Day 110 (Carnavon to Coral Bay)

April 21 (Sunday)

This morning I packed my gear and stored it with the caravan park managers.

A fellow camper at the caravan park lent me his snorkels, promising me that they will be very beneficial over the next few days. I can't wait..

We first stopped at the blow holes, which is situated around 70km outside of Canarvon. This was a very interesting site. The landscape meeting the sea was something very different. From a distance it would appear like a desert scape crossing paths with the ocean, yet on closer inspection you see it's a type of flattened volcanic rock surface. Nonetheless it is a very impressive sight. I sat in this spot, watching the water squirt through with great pressure out of what must of been a long funnel through the rocks. It is situations such as this that feed my environmental hunger. It is as If my mind is craving natural ecological formations, and when I sit and marvel at such a presence my mind is in a state of nirvana. It lasts for a few minutes then it reflects on environmental degradation, and why human beings can act in such ways when we are surrounded by so much natural beauty. I especially wander why when these environmental systems are the very core of our life. I realise others may have not yet reached this particular understanding and think what I could possibly do to better this gap that exists. I'm not a preacher and am not very fond of preachers, but in terms of environmental behaviour and practices I think preaching is not an applicable term. It is real and proven (compared to other matters that are preached) beneficial (and necessary) for human development, also every other form of life.

Something to feed my thought for a little while to come.

Pulling into Coral Bay was a surreal feeling. It is such beautiful scenery, and the water still being crystal clear with only having the moon light above. All three of us jumped in for a swim before setting up camp.

Day 109 (Carnavon - Rest Day)

April 20 (Saturday)

This morning was a nice change from the last week. It felt great sleeping after a good shower that's for sure! I had a sleep in then made my way down to the shops and then beach.

I say down at the beach enjoying some food and reading my book. After I finished and decided it was time to do something else I walked over to a few younger people sitting down in a shaded area. I figured they were probably backpackers and would make for good conversation. To my great surprise one of the people was a friend I met in Esperance. I lost his contact details and was annoyed I couldn't get back in touch with him. He lives in Melbourne and shares many interests to that of mine.

I relaxed more and tried sorting out a few things for my bike. There was no actual bike shop in town, just a small multi sport store that happened to sell spare tubes. I was after a new tyre but this wasn't available. I have settled with the extra tube and a bit o tape to put inside the tyre, a sort of protecting skin. Hope this works..

I wasn't sure if I would leave tomorrow or not. I received a message off the German friends I made later in the day asking if I would like to catch up with them. I realised they would be going up the coast to Exmouth and then returning with in a few days. They have a hire car and have to return it to Perth in another week or so. I caught up with them and to my surprise actually asked if I wanted to come. This was a relief because I wasn't to keen on asking them! They realised that I've missed many of the tourist attractions, notably Monkey Mia, Kalbari national park and the Pinnacles. I thought I would probably have cycled to Coral bay but wouldn't of gone as far to Exmouth. This was a great relief for me.

I have planned to leave my bike here in the caravan park in Canarvon whilst we are away. I have made friends with the managers so they were more than obliging to help. The managers actually asked me for dinner tonight before we shoot off tomorrow.

In the afternoon I went to the Canarvon pub to watch Essendon play St. Kildare. This was great, as I realise that I may not have many opportunities over the next few weeks to watch the football.

Today has turned out to be perfect! Off tomorrow for a few days with the Germans.

Day 108 (Bush Lookout to Canarvon)

April 19 (Friday)
Day: 157km
Ride time: 7hours 17minutes

A long day to say the least. It was a real test of perseverance. In pure heat having to repair my bike in the morning and replace a flat along the highway. Road trains driving by, blowing all my bits and pieces away.

I woke up again to a beautiful sunrise. I was fortunate that I could fill up my water bottles from some of the fellow travellers. I was also very surprised to see two young French girls among the few grey nomads camping there. I had brekky with the girls and retouched on some social skills that may have lacked off in the past week. It's often something I try to keep mind of, being social at any opportunity possible. Riding long hours on the bike and sleeping solo in the bush can lead to an adaption of being complacent with solitariness. I thought this morning was perfect- not only company but two nice looking French girls to go with it!

As mentioned the ride was very long hot and hard. The first half was fairly windy, with the latter half of the day providing a little more ease from the wind.

