily and I was clock-watching at various points during the night. In preparation for today we had set about the bikes stripping them of excess weight. Off came the mudguards and pannier racks, lights and holders. They looked naked and vulnerable and we wondered what impact if any this would have on out performance. We started early enough. Just before dawn (6:20) with breakfast inside us we were rolling through the dark, silent centre of Southern Cross towards the main highway; then Eastwards again towards the glow in the sky and the approaching dawn. This was a very long day. The road climbed for most of the morning, gently, but in a persistent, wearing manner that kept us glancing at the distance, the time and the evidence of having reached the place marked for morning tea or coffee. Only the water tanks and mobile phone masts indicated the summits and the approaching downhill sections. The wind mostly was in our face rather than behind. We were a little behind by lunch (most the others were leaving as we arrived) so we cut short the break, ate fast and saddled up again. We'd caught up a bit by tea at Coolgardie but then slowed a little on the run in. So we were the last to finish and riding without lights on the highway without lights with 15k to go. No shortage of very large road-trains on the road today. We are learning to get out of the way! Coming into Kalgoorlie, Greg followed up us closely in the van with his light on which was some sort of reassurance. Eventually we found the motel, dinner, a drink and a good bath.30th July 2009: Feet up in Kalgoorlie
No cycling today. Just as well as bending down or going down the stairs is a bit painful. Walking like John Wayne, today we visited the superpit in Kalgoorlie. Goldmining on a grand scale. The pit is about 6k long and 400m deep. The mining machines and trucks are gigantic and as we looked down into the pit the machines looked like ants digging through the earth before carrying the proceeds up through well worn passages to some next stage of the mining process that was out of sight. Gold-mining dominate the city, visibly, historically and culturally it seems. Apparently the brothels are famous and something of a tourist showpiece. The city is much larger and more interesting than we expected. Its dependent upon the piped water that's accompanied us for hundreds of kilometres up the Great Eastern Highway. This is quite salutary for those of us who have only ever taken piped water for granted. OK, despite our hobbling we've done some shopping and laundry and are preparing for the next leg of the ride - to Norseman tomorrow
31st July 2009: Feet up in Kalgoorlie
OK so we had a rest day. Much of the soreness from Wednesday's ride was easing, yet today's ride was again well over 100 miles and the legs just didn't feel ready. Slipping out of the motel in the early light we turned left on to the main street. The white self-raising flour arrows sprinkled earlier by Phil to indicate where to turn were still visible at the crossroads. We turned South and gradually made our way out of the city in light traffic. Progress was swift. The wind seemed behind us for once on what was a fairly flat road bordered by brown earth, shrubs and gum trees as far as the eye could see. We paused briefly for a group photo somewhere near Kambalda, had lunch near the curiously named Widgiemooltha (try saying it – it feels good!) before being taken by a friendly wind into Norseman before 4pm. A few miles before Norseman we crossed a lake which still had some remaining water in this very dry place. At dinner we were fed stories by Phil about people he had met here in Norseman during his circumnavigation of Australia on a penny-farthing. My legs got a massage this evening. The hamstrings have been very tight. The process was painful but it seemed to help. As the sun begins to set here the heat of the day disappears quickly. We wore several layers of clothing to stay warm during dinner. 1st August 2009: To Balladonia The road to Balladonia from the small township of Norseman climbs some 200 meters at first and is then undulating for most of the last 90k of the journey. We joined what is now the Eyre Highway shortly before 6:30am and remained on it for over 120 miles today. The Highway has a curious beauty particularly in the very early morning as the sun rises. It must I fear be famous however for the volume of roadkills per kilometre. Nearly all are kangaroos and in various states of de-composure. They say roos are unpredictable and liable to cross the road when approached by traffic rather than run from it. We've had some experience already of this - roos that have crossed right in front of us when startled. Judging by the size of some of these animals a collision not only kills but is liable to do some considerable damage to vehicles. We saw one truck today that had come off the road and lay in the bush. Might have been the result of avoiding animals or perhaps just a momentary lapse of concentration - something which is not surprising given the long distance between roadhouses and long sameness of the "roadscape". We had slept better last night and this may have helped our energy levels today. We made 100k by 11am without too much trouble and got in to Balladonia not long after the faster riders. Balladonia is little more than a roadhouse - a small restaurant, bar, petrol station and collection of motel rooms - all fringed by a parking area populated by enormous road-trains. We had time for a bit of bird-watching before dinner. The facilities seem good here even though the cost of a beer is beginning to rise.
