8 October 2023

Loooong nights sleep, lazy start and a visit to the site washing machine. Be nice to have some clean clothes again!

Last night was spent in the pub drinking cold beer. Lots of it. And eating a steak. Also chatting with a couple of guys from Victoria (hope that’s right) who are also doing the trail but are sleeping in their tents on the same site as me. I needed a proper bed after an uncomfortable night the previous day. Also needed Aircon to cool me down!!! And I elected to take a day out as I was a bit frazzled after yesterday.

So, Collie. A coal mining town – named after a bloke, not the mining. Last time you could opt to take a shortcut and bypass it. Most advice I got said to do that. However, I guess the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, in the spirit of being good neighbors, have elected to delete the bypass in order to drive business into the town. They have made an effort with a mining museum (not much bigger than a shed) a glitzy tourist centre and some old railway bits and pieces. The town centre, for want of a better description, was mostly concrete and hot even though it has cooled down since yesterday. It has a big Woolworths supermarket – if you can find the entrance – and some uninspiring cafes. Or two pubs which I’d try to avoid at midday on a rest day!

However, the tourists seem to love it as there was a continual stream of large four wheel drives dragging monstrous off-road caravans. Got to wonder what state the contents would be in after a day on the corrugations on the Tannami track for instance? Also lots of kids on mountain bikes presumably off to explore the local mountain bike parks.

I just found a frozen solid bottle of beer in the freezer compartment of my fridge. I’m not sure what the outcome will be but I’m currently defrosting it in the hope it will be drinkable later….

In lieu of ‘critter of the day’ I have ‘double take of the day’. Look at the aisle sign in Woolworths.

“Cat food, insecticides, Manchester.”

I suppose I could have asked but the answer would probably have been something mundane….

Oh, a footnote. Have you noticed the ‘leave a reply’ or follow boxes at the bottom of each entry? It would / might be interesting to hear what people want to hear more about. Obviously questions about why there aren’t any pictures of snakes will be ignored!

7th October 2023

I had something calling itself Carbonara for supper last night. Picture attached for amusement. Tasted…ok.

Cool night, glad I had the sleeping bag in bag mode rather than open like a duvet. My mozzie net plan worked fairly well but still needs some tweaks. At least I didn’t wake up enveloped in it!

It was starting to warm up fast as I was having my breakfast. And then somebody who had made an early start to avoid the heat turned up having already done a stage. He was right, it got hotter and hotter.

Luckily, after an initial climb, most of the morning was downhill through tunnels of trees. There was a curious smell, not the cigar box smell of the last few days but a rather odd perfume kind of smell. Strange!

After that the scenery didn’t really matter as it was just a battle to make way through the heat, zigzagging from one bit of shade to the next.

One minor bit of excitement was just after I’d crossed a railway. A long coal train came through. You could see the coal but the dust had me coughing for the next half hour….

Didn’t see anybody on the trail, they’d obviously looked at the forecast.

And now I have booked into a caravan park for a couple of days. Aircon is in full Arctic mode and a lengthy cool shower. Two cups of sweet tea and I’m beginning to feel human again. Might have to see if I can find a pub and some grub shortly!

No critter of the day today, they must have all been hiding from the heat. But Pig has stepped in to fill the gap!

6th October 2023

12 degrees in my bijoux hut this morning – could have had the a/c on heat but after yesterday it felt warm!

…..and continued to heat up.

But first, nice breakfast of two eggs, bacon and toast to set me up. And the best cup of coffee I have had in a long time.

Really nice morning, winding through the forest, just me and the birds. Gentle climbs and descents so I was actually enjoying myself properly rather than facing another workout, took quite a few photos and then got to the stream at the bottom.

By this time the temperature had climbed to the high 20s so I really didn’t need the cliff face I hit next. So steep I very nearly unloaded the bike and did it in stages. But I’m made of stern stuff and bettered it.

I crossed a couple more streams – could hear frogs but not see them. Probably too hot. And then fairly nice trail but a fair bit of pushing.

