The Holidays in Australia

December 28, 2015




When last I left you I was sitting on the side of the road into Perth with a broken bike awaiting Waugal. That morning after I wrote my previous blog, I went out to fiddle with the derailleur once more and I got it so it would stay in one gear. I thought I should try and ride into Perth and save Waugal the drive but it was a much later start than I liked to get 70 kms to my Karaleen's house where I was staying a few days. I called Waugal. "I got it fixed...sorta...and I could try riding into Perth", says I. "No, BagLady! Stay put! I'm coming to pick you up!" Ok, I will. I'm always trying to push through my problems, not wanting to inconvenience anyone. I'm sure it's a trait that serves me well on the road, but sometimes I just have to graciously accept assistance. It was good to know that I could mess with the derailleur and fix it if I'd had to. I've learned so much about the workings of my bike...as I've needed the info.

So Waugal picked me up. It was the first time we'd seen each other since we said goodbye in Albany at the bus station after 2 months together 24/7. It was good to see him again!

We took the bike directly to Just Bents, an ICE trike dealer. Craig works out of his garage. He thought he could straighten everything with a press he would borrow from a friend. I was nervous. I've had the derailleur not work well so often and the chain skips gears and drops off. It's a nightmare. And it was humming lately. And I wanted it humming again for the hills of Tasmania. Could this guy do the job? I had to trust that he could. I left Blaze with him to work his magic and he did! When we came back a few days later, she was running beautifully. I spent a good part of the afternoon getting tons of info and ideas about my bike. And he tightened this and adjusted that. I've got a lot of improv parts and pieces, some of which needed tinkering. Craig was my man! He's a thinker. I loved watching his brain work. And Blaze has been motoring along beautifully here in Tassie. I'm so grateful!

So after dropping off Blaze we went to Waugal's house to drop off my gear. I had a week before my flight to Tasmania and I wanted to spend a bit of it with Karaleen, a woman I met at a rest stop in the Outback. The plan was to stay with her 3 nights then come back to Waugal's for the rest of it. Then Waugal tells me his family is having a get together dinner at a Persian restaurant that evening and they'd love to see me again. And I wanted to see them. Again I contacted poor Karaleen and modified my plans. She was so understanding.

Well I'm not going to bore you with all the intimate details of my week in Perth but suffice to say I had a marvelous time. I had fish and chips with Karaleen at the beach watching the sunset. And a holiday lunch with the girls at a friend's house (who cooked vegetarian!). Went to her ex's gardens with her delightful grandkids who stayed over one night. And joined her and her friends for a Symphony in the Park on the esplanade downtown. Thanks Karaleen for such a great time packed full and full of fun!!


Craig doing some last minute repairs before I head out.



Symphony in the Park



Karaleen and me eating fish and chips while watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean (pic below)



Then I moved back to Waugal and Lisa's place where I was able to just rest and eat well, enjoying his beautiful home and gardens. We also ran a bunch of errands, toured King's Park and just enjoyed down time...something I desperately needed.



Waugal and Lisa wandering around King's Park



An enormous boab tree that was moved from Northern Territory to Perth. It's coming round!

I also went out to the harbor and dinner with a young couple, Cherrie and Paul, that I first met at the campground in Nannup when they were biking the Munda Biddi. And later when the found me on the road home and we caught up. They might do the Continental Divide Bike Trail in the States one day. I'll be their support vehicle:)

Back to today. I'm fried. Even with sunscreen on. The sun is so freaking strong here. I watch my legs turn red and there's nothing more I can do about it. And oh my god...the hills! Slow grind up. Over and over again. I biked from 10 am until 5 pm and went only 35 kms. I averaged 8.6 kms/hour. Ugh. I worked my tush off!! Rolling hills, for sure!! And dry paddocks. Yellow and crunchy. They're in a drought here. It's usually lush and green this time of year, I've been told. I'll have to imagine it:)








I don't know if I stuck to main roads if they'd be flatter. I just hate all the traffic. So I'm on back roads. Gravel roads sometimes. Oh well. All part of the adventure. Finding camp spots isn't that easy. Tonight there were paddocks and fences all along the road. Then I found some woods but they're on a hill...surprise...surprise! I managed to find a carved out flat spot that just fits my air mattress. The rest of the tent is up a bit but I'm flat and that's all that matters. Goodnight.

December 29th
North of Scottsdale, Tasmania
In the woods

Catching up: I flew out of Perth on a midnight flight to Melbourne connecting to Launceston. So with a late flight, only a 3.5 hour flight, then a 3 hour time difference...it was the shortest night ever! I don't handle lack of sleep well. I like to sleep. Didn't get any on the connection. But slept the hour over to Tasmania. So maybe 3-4 hours total. Then I had to assemble my bike and bike into town to my hosts' house. Up a big hill! I arrived. And crashed for the afternoon. I needed sleep. These were Warmshowers hosts Vicky and Malcolm. And it was the weekend before Christmas and before they left for the mainland for the holidays. I was so glad they let me stay. And better, they included me in the snacks and drinks that evening. Beautiful new modern house they had built with large glass doors that open into the deck. Great for a party! And Blaze was a hit with the kids.

I stayed 2 nights and then figured out a route that would give me a few days on the road before arriving at Wensley and Allan's place for Christmas. I hungered for my road life. Missed it after so many days sleeping indoors. It was only a days ride but I managed to make a big loop south then west then northeast to Beaconsfield and the Middletons. I met this couple on the side of the road in Queensland too and when they heard I'd be in Tasmania and close by, they invited me for Christmas. Isn't that wonderful?

I stayed for 5 nights.




Santa found me!


Finished sock number 1...only took 10 months!



Allan grilling Christmas Eve crackle.


Christmas dinner!





Saying goodbye to the Middletons. What a lovely Christmas is was!

Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

From Nannup to Perth

December 9, 2015
70 Kms south of Perth, WA, Australia



I'm sitting in my tent on the side of the road. A closed, barricaded road section. Just off the main freeway into Perth. Right next to the railway track...which actually has trains....with load whistles...that luckily don't blow at night. One of the worst camping spots in all of Australia, I think. But as I was cycling the world's best cycle path, a freaking freeway, along side the freeway, but separate, finding optimum bush camping spots was getting challenging to say the least. This pull off looked promising, just not elegant. And if the deep sand hadn't bent my derailleur all whacky it would have been a good night. It had to be the sand. I didn't feel the bike hit anything. But after pushing it through a section, when I got back on, it wouldn't go. Big problem. I tried bending it back, but it was twisted so the guide wheels would not align properly. No tools to torque it with. Even if I could have gotten it to go in one gear in the rear, I would have been happy. Nope. Skipping all over the place. Oh well. I've learned to just deal with problems as they come. One foot in front of the other. Not a fun problem, but nothing that money won't fix. And so I called Waugal, my hiking buddy, and he's picking me up this morning. All will be fine. A little wrinkle is the derailleur hanger mount is also bent, needs replacing, and that may be unique to my trike. My bike shop back home, Bicycle Man in Alfred Station, NY, and Peter Stull, the owner, has offered to express ship me one if need be. What road support!!! He's been there when I've needed him. Love it!



But it's taken me a few weeks to get to Perth from Nannup. I've been taking my time, enjoying the sights and the people. First stop was the cutest town called Margaret River where I stayed 3 nights with a friend of an Aussie couple I met at a campground in Scotland. Don't ya love it?!?! She has a boarding kennel there and I camped in the yard as her book collection took over the house. All non-