Before I left I had to fix the broken rack from yesterday. I had breakfast then was quick to take off. I spent too much time talking with the girls and fixing my bike then I would've liked to, as the morning was already scorching hot. I was also desperate to use the toilet. I had 30km to the roadhouse and figured this would take roughly an hour and a half. I held on and thought I'd make good use of the next roadhouse. When pulling in I went straight inside and asked the lady if it was ok for me to use the toilet. She looked at me and said no, "Only customers". I replied "So this means I can only use it after buying something?" her response "That's what a customer is". I was well aware what a customer was and wasn't to impressed with the smug response. I had assumed rationality would prevail and the one in 50,000 cyclist that passes through the outback would be allowed to use the toilet before having to hunt around for an item to purchase. I asked what the cheapest item was and realised a bottle of water at $5 meant I wouldn't be a future customer. The lady sat there looking at me like I was some type of employee, waiting for me to suck up her backside in order for me to use the toilet. I had no patience at this moment and walked outside to find a spot on the side of the roadhouse. I will spare the detail but to say the least this was a massive relief. Dried foods, lots of cycling and most probably a lack of many minerals makes for the stomach to excrete fluidly type non-solids, really not a pretty sight..

By the time I finished, this big bustling bogan type of bloke came out walking around in circles. I was walking back to my bike and by the time he did his tenth circle he must of realised where I was. He asked "Where are you going??" I responded "To my bike!" He must of realised what I had done and started to get very aggressive. He said "Ya got three minutes to get off my bloody property!! Or I'll release the dogs on to ya!!!". I said no worries, but I find your customer skills appalling and shocking that you won't let a person who has cycled in 40odd degrees and thousands of km's to get here to just use the toilet for a few minutes. He mumbled something, in between burping, then walked off. I left pretty soon after that!

Around 80km later I had a flat tyre. I didn't have a great deal of water on me as I was confident I could get to Canarvon without loading up. At $5 a litre, and the impression I made at the roadhouse, I didn't have much of an option anyway. This was a real morale loss, having to stop my momentum at 22km (which was extremely annoying), taking off my bags (luckily front rack), having to balance the bike at the same time, go through my bag to get the tube, tools and so on and then having to cop the direct heat off the sun whilst knowing I only had just over a litre of water left for a further 80km. This moment was hard. After pumping up the tyre with my small hand pump I jumped back on the bike and pushed ahead.

It was a great relief to pull in to Canarvon. The first thing I did was go to the super market, where I bought a homebrand two litre tub of ice cream, a litre of milk and a banana. I sat outside on the ground scooping the icecream into my bottle and making some type of thick shake. The ice cream was melting pretty quickly, and the taste of this stuff was actually very far from icecream. I realised here there's a good reason why I previously didn't buy homebrand ice creams.

Later on I felt very bloated but just wanted to sleep. I sat at the front of the small shop arcade area whilst waiting for my phone to charge in the takeaway shop. I was joined by a few local Aboriginals. People were walking by and staring at all three of us. This was a very random situation yet I actually felt very at ease.

The takeaway shop closed up so I had to think quick where I would sleep. I had a little bit of battery on my phone, which was enough to search a caravan park online. I figure that I'll probably stay here two nights to give my body a chance to recover, and for some time to reload before I shoot off again. I had to bite the bullet and accept the $20 entry into the caravan park.

I've ridden 5km to get here but now have everything set up. It seems like a good vibe here, so I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow!

Day 107 (Bush to Bush lookout (Wooramel Roadhouse))

April 18 (Thursday)
Day: 113km
Ride time: 5hours 55minutes

Today felt like forever. I woke up as the sun rose, which made for a very beautiful morning. This is perhaps one of the simple pleasures I most enjoy on the bike, waking up to a beautiful sun rise, looking through my open tent upon the beauty of the interior landscape. You can see the heat in the distance, creating some type of mirage in the foreground, only to be overtaken by a bright orange band in the sky. The birds become active and the mosquitos disappear for the heat tolerant flies to take over. This is the start of another day.

I stopped at the road house 12 km away to fill up a few drink bottles. I was fortunate a fellow traveler was working behind the counter as he promised to fill my bottles for free. As he finished off what he was doing another worker came to tell me I had to pay for the water, only for the other fella to come back and say it was alright. I didn't want to take advantage of this situation so only had two of my bottles filled, rather than the four I wanted done. It's these type of people that really make for a memorable trip, as such simple small gestures go such a long way.

I bumped into my German friends again as they stayed here at the road house last night. The thought entered that it must of cost quite a bit to stay here, and I also wandered what difference their experience would of been to that of mine sleeping in the bush. We had a good chat, as I had only planned 130 odd km for today giving me ease for the day ahead. It felt great knowing I had a little time up my sleeve. They are heading to the coastal side towards Monkey Mia and Shark Bay. I have heard many great things about these spots yet have decided not to go as it will be close to a 300km detour. It is not only the additional km of riding, but cost and also time. I would probably have to load up in a roadhouse, which would be a very costly procedure. After talking with the Germans I decided to see the Stromatolites which are 30km in along the coastal road. This way I can do it on my existing supplies and not add too much extra time on my trip. This also meant I had about 40km less to cycle today.