And then I hit the diversion. By this time it was over 30. And they made me cycle uphill in gravel in the open. But as they were going to do a burn where the trail usually runs I suppose it’s ok. Then the diversion went off into pine forest. After the tobacco box smells of the morning the smell of pine was a surprise. The downside was that the diversion had lots of gravel roads over hilltops. Exposed to the sun again.

Well, the hut is spectacular, perched on the side of a small valley with a stream in it. Lots of mozzies so I have rigged up my net – I have a cunning plan which will stop it undoing itself during the night.

Critter of the day? I did see an eagle but it flew off before I could photograph it.

However, a large lizard (Goanna?) obligingly filled in for it.

And now it’s cooling down so I’m off to my sleeping bag.

5th October 2023

Cold night on my own. Spent a lot of the night tossing and turning trying to get warm. And this despite my fancy down sleeping bag. When it had warmed up a bit I emerged and checked my thermometer: 6 degrees! It was obviously colder than that during the night and there was a cold breeze blowing. Must do something to stop the breeze next time. I used the groundsheet from my tent last time.

Anyway, tonight I’m in a small mobile home in a caravan park so I should be warm! And comfy bed and shower….

The ride started out with a gentle uphill on a forest road which was fine up to the point where there was a gate and a sign saying there were mining works going on. So the trail diverted straight up the hill side. Once at the top there was a lot of wiggly trail which wasn’t too bad. Also the King Jarrah trees gave way to the smaller trees again. Hard to tell what as there has been some burning going on and most of the trunks were black again! Also a lot of the bushes were overhanging the trail so I kept getting whipped!

And then the sand and rocks started. Sand stops you dead, or throws you off, and rocks are just unpleasant. Got passed by someone going the same way as me and two people going the other way.

After a quite exceptionally hard push uphill, thankfully not too long, I arrived at the car park at the top of the reservoir. So I sat and watched the boats, the blue water and had some lunch.

Then all round the reservoir to the caravan park where I met some more cyclists who told me I was out of luck as they’d eaten everything in the cafe! (Not true…!)

Now sitting outside my ‘chalet’ watching the insects eating the flowers.

Critters of the day: flock (?) of emus. Hope you can see them in the pic below as they were some way off. Also an ants nest because I was getting desperate for a critter!

4th October 2023

Funny noise in the distance as I pulled out of my motel this morning. Steam Train! Sure enough, just down by the visitor centre there’s an engine all steamed up.

Make the most of this: nice ride today! And the rest made a huge difference. I almost enjoyed myself!!!

The legs had mostly recovered, the sun was shining, it was slightly cool and the wind was calm.

Better yet, the dreaded pea gravel was notable by its absence. Even the hills were tolerable. And the downhill bits which cut across a mountain bike park on the whole were good fun.

The next part was forest roads that had a nice firm surface and gentle gradients so I was able to whizz along for a – long overdue – change. Also ran alongside a river so good views too.

This meant that I arrived at the hut at 12:45

Lunch of beef and pasta hotpot which I won’t be buying again, utterly tasteless. I’m saving the second half for supper, or not. Might have to buy some soy or ketchup next time I’m in a town…..

And now what? I could have pushed on to Lake Brockman where they have a caravan park (warm shower, beds etc) or stay here. Last time I went there from here but it was very hot and I arrived exhausted. I don’t think I want to risk that on top of this mornings stage. So killing time till bed time, chatting with some pretty wren like birds which seem very tame. It’s looking like I may have the hut to myself tonight but it’s still a bit early and there’s still time for a straggler to turn up!

Critter of the day today, either the birds or a snake I nearly ran over. He’d slithered off before I could park the bike and come back with the camera. Probably no bad thing!

3rd October 2023

This place has changed since I was last here.

I was the tourist.

The pub had only opened a couple of weeks before after being closed for a long time after a fire.

I stayed in a cheap room at the local forestry centre. Don’t know if it even exists any more!

The local store is much as it was but now sells dehydrated food packs for the cyclists and walkers. The cafe is still doing brisk business.

