26th October 2023

According to the maps today was going to be a long day. On the other hand, not too many hills.

I met up with Derek (the dentist) and his brother in law over an early breakfast of toast, scrambled egg and bacon and discussed the day. Sherpa Graham was going to be driving their Land Cruiser to Albany so volunteered to take all our heavy kit with him! So, having offloaded everything possible onto the yak we headed off along a path along the river bank.

It was overcast and always threatening to rain, though never did, and on the cool side of pleasant cycling weather. Of course the estuary looked more spectacular with the clouds!

The trail eventually turned inland amongst the trees – rather smaller than the ones we had seen recently. And after about a third of the distance we popped out of the bush in front of a surfer shop/museum which also did coffee and cake. Graham had managed to coax the yak that far so joined us.

Some while later the trail emerged onto open farmland and a howling cross headwind. Fortunately the course slowly changed direction until it became mostly a tailwind. The roads were back to being a mix of gravel and tarmac with some mildly taxing climbs which was where not having all the kit on the back really made a difference.

Somewhere the trail had changed and led us past a field with some wild kangaroos in it. So fast and so effortless in the way they move.

Then it was a lightly forested section which led past the Torbay Fire Station! This petered out and became a path beside the road amongst lots of flowering bushes. Which led to stop two of the day at a petrol station/shop. At which point Graham showed up again having abandoned the yak in Albany and cycled out to meet us on his lightweight, unloaded, bike. He went off on his own but joined us later to guide us into Albany. The route had been diverted and was really confusing.

So, after one serious hill climb, achieved without stopping thanks to the lack of baggage, we arrived at the Munda Biddi Southern Terminus in Albany.

After the obligatory handshaking and photo session I ride on to book in at my chalet for the next couple of nights.

We met up again later and had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Albany. Amusingly a huge number of people we’d met on the trail who had finished recently were also there so there was a lot of reminiscing and talk tale telling.

And Derek and Graham are setting off on the long drive over East and I’m going back to Perth tomorrow and back to London in a couple of weeks.

Meantime, I need to go and collect a heap of now clean cycling kit from the site laundry…..!