I stopped for a short breather at the next roadhouse. This was 40km past the previous one and the last before the Stromatolites. Here I met an older Irish couple who had just cycled up to Monkey Mia. They also stopped at the Stromatolites and did not recommend them to me. The Stromatolites are living organisms that are said to be over two billion years old. They are believed to be the first oxygen producing organisms in the whole world, essentially paving the way for earth as we know it. These are located in only three places in the whole world and one just so happens to be here on the coast of W.A. Naturally I was curious to see such unique life forms yet did have my suspicions they would look no different to a bunch of rocks. The Irish couple informed me exactly that, they appear exactly as rocks scattered along the coast. The down side is they may also be covered by low tide so it depends really on the time I arrive. It is also not possible to swim there.

I decided that I would skip this and just keep heading north. It is a shame to miss so many interesting spots but being solo on the bicycle you are really limited to the amount of places you can see. The Irish couple found the cycling so unbearable they actually had to book a taxi back from Monkey Mia all the way to the main road.

They were very friendly people and were very curious of my journey so far. They started in Perth and have planned to head up to Darwin. They were very happy that they didn't have to pay for a taxi in the end as they managed to score a lift with a road train. They said that because of this good fortune they wanted to treat me to a hamburger. I chose a fish burger instead and enjoyed my first proper lunch since I've left Perth.

After this I rode off with them in the north direction. It was a strong headwind and they were struggling to get through it. I kept on going and managed to get 30km or so before the next roadhouse. I thought this would be ok as it means in an hour and a half I can get there in the morning to reload on my water supplies.

Before I finished for the day I had a screw come off my back rack. This has been causing me trouble or quite some time now. It was actually the sole thing I wanted fixed in Perth, but yet again the person must have been incompetent in his job to not have put a simple lock nut onto the screw. It is hard to tell the difference between a lock nut and standard nut, as I didn't want to screw it off to double check. It is even more reason to just do everything your self when it comes to reassuring safety such as this. I rode for about 25km with one side of the rack hanging lower then the other. This was hard riding as I was trying very carefully to not move the bike side to side, so not to put extra pressure on the carrying rack. The land was open shrubs and was very uninviting for a tent spot. I kept going until I saw a sign saying "Look out spot". I decided in the last minute to go up as I thought it would be secluded enough to set up my tent. I also hoped I have a bit of open space to work on my bike.

It was like heaven. I pulled up and had a full 360 degree view of mostly untouched natural bush land. I had the sea in sight and could also see small rocks along the coast. These may have actually been the Stromatolites. There were also other campers around so it provided some company to enjoy such a beautiful place. This was a feeling close to being in heaven. A fellow camper came up and offered some cold fruit juice. I really can't believe my luck!!

Day 106 (Northampton to Bush (on way to Billabong Road house))

April 17 (Wednesday)
Day: 172.41km
Ride time: 7hours 59minutes

This morning was raining non-stop, making it difficult to leave early as planned. I woke up on time and ready to pack everything up to make a big day towards the next roadhouse. I was up around 6:45, packed my sleeping bag up, my mattress up and waited for the rain to stop to pack my tent away. It's always an annoying feeling sitting in the tent as it rains, as on one hand it's very relaxing but on the other you are well aware all your gears getting saturated and negative thoughts enter your mind such as mould forming in your bag, books getting wet, clothes smelling of dampness and a whole range of other things.

After around an hour and a half the rain only became stronger. I had no intention of camping there again tonight so I got out in the pouring rain and packed my tent up. The outer layer was saturated, the only thing I could try to do was make sure the inner layer remained relatively dry. Would've been a bigger laying in a wet tent tonight..

I packed all my gear up then went to a public toilet to fill up my drink bottles. The water tasted heavily chlorinated, not being so desirable yet at least giving me comfort of being good enough to drink. I loaded up on cheap discounted bread so I would have something to snack on over the next few days until I get to another type of shop.

I am pleased with my spending since leaving Perth, having now only spent $10 in total and covering roughly 800km. The budget is perhaps just as challenging as the rest of the journey, as I have to sacrifice many basic luxuries that I previously would of taken for granted - wholemeal foods, organics, cold drinks, yogurts or any other type of food that is in the middle price range bracket. For $2 a day it usually consists of day old bread, discounted biscuits or discounted milk drink. Something cheap that can suppress hunger temporarily. The other day I was fortunate as I was at the back of an IGA and come across a stash of chocolate milk in the skip bin. They were so fresh they all had moisture on the containers as they must of just been taken out of the fridge. This was an unexpected luxury that's for sure.

The ride was very hard in the first half of the day, and overall a very long days riding. I took off in the rain and think a mixture of hills, heaviness from all the water on my gear as also a slight headwind made the first half of the day very difficult. I wanted to get as close as possible to the next road house that way I could load up on water again before a big day tomorrow.

