Struck trouble near Harvey when the Police turned me around.
The fire that devastated Yarloop was very intense and areas were still smouldering with power lines down
I deviated to the Harvey - Myalup Road which is an excellent ride and then to Brunswick Junction by the Wellesley Road which was also good. At Burekup I turned into Henty Road to get to the Ferguson Valley and rode through to Mumballup and Donnybrook.
It had been a while since I had ridden the Upper Capel Road that runs from the back of Donnybrook to Kirup...it was excellent with some of the rougher areas being resurfaced and other parts widened. I took the brilliant Cundinup Kirup Road to Nannup and then the Brockman Highway to Jalbarragup. The unsealed Jalbarragup Road was ballbearings over ruts and I was happy to get to Mowen Road. A quick trip through Rosa Brook had me in Margaret River to refuel the bike and get a coffee for me at a quirky place called Rubra.
A pleasant ride up Caves Road deposited me at Tas's Bakery in Dunsborough for a pastie before travelling to Forrest Beach via Wonnerup. Returning to Ludlow Road North via a short stretch of good gravel I travelled via Mallokup Road to Roberts Road to emerge on the Bussell Highway on the Bunbury side of Capel.
I joined the train of cars for the commute up the Forrest Highway to Perth.
650 kms of a mix of outstanding roads with no traffic to the joys of being a link in an unending chain of cars.
Very happy to have toured through the South West in brilliant weather but very mindful of all of those who are impacted by the dreadful fires and who will find joy a scarce commodity.
Bozo