2nd August 2009: To Caiguna
We thought this to be the toughest day so far. We were off at 6:30 just after daybreak. There was virtually no traffic for the first part of the morning and no real gradients to deal with. The first couple of hours were spent looking for Roos on the road but none chose to reveal themselves. After 22 miles as we entered the 90 mile straight - reputedly, Australia's longest straight stretch of road. We knew Caiguna was somewhere at the end of this straight. It went on and on. We passed through a portion of the road that acts as a runway for the Flying Doctor Service. The road widens, the runway begins and then it resumes its normal width. Accompanying us were the normal string of road-trains and grey-nomads in their 4x4s towing caravans across country. There was cross-winds today. This, combined with the turbulence from road-trains makes riding tricky. There is little choice often but to get off the road and get on to the gravel when these beasts pass by. They have little capacity and maybe little inclination to swerve to avoid a cyclist. The support vehicles use the CB radio to warn the truckers of the cyclists ahead. Some appear understanding. To others, we are merely a nuisance on their turf. There was a blowhole a few miles before Caiguna, which we thought merited brief inspection. A little disappointing. The bush is slowly changing as we ride Eastwards. Perhaps fewer trees; the soil more sandy; more brush grass and small shrubs. The daytime temperatures are quite warm but the heat continues to dissipate rapidly in the late afternoon.
3rd August 2009: To Cocklebiddy
Mist (or perhaps it was low cloud) greeted us this morning. Although this was a short ride visibility was poor, the road seemed to climb continuously, and the wind remained in our faces for the best part of the journey. Having said that it was a good day. The scenery through the mist reminded me of a Scottish moor (without the heather). Or perhaps the name Cocklebiddy has a Scottish twang? Anyway, we got into Cocklebiddy - another Roadhouse - for lunch and, in the afternoon, got to go on an excursion to the Eyre bird sanctuary. This was a new experience. A four-wheel drive through sand dunes for 15k to the sanctuary and a swim at the beach (body surfing etc.). On the way back we spotted three large roos in the approaching dusk. The evening was spent preparing (practically and mentally) for the morning's ride - slightly longer than today but shorter than the 180k ride approaching on Wednesday.
4th August 2009: To Madura
The morning brought more mist as it began to get light. With little visibility we left Cocklebiddy roadhouse moving in the same direction as several very large road trains. The road was good. It got us into Madura around midday. Geographically the Roadhouse now sits under a bluff that seems to extend for several hundred miles East of here. The road seems to follow the line of the bluff giving higher ground to our left and a sea of smaller flat bushland to our right. The Roadhouse is similar to ones we've been staying in but curiously, in the course of a short bush-walk this afternoon, we came across a golf-green in its grounds. Apparently there are a number of golf tees across the Nullabor. So it’s a quick swing with the nine iron, a birdie on the green, before jumping into the truck and driving 150k to the next tee!
5th August 2009: To Eucla
Today we were on the road before the sun was up, hoping once more that the wind would be travelling in our direction. Alas this proved not to be. We moved East but the wind was blowing generally in a southerly direction. Progress was slow and hard fought. We were the last in to lunch at Mundrabilla, at around 120k. And then, in the afternoon the wind seemed to move a little in our direction. We moved faster as a result, taking it in turn to do 5 or 10 miles in front but were still the last riders home. Eucla is another extremely small place. It’s barely more than the motel we are staying in. Its perched on the cliffs overlooking the flatlands we cycled through today, and provides a good view over the Southern Ocean which is now close by. We rest up here and have a day off tomorrow. Friday's ride takes us into South Australia. We are only 18k from the state border. Today we passed the midway point of this journey between Perth and Adelaide. I’ve been tracking the price of a stubby bottle of beer. As we go further into the Nullabor the price rises sharply. Back in Perth the cost was some $2. Out here its between $6 and $7. Maybe it’s a good deterrent.