Late in the day the rain cleared completely and the clouds had gradually diminished. On either side of the road it was pure wilderness so I certainly had no lack of camping areas. I was keen to get some distance from the road so not to be disturbed of road trains during the night and also the bogan traveller who might feel the need to annoy me in my tent.

I found a nice little area hidden about two 150 meters off the road. It was a surreal feeling pulling in, as the sun was jus setting and it was just pure wilderness. Many animal tracks surrounded my camp area, some I could identify (emu, lizard, snake, feral cat) and others I had no idea of. I set up my cooker, did some stretches and relaxed after 8 hours straight riding in what started as rain, overcast, then pure heat in direct sun.

Day 105 (Dongara to Northhampton)

April 16 (Tuesday)
Day: 123km
Ride time: 5hours 37minutes

Today was a long day as I stopped in Geraldton for a few hours, making use of the public library. I originally planned on sleeping in Geraldton but as I got there quite early and had plenty of energy I was keen to keep going. I loaded up on more food and water and took off in the direction of Northhampton.

Geraldton seemed like a nice town, bearing similarities to more populated towns before Perth, such as Mandurah, yet being a Port town and having the northern feel attached to it. By northern feel I mean that of a mining and/or tradesman presence and also more of an Aboriginal presence.

Northampton is around 60km further north of Geraldton. It is a tiny place, perhaps just possible to be labeled a town. When I pulled into town it was late in the day, I was fairly buggered and I was dying to eat some food. I kept my eyes open for hidden away spots to set up my tent. I noticed a park area at the back of a caravan park. It appeared to be public land and looked like I could hide away behind a few bushes. I went down and set up my tent. I got my cooker out and was preparing some food. Moments later a man came up, reeking of beer. He asked me why I was set up in this spot. I explained that it appears to be public land and I'm not in anyone's way. He was struggling to get his message across. I figured this was perhaps why he stank of beer, as he knocked a few back in the hope to work up some courage to tell me to leave. Some would perhaps describe this man as a bogan - barb wire tattoo on his arm, jim beam tee shirt and poor English skills. I explained I wasn't going to pay him $25 for having my tent set up in bushes a few hundred metres away from his caravan park. He didn't warm to this so asked me to leave again. I said no problem and packed all my gear up and took off again in the dark.

There was a fair bit of noise around and people walking on the streets close by. I thought that perhaps if they saw me they would cause a bit of trouble. Feeling alone. Empty inside as a result of having no one around. The feeling of dejection after being told to leave the park moments earlier. I had no where to go, just a bit of hope in my mind that I could find a safe spot.

I searched some back streets of the town for other bushes to set up my tent. I found an open block and asked a man close by if anyone owned it. He explained that its attached to the property next door but its not in use. I thought perfect so went up to set up my tent. It's been alright so far but the rain has come giving me worry for the big day planned tomorrow.

Day 104 (Jurien Bay to Dongara)

April 15 (Monday)
Day: 137km
Ride time: 6hours 4minutes

I felt physically great on the bike today. It must have been the good sleep I had last night. I also had plenty of food last night and this morning providing for some good energy. I said my farewells again to my French friends as to what may have been our last morning together. I really couldn't believe the chance of meeting again, especially in this circumstance!

In the morning when I was leaving I had a chat with a German couple. They have seen me a few times as they've driven past. They were curious where I've been and where I'm going. This conversation certainly wears thin after a while.

Later on in the day it started raining a bit. The German couple had seen me around 110km in to my ride and stopped to offer me a drink. I stopped gladly as I knew I was only 20 odd km from my destination, with a little rain hanging around, and also I didn't have a great deal to look forward to anyway. It was nice to have a conversation and a few glasses of orange juice.

When pulling into town I wasn't sure where I would camp. It was raining lightly, looking as if it might worsen, and quite populated around town so it made for a difficult search. About 7km before town there was a bridge with a river running under it. I thought this would be perfect as I was low on water and could boil the river water up for dinner and also be sheltered under the bridge from the rain. I went down yet ended up turning back quite quickly. It would have been very difficult getting my bike down, as it was a sort of cliff face, there were thousands of ants around (the big type) and the trucks driving over the bridge were incredibly noisy. I went in further to town and asked some locals about any camping areas. I found a descent sized caravan park at the back of town. As it was late in the day I couldn't see anyone around. I certainly didn't want to pay for a night there as I had no intention on using any services, but I was keen to set my stuff up at the back of the park as it was hidden away.

I rode around the back and managed to get all my gear set up pretty quickly. I set up my cooker and have now had a good feed. Looking forward to a good sleep as I listen to the waves of the beach crash and the rain drip on my tent.