** Day 8 Donnybrook to Nannup **
This is quite a cool little town with a very mountain town vibe. It has a good brewery, bakery and seems like a great music scene – there is a festival on here next weekend, luckily not this weekend or accommodation would be non-existent. As it was, we got a pretty unique cabin in the campground; I’ve never slept in a UFO before!
Riding today was very easy, mostly on bitumen and a rail trail – read flat. There must have been some bad weather through here though, the odd tree was down making quite a bit of pushing through the bush. Nothing too strenuous, the next few days will be hard so this was a good recharge.
** Day 9 Nannup to Manjimup **
Today was supposed to be some of the most beautiful riding but unfortunately there has just been a burn off so much of the track was closed before Donelly River and was diverted onto the road. Pleasant when we were forrest riding but that wasn’t the tracks for today.
Donelly River is an excellent little town, a very well stocked general store/cafe with delicious food and a big group of really inquisitive emus to keep you entertained. From Donelly River it was up to Karta Burnu hut, an awesome view after 1300m or so of climbing. This hut is almost exactly half way! The weather was turning super windy and rain coming, it was time to move on.
The track to Manjimup was back on double track and was really nice riding, not much climbing and no spiky trees grabbing you. Manjimup itself is a pretty big town with lots of options, a good place to stop.
Manjimup was obviously getting South and getting more touristy, expensive food and nice hotels. Food was seriously delicious though and the coffee has taken a step up in a big way.
** Day 10 Manjimup to Pemberton **
Manjimup was a great find, delicious food and quite a few good cafes, Great Southern Roaster was yum! The town has a quite a few installations around the streets to add interest and an old trail that apparently runs a few kilometres back and forwards on the tracks for kids, a nice memory of when the town was a major rail stop.
Today was pleasant riding on forrest roads, lots of it was up as usual but not too bad. Unfortunately it rained on and off all day, not hard just the annoying jacket on/jacket off type weather. The birds loved it, lots of calls as we rode.
** Day 11 Pemberton to Yirra Kartta Hut **
It is obvious that we are now on the food and wine trail; the food is delicious! The riding today started with the Gloucester Tree, a massive 53m Karri Tree with metal stakes to climb it. The tree is huge, the platform that you climb to is over 20m up. I went up years ago, it’s a long way up! The tree is closed at the moment while they do repair it.The Karri Forrest is beautiful riding.
Unfortunately the rest of the ride was just grinding on long endless gravel roads. Partially it was diversions on the trail while they do some work in the National Park, and partially it is not the best route. It is a pity, we had heard that park is beautiful.
The hut is quite nice though, there is a sort of granite mount next to it with stunning views in every direction.
** Day 12 Yirra Kartta Hut to Walpole **
Today was very miserable cycling, it was raining on and off, the path was heavily overgrown with extremely prickly, very wet, bush. After most of the day getting soaked and cut up the path we were dumped as out onto a 15% bitumen hill. It was just a case of getting it done. Pretty much no photos today, nothing was inspiring.
I bumped into someone from the QLD Audax cycling club coming the other way. While it is a strange place to run into someone you know, I guess there aren’t that many very long distance cycle routes around.
To make a bad day worse Worlpole has almost no accomodation and what is there is really overpriced and dingy. On booking in there was an old couple trying to get a refund because their rooms was so awful. After seeing the room, if there had been any alternatives I would have agreed.
That night was their weekly parmy night; about 5 different types of Chicken Parmigiana was the menu – as has been the case on a few of the pubs out here. Not a good ride for a vegetarian.