7th August 2009: To Nullabor
Days as hard as this thankfully don't come often. Maybe it was because we had rested yesterday and frolicked on the nearby beach. So, rather than a deserved tail wind, our punishment for resting-up was a head wind. It was in our face throughout the day without mercy. We had no sense of this on leaving Eucla's roadhouse. The morning was mild as we cycled the few kilometers to cross into South Australia but, as we worked our way Eastwards, on to the coast and out of the shelter of trees the wind set about us. Our speed dropped – to 12, 11, and then 8 mph. We kept on regardless throughout the morning – through 80, and then 90 miles. Our slow pace meant we missed the lunch point and so had sandwiches dropped off for us. This was like walking waist-deep in water. The pedals kept turning though until just after 102 mile mark when we decided to throw the towel in and hitch a lift from Peter and Greg who were following in the van. We were both upset at having to do this. But, with our poor rate of progress and an imminent time change (to Adelaide time), its unlikely we would have made Nullabor Roadhouse before dark, may have missed dinner. and would probably have been drained with little left for tomorrow's ride. So guilt-ridden, we travelled with Greg for the last 20 miles of the journey and got in to the Roadhouse before dark. We desperately wanted to ride all the way. However the head wind may well continue tomorrow. We saw a dingo today. Small and a dusty yellow in colour, it was running by itself and in our direction through the bush for a brief moment. We've been told that a pack of dingos present quite threat to hikers and cyclists possibly also. This one looked as surprised as we were by the encounter. We also spied the carcass of what must have been a camel. It seemed too far from the road to have been a road kill.
8th August 2009: To Nundroo
Early start before dawn. Again we rode East, watching the red and golden glow of the sunrise. After 15k we stopped, left our bikes and, as group, went down to a nearby lookout to gaze at whales and their calves. Apparently they come to this part of the Australian bight to give birth. And there they were, within 50 meters of the cliff, occasionally rising to the surface, glistening in the early morning light. But it was cold. Too cold to stay for the full show. We headed back to the bikes and the same headwind. We pedaled on to morning tea before the road became more sympathetic. It turned South-East. The treeless terrain was replaced by hills and woods and the winds backed to the North. The cycling became easier for the remainder of the day. Even the hills did not seem bad; their sharp rises more than compensated by lengthy downward slopes. We speed-played - increasing our speed to stay out in front or pass other riders. In this way we got into Nundroo before 3pm. I guess Nundroo is our first experience of an Aboriginal community. There was a group of people outside the roadhouse and a family (women and children) purchasing various things from the small store. I couldn't recognise their language. We had passed through an abandoned roadhouse at Yalata - we had lunch outside. This was described by someone in the group as a business that was given to members of the Aboriginal community and subsequently fell apart. As if to prove some point, some generalization about the community. This did not seem to me to be very respectful. From the very little we have seen, this community seems to me to be on the whole poor and powerless and treated with undeserved suspicion and on occasions outrageous disdain.
9th August 2009: To Ceduna
With a friendly wind behind us this was a good day in the saddle. Fast riding; hills could not stand in our way, and we reached all stopping points ahead of time. The landscape has changed - more farms; some crops; more green. Its wonderful! . Ceduna is the first town of any size that we've come across since Kalgoorlie. As it's Sunday the shops are supposed to be shut. We passed through a quarantine point on the road established I suppose to stop the spread of plant and fruit based diseases. We had nothing to declare. It felt good to be in a larger community. Even seeing a bus stop today felt good. Tomorrow takes us to Streaky Bay. This area is renown for seafood. Will see if we can sample this in the short time we are here.
10th August 2009: To Streaky Bay
Quite a wind this morning. It came from the West and we were heading mainly South. We slipped out of Ceduna before most of the big trucks had hit the road, then turned off the main highway on to a quieter road running South along the coast. The wind presented no real problems for the first two thirds of the journey. At that point the heavens opened and we caught it. The last 15k was into a strong headwind. All this meant that we arrived in Streaky Bay at around 12 but tired and wet. The hotel is good compensation for this discomfort. We have a view over the foreshore. The sun is shining and our shoes are drying out on the veranda - we turn them from time to time like food on a BarBQ. All is well with the world.
11th August 2009: To Wudinna
So, we are now in Wudinna. It's a small town on the Eyre Highway maybe midway between Ceduna and Port Augusta. We came in ahead of an ominous front of rain this afternoon. The wind was kind to us again on the way over from Streaky Bay. We stopped early in the day to see the "haystacks" rocks - huge oddly shaped stones peppering a few acres of farmland near the main highway. Then, it was on to lunch at Port Kenny. Now Wikipedia tells us the town dates from around 1912, it grew with the opening of a hall in 1934, and a hotel began operation in 1939. We're told very little has occurred since the erection of these buildings. I would second that. There seemed to be very little life at all in Port Kenny. We sat in the middle of a somewhat unkempt small park and ate our sandwich lunch wondering where the people were. A little later we continued on, turning now off the highway and following smaller roads up and down for the remainder of the journey to Wudinna. More farms are evident - crops as well as cattle and sheep farming. Our motel is on the Port Augusta end of town. It sits on the main highway. Tomorrow we head to Kimba.
