New Year's Resolution

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Part of the Trail is closed due to prescribed burns.



Had to take Lockwood Road to due road closure...certainly easier then riding thru the scrub.

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Carinyah Hut...the first one on the Trail. Well appointed. They sleep about 20 people, have water tanks, a long drop dunny and storage for bikes.


From here we continue along the Trail to the next Hut and then Dwellingup on Thursday night; well, that’s the plan anyway.
SPOT Tracker link is here;
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... UCtYLNPufa

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Day 3.
Another tough day on the Trail. Stayed in Jarrahdale’s Environental Centre last night...the sort of place that school groups would use. Bunk beds, kitchen, pots n pans, showers and a toilet. All you need really. Today involved some steep climbs and descents. Crossed the Dandalup Dam Wall and staying in a Hut with sweeping views of a valley. Sharing the Hut with a NZ couple travelling with a 3 year old and another single cyclist all who are travelling south like us. Tomorrow will be at Dwellingup.



Photo doesn’t do the ascent justice. Tough morning thru the Serpentine National Park.



Crossing the bridge over the Serpentine River...all uphill after that.

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Met another cyclist along the way...it appeared he was walking more then he was riding. I pulled over to wait for Trev.




We stopped for a break and caught up with ol’ mate later in the day who was still walking.

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Trev checking the depth...I hate wet feet.



2nd puncture for the trip. Tough conditions on tyres.



Trev crossing Dandalup Dam.

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Day 4 Update...
The days appear to be getting easier although there still seems to be a steep climb or two daily just to remind us we’re alive. Maybe we are finding our mojo. From noon tomorrow (Friday) the Trail is supposed to level out a bit. Staying at Dwellingup tonight in a ‘backpackers room’ for $50. Rain due on Saturday and Sunday. Bummer.



We passed this tree and something didn’t look right. It doesn’t appear to have died and fallen over. It appeared to have exploded. We speculated it had been struck by lightning. I can’t think of another explanation.



Debris from the tree covered a large area.

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The view from my office window today...constantly changing.



Marrinup POW camp just outside Dwellingup. This one (No 16) housed Germans and Italians. They were used for timber cutting providing firewood for Perth.

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Lunch at the Camp.



Unusual water crossing close to Dwellingup.

Back to work Slackers!

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End of the road...for Trevor at least. We have arrived safely at Collie and Trev busses back to Perth and work tomorrow (Monday) while I continue solo. Yesterday (day 6) was HORRIBLE. Drizzle all day and shitty single track with overhanging vegetation for the large part. I stayed relatively dry throughout but Trev got drenched to the bone. Cold, miserable and tiring day in the saddle. Better day today with sunshine and took some better roads to Collie. Stayed off the Munda Biddi for the most part just to have an easier day.




After Nanga the Trail follows old railway forms from days gone by and the timber industry...much easier riding.




Tunnel under the Alcoa conveyor moving Bauxite to the Refinery...goes for miles.

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Lunch halt on the Murray



We followed the Murray River for a while. Trev had the chance to let the inner child out.

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I’m not a tree huggin’ greenie but even I appreciate Springtime and the masses of wildflowers in full bloom.



Trev reckons he could see the light at the end of the tunnel.



Collie and end of the road for Trev.

I continue heading South(ish).

SPOT Link is here;

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... UCtYLNPufa

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Finding my Mojo...covering greater distances with less effort. Trev left Collie yesterday (Monday) to return to the humdrum of work life while I continue solo. Every day still has its challenges but the rewards are seeing new parts of the south west that I haven’t seen before. In Donnybrook tonight and hoping to be in Nannup Wednesday night. 2 nights in a room instead of lying on the ground like a dog. You gotta be happy with that.



Trev catching the connection from Collie to Perth via Bunbury. Poor bastard.




It was a little confusing leaving Collie. I think it was a combination of old signs from a previous diversion and Rookie errors with navigation. Most paper maps are orientated with North upwards. Strip maps are a little different. Note the North point lower left of photo. I use the sun to assist in navigation and a combination of errors had me going around in circles. I took the main road westwards towards Wellington Dam until I got orientated.

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A typical obstacle on the track. Easiest thing to do is seperate the trailer from the bike and carry across separately. There are huge trees across the Trail further south.




I crested over a hill into some clear farmland for a change instead of a canopy of forest. I could see the Bunbury skyline in the distance looking west.

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Todays warm and fuzzy photo...stunning wildflowers in the harshness of the bush.




Saw a sign for coffee in Boyanup which involved a 4km diversion. The coffee was worth it. I try and support local small business when I can. These guys had only been open for three months. Highly recommend.

From here I travel to Nannup via Jarrahwood...not the most direct route but that’s where the Trail takes me.

So much to do...

Back to work Slackers!

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Great work Digger

I need to work on getting an office like yours, you are an inspiration