Some caravan parks are a let-down, like Katanning's was last night. The campsite price of $8 offered these privileges: Someone left their beard hair in the basin; unwelcome bits and pieces were left in several shower bays, including a cigarette butt (just how does one smoke under a shower?); one of the shower roses was completely missing in another bay; large puddles covered the access driveway; the park shop charged $1 for one banana; and the park was in an industrial area, which meant a lie-in on a Saturday morning was impossible because work started at 7.15am.

By contrast, the place I am in tonight at Ongerup is small and hardly occupied. The owner, Ian Bartlett, spent six years in George Town, in northern Tasmania, managing a caravan park. The cost is $5 a night, and I have free use of a gas barbecue and the rumpus room with television adjacent to the office.

I've already been to the local pub to get somthing to drink, and I bought a fisherman's basket from the Ongerup Roadhouse, which seems to be quite well run by some imaginative and creative people. I'm now settled down to watch the Saturday night attractions on ABC television. It's the first time I have seen television since I left Perth.

I departed Katanning at 9.15am, and arrived in Ongerup at 5.15pm, representing an average of 14.5km/h, just under my target of 15km/h. The hills were the reason for the slowdown today. The air also was cool, and did not help my legs very much. There was no breeze until 3km before Ongerup when a headwind started. That final climb and the wind both conspired to make me feel very tired at the end.

I seem to recover my energy quite quickly, but I notice that I am "grazing" my food. A typical eating regimen now is a banana and 500ml of a milk drink before I start riding, muesli bars regularly during the day, a couple of salad rolls for lunch, and finally an evening meal. I think I have got the rehydration under control, but I really have to watch my food budget as it is slowly eroding away!

I am still having sleep problems. A hip-hole helped a little bit last night, but now I need a decent pillow. I will try tonight with a hip-hole and use the foam mat as the pillow, with a pillow case over it. I had not expected sleep to have become such major issue. I am hoping to get a lightweight inflatable mattress in Esperance. The shop in Katanning had the velour-covered variety, but it was too heavy.

I also am having trouble getting used to a sleeping bag again, and I dispensed with the liner last night. I feel as though I am bound up and cannot move my legs freely to a comfortable position. I am sleeping more on my back and probably snoring, and this may be causing nasal congestion. When riding, I felt like a kid playing outside on a cold winter's day with the mucus running out of my nose and down my top lip.

My backside is sorer than it was yesterday. I used adhesive tape again over the pressure points, which perhaps was a mistake, because they sure hurt when I took them off under the shower! If that's how it feels when when women have their bikini lines done, then No Thanks!

The most irritating thing to happen today was treading on two lumps of chewing gum at a service station on Gnowangerup. I find gum on the path the equivalent of stepping in dog poo. It's repugnant, and very difficult to get off. It is just another example of people leaving their mess for someone else to clean up.

I tripped at door of the tent tonight, and half fell, half leaned on one of the frames, breaking a ferule on a pole at the top of its arc. Fortunately, I have made reasonable repairs with another ferule cut in half and slid in place.

I went shopping after unloading everything, and the bike felt so light that it might have been made of carbon fibre. It was the same yesterday in Katanning. When I have finished the trip, I might have to look at fitting a larger set of chainrings. It also probably means I am getting fitter. Certainly, I am not walking the bike up hills like I was a couple of days ago.

I also have learned to stop to rest and drink at crests before tackling the next climb. This means riding a downhill to build up momentum for the next climb, rather than trying to set off straight uphill. The strategy seems to work very well for me.

I seemed to climb and climb today. I thought I had reached the top on four occasions, and stopped to take a photograph each time to mark the achievement. I could look back and down at the areas from where I had started. I skirted around the Stirling Range, the highest mountains I have seen in Western Australia. They looked magnificent in distant south as they stood grey and stark over the pastures.

I need to check at some stage what the highest point of the highway has been. For all I know, it is right here in Ongerup. That would make today's effort even more pleasing. I estimate I have climbed about 300 metres. Anyway, I feel satisfied with my efforts.

An item I need to buy in Esperance is a small AM/FM radio. I think it will be useful for weather forecasts on wind direction. It will also provide entertainment when camping, and keep me in touch with what's happening in the world.

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