12th August 2009: To Kimba
We've discovered another pipeline. This one looks as if it runs all the way towards Port Augusta or maybe Whyalla. It’s following the highway and reminds me of the one we followed for days along the road to Kalgoorlie. There's a railway line too but this is less coordinated with the road, following its own path to connect mills and processing plants we saw this morning on our way. Although the journey was a little hilly, our energy levels matched it today. We stayed ahead of the pack until morning coffee and then raced uphill towards Kimba around lunch time. The hotel is comfortable. Lunch was a BarBQ and we strolled afterwards along the streets of this small town, found a library and gained union with the internet. Oh BBC, I am starting to miss you!13th August 2009: To Port Augusta
Downhill and with the wind. What more can a cyclist want? This was Margaret's birthday and it was duly recognised by members of the group - some of whom broke into a rousing chorus of "Happy birthday to you..." as they rode past us, annoyingly, at some speed that our legs can't manage. What better way of celebrating a birthday. Heading towards the coast, it was flat or downhill; the sun shone; the mountains (the Flinders range) beyond the plain glistened as we neared Port Augusta. We had lunch at an old iron mining community of Iron Knob - now something of a ghost town with a population a fraction of what it was in a heyday when it was a big player in Australia's steel industry feeding steel mills in South Australia and beyond. Sadly, now there is a declining community; the tracks to the mines are told with the occasional tourists rather than miners. The whole place reminded me of Jeffrey City in Wyoming - another virtually dead community, victim to the vagaries of international capital and the declining demand for uranium. Perhaps the insatiable appetite in India and China for Australian minerals will find its way to Iron Knob and breath new life into this place? It was a good evening in Port Augusta. We walked a little across the river. We discovered our daughters had traced us and sent flowers and a birthday cake for Margaret to the motel. This was a very nice touch. Still more congratulations at dinner time and blowing of candles etc.
14th August 2009: To Port Pirie
Back in the thick of the traffic today. There's no real alternative but to follow the main highway out of Port Augusta heading towards Adelaide. We've crossed the water at Port Augusta and the journey today took us South on the other side of the water following the line of the Flinders range for some time. They are an impressive sight - richly sculpted and coloured in the early morning and late afternoon light. As welcome contrast to the traffic, the railway to Adelaide runs alongside the highway once more. The trains run on single tracks, and pull endless cars of minerals and container goods. Turning off the highway and into Port Pirie I was surprised at the size of the place. The walk "downtown" before dinner took some time. We were looking for beer, and a spare battery for the spare mobile phone we have. No luck with the battery! We move on to Port Wakefield tomorrow.
15th August 2009: To Port Wakefield
This was a very windy day. It blew South with some force. Thankfully, it was blowing in our direction and propelled us from Port Pirie to Port Wakefield in a matter of some 5 hours. It was also something of a warm day and we were glad to have rested awhile in the motel before the final evening with the Alltrails group. The last three weeks seem to have passed quickly and we are virtually at the gates of Adelaide and the end of the group ride. The road took us through the picturesque Port Broughton and across green farmland. The wind brought dangers as the day wore on. To illustrate this, we had lunch at the top of a headland overlooking a plain to the South. The wind was howling behind us. The road from the headland snaked down before us. We left the lunch spot in groups creeping as far as we could down hill to minimise the prospects of being fiercely blown by the side wind into a lane of passing traffic. A little scary but no incidents. Port Wakefield is a very small place indeed. It boasts one pub and a handful of small stores. We had dinner in this one pub and said the things that needed to be said to others given we'll be going our separate ways tomorrow.
16th August 2009: To Adelaide
So the wind continued today. It threw us down the highway at 40k per hour towards Adelaide. We were quite enjoying this. The road was fairly flat and dual carriage way now with fewer trucks on this Sunday morning. Then there was a heavy shower somewhere near Two Wells. This slowed our progress. The Police diverted traffic for a stretch as the rain had brought an accident with it. So the ride into Adelaide was colder and wetter than we'd hoped. On the outskirts of the city we paused for a Police escort which made us feel special and certainly helped us through the traffic and through numerous traffic lights to Victoria Square and the heart of Adelaide. At Victoria Square we said our final goodbyes to fellow members of the group, grabbed our bags and other stowed material and then the group melted into various corners of the city centre. We were pleased to see Joyce and Tim who had come to meet us and then Helena who we haven't seen for some 30 years. We're staying at Helena's place for the next few nights whilst we gather ourselves for the next leg of the trip - to Melbourne.