The Cycling Adventurer

   Perth-Adelaide 1997

Day 4   

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Record distance becomes my maiden metric century

What a great day! I broke my own all-time distance record (set on Day 2), and passed the metric century for the first time. It was not intended to be so, but when I arrived in Wagin, I had covered only 45km, and Katanning certainly seemed reachable.

I had a good, flat run from Narrogin to Wagin, but then the terrain changed near Katanning.

Climbs with seemingly shorter downhills on the other side became the norm. My butt is feeling sore now, even after I adjusted the seat up and levelled it before I left Narrogin. I think the seat adjustments are the solution to my pain, but I have to become used to the new position.

The rolling plains and shallow creek valleys... and lots of sheep... reminded me of the Midlands in central Tasmania. Sheep are remarkably stupid animals. They graze contentedly by a fence while trucks and cars speed past only metres away, yet they invariably run away from a bicycle as it rolls by silently. Maybe its an evolutionary throwback to when any silent movement meant stalking danger, as in "wolf!". The lambing season is in full swing here, and there has been the added chorus of frantic baa-ing as the ewes dash away from the roadside fences and leave their panicked offspring to follow.

It's Friday. That means the "schoolies" and other city folk assigned to employment in country centres such as Katanning make their weekly break for "freedom" back to Perth. I know what it's like for a city person to feel the need to escape small-town life at the end of a working week. But with hindsight experience, I would enjoy living simply in the country again, and give city life nary a second thought.

I slept badly last night. I my hips ached again. I remember from my scout leader days that I should dig a small indentation or hip-hole in the ground before erecting the tent over it. I intend to try that tonight.

I was also kept awake by those darned trucks. Why can't there be a curfew on them? The hill past the caravan park seemed to be the main route out of town until well past midnight. I think I counted five trucks go past in five minutes. The night air carried the sound of loud exhausts even though the vehicles were kilometres away. It was a continuous racket.

I had earlier followed the Great Southern Railway for most of the way from Brookton, but I saw only one train, and that was shunting at Brookton. I did hear another one late in the evening in Brookton. I thought, as I rode next to the line, about how the rail industry should be reinvigorated and the roads returned to ordinary motorists. After last night's episode, I can only conclude that the noise from heavy road transport is as loud and disturbing, and therefore environmentally intrusive, as that produced by aircraft passing overhead. It's worse, because it is constant.

Then there was an almight row in one of the caravans. I don't know what time it was, but it was early morning. Caravan parks can be a liability from that perspective. I remember living for several weeks in one in Far North Queensland, and enduring the nightly screaming matches between an Aboriginal couple the next row along. But at least the Narrogin Caravan Park was clean and sparsely occupied.

Today, I did concede that large road vehicles can sometimes offer advantages to cyclists. They wear the gravel into the tar to form two distinct tracks about a metre wide in each lane. These wheel tracks are great for cycling because they are much smoother than any other part of the road. The Brookton Highway has a shoulder with a width ranging from zero to 45cm.

The Katanning caravan park cost $8 tonight for an unpowered tent site, double the price of Narrogin, but at least I don't expect any disturbances in the middle of the night. In fact, the guy in a tent nextdoor has just packed up and departed in his station wagon. It's now pitch black outside. Maybe it was his first time out at night and he could not hack being by himself. I'm a bit annoyed, because he chose the prime site in the camping section, and now it's too late to move.

The only irritation I have here tonight is fending off the mosquitoes. There are lots of them because recent rains have revitalised their breeding waters. I'm fortunate the tent has a good mosquito net across the entrance. I am cautious about mosquito bites because of Ross River fever. The southern area of Western Australia is renowned as having a high incidence of the virus. I did bring some Rid insect repellent, and while I don't usually use this sort of stuff, this one is quite pleasant.

I am feeling good for the distance covered today. I'm still awake at 8.45pm writing this. My legs are stiff, but my left arm is improving and the pain above my knees has eased. That's why I will persist with the new seat position.

I unloaded the panniers after putting up the tent and rode off to one of the local pubs to get a small bottle of rum. The pub did not have the smallest size in rum, so I settled for one of bourbon to put in my evening coffee. Talking of coffee, I use a little Primus gas burner to boil water and cook. It's worth the weight penalty. There are smaller units, but they have smaller cannisters. The burner also is a nice source of heat should I ever need it.

The weather was different today compared with the previous three days. I departed Narrogin at 9.45am, a late start that made the 115km I covered even more meritorious. It drizzled as I left Narrogin and for the next hour. It was pleasant riding, though, even in just a T-shirt and bike shorts.

A headwind was another nuisance today. I hope that if the headwinds persist from the south or south-west, they will become useful as tailwinds after I leave Esperance and head into crossing the Nullarbor. I put on my windcheater about 7km away from Katanning, because the wind was cold. I arrived in town at 5.00pm, but I had trouble finding the caravan park, so I didn't get settled until an hour later.

One of the distinct advantages of most caravan parks for touring cyclists is access to showers with water heated by gas. The showers can be hit-and-miss in water volume and general cleanliness, but a tired cyclist can stand under a hot shower for as long as required. I did so today as I tried to restore warmth to my body and wash away the muscle soreness. With the higher campsite tariff, I was determined to get my money's worth.

I'll head to Broomehill tomorrow morning, and hopefully make Ongerup by day's end. At that point, I should be two days out of Esperance,

I had my first bowel movement since leaving Perth today. I was not constipated, but considering what I have taken in and what's come out the other end, my body must be taking up all the nutrients it can process. It's another question I'll ask the medical experts: Diet versus the reaction of the digestive system, especially when there is a high intake of carbohydrates.

I think I have come to terms with rehydration. I need more water bottles for the Eyre Highway, but the distances between towns seem to be relatively short. I expect abundant water in caravan parks and recreation areas within those towns. The supply right now is not a problem, and urination appears to have returned to normal.

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