From Esperance I headed to Munglinup. I had wanted to take the Southern Ocean East Road from Starvation Harbour.
The Shire web site made it clear that Hopetoun was not accessible from Starvation Harbour but was unclear about where it was possible to link in to the eastern end of Southern Ocean East Road (SOER). I took the conservative option and slabbed it down the wildflower decorated bitumenised Jerdacuttup Road and a short stretch of Hopetoun Road. A brief stop at the Hopetoun Bakery who supplied me with a map and I was full of the joy of life weaving through the SOER. After 10 kms I came to a road closed sign. There were fresh 4WD tracks around it so I thought that it was possible to get through to Mason Bay. Big sand drifts on the road and a section of flooding made me more tentative but it seemed that the water level in the Jerdacuttup Lagoons had dropped by more than a metre. Another few hundred metres and I came across deep dark water and turned around back to Hopetoun.
I was keen to travel from Hopetoun on Hammersley Drive through the Fitzgerald National Park. The 67 km link would return me to the South Coast Highway 73 kms out of Jerramungup.
The $7 National Park Motorcycle Day pass allows you to visit as many parks as you like in one day. Intrigued by Royal Hakea at the start of the trip only to find it was everywhere through the park.
The gravel was very corrugated and I was stopping every 10km to reset my spine.
Arriving in Albany at Sunset, I headed to Mount Clarence to inquire about the Field of Light comprised of 16,000 lights installed by artist Bruce Munro. I had a wander around the buildings comprising the Military Museum. Mount Clarence is a special place with its heritage and vistas.
Looking through the restaurant window the frosted figures seemed to come to life with the light of the sunset.
The Field of Light was impressive - more so if you could get away from the inane conversation of the groups that were visiting who thankfully seemed only to be interested in the closest access and not walking up to experience the lights and the solitude further up the mountain.
Heading east from Albany, Two Peoples Bay was next on my itinerary. It is a quiet location with few visitors but with interesting coastline, bays and beaches.
The sun has not set on my riding around Australia just yet. It is just that I have been slack in posting reports of my rides.
Last year I headed north from Perth on the GSA and escaped the winter with the first stop being Kalbarri.
Kalbarri National Park is stunning. An early morning view of Hawk's head
The historic Geraldine Mine is near to where the Great Northern Highway crosses the Murchison River. The lower part of the chimney from the smelter is still intact. They tunnelled into a local hill to get greater draught.
Bozo
After an overnight stop in Carnarvon it was not long to Pannawonica where I took the back way to Millstream. The country is a series of strong visual contrasts, flat plains and rocky ridges, sparsely vegetated stony country with luxuriant growth in sandy creek beds and red earth and straw yellow ground cover.
Heritage vehicle at Pannawonica
Creek bed gum near Pannawonica on Millstream Road
Road near Millstream
A magic ride from Millstream into Karratha passing an autonomous train (Ross says if the sunshades are pulled down there is no one in the cab).
Bozo
Last edited by Bozo on Fri 17 Jan, 2020 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Many of the beaches around Broome are accessible by vehicles and are a good compact riding surface. The only issue is getting on and off the beach as the access is typically cut up by 4WDs. This is the beach near Gantheaume Point.
The road to Cape Leveque is being upgraded and sealed. The original road was cut down into the Pindan sand and when in good nick is firm and safe. When there is heavy traffic the surface can become a mix of ruts and loose sand. When it is wet it is a nightmare.
Cape Leveque Road
Windjana Gorge is one of the very special places in Australia. The National Park entrance is 145 km from Derby and 150km from Fitzroy Crossing. It is closely connected with Jandamarra who fought a pitched battle in the Gorge in 1894 against 30 armed police and settlers.
I travelled from Derby for 125km along the Gibb River Road before taking the Fairfield Leopold Downs Road for 20km. The sheer walls comprising the Gorge are dark and foreboding and the entry to the Gorge is via a narrow gap.