But there’s a fancy new visitor centre and cafe. Wow!

And I’m not the only tourist.

There were dozens of cyclists, mostly out for the day and the local bike hire shop is now in a much more prominent position than it was when they fixed my ailing bike last time. And busier too.

Did I mention how good a hot (as opposed to a rain) shower is? And a comfy bed – not that I remember much about it as I was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.

Spent the day doing laundry, food shopping and eating. And resting.

Steak and Guinness pie and a couple of beers in the pub and another good nights sleep.

The rain from yesterday abated for a while which gave me time to get comfy on my new mattress and snug in my down sleeping bag (from last year when I found out the hard way that the one I’d brought wasn’t up to the job). And then the storm kicked off with a vengeance. Howling wind and pouring rain, even distant thunder. Very, very glad not to be in a tent!!! Which reminds me, met a guy yesterday who said he was one of the original founders of the M B trail! Also said that our camping site wasn’t the best we could have chosen as it quickly fills up with water when it rains….

The storm abated about midnight and I got the best sleep I’d had in a long time. Woke up with a cold draft across my face despite being hunkered up in a corner of the hut away from the elements.

Got off on the trail eventually straight into a short but steep uphill bit! And onto map two of seven of the trail which feels like quite an achievement!

Now, it may seem like there’s a lot of misery in riding the M B. Usually it’s more than offset by the trees, wildlife, scenery and downhill bits

Not so much today. One issue I have with the trail designers is that they tend to throw in ‘interesting’ bits when they could have chosen a straighter route. Lovely if you’re out for the day on an unladen bike. Not so clever if it’s heavy, you’re soaked through, as we were several times today, tired and just want a food and bed

Today was a very long one with a lot of suffering. But, I have just spent the night, and tonight in a cosy motel room with a comfy bed. Bliss!

Oh, and beer and curry in the pub next door.

Not even an animal of the day today I’m afraid unless you count being shouted at by black parrots. Big black birds with red under their tails that fly around in mobs and yell at each other.

The guide app suggests that the riding gets easier the further South you go. If I remember from last time it’s more a case of less extreme…..

1st October 2023

Backtracking slightly, apart from a couple of cafes (I only found one..) Jarrahdale is a bit of a desert for M B riders. The only accommodation in town was expensive and booked up and no resupply options of note, much the same as last time. In the end my riding companion of the day and I decided all we could do was wild camp at the local mountain bike park.

Very nice secluded dell with a flat surface and some inquisitive Magpies. Only it rained when it was time to pack up in the morning. So I ended up ramming a soggy tent into a bag and hoping I’d find somewhere to hang it up to dry before too long (and to get rid of the unwelcome extra weight of the rain!

The following morning started a bit late as I met Michael in the cafe for breakfast. My treat, he’d brought me a new inflatable mattress to replace my disintegrating one. Can’t thank him enough for that!

The ride: temps ok in low 20s but overcast. Started out ok with only the odd spot of rain, went uphill, then descended steeply into a river valley. No guessing what came next. Mile after mile of pushing the bike. It tends to be either too steep to ride a laden bike up or it’s covered in gravel that’s impossible to ride in and saps your strength because of the drag.

The scenery was much the same as the last couple of days until a couple of miles out from the reservoir where it opened out a bit into fields.Then, as I was pushing up a steep road the intermittent showers turned into a downpour. Well, my kit is really just shower proof so I gave up and hid under a bush for a while!

Last time I was in Dandalup the weather was perfect. Blue skies, view out to the coast etc. This time, murky, windy on top of the dam and, time for a quick photo opp and push on. Fortunately the hut wasn’t too far away (after some more gruelling pushing) so time to eat and dry out. No point in looking at the spectacular view this time, there wasn’t one thanks to the cloud.

Animals of the day: a pair of blue tongued lizards (guess why!) and a real find, an Echidna!! Never seen one of those before. About the size of a football. Once he had decided I wasn’t a threat he got back to snuffling under a rock for his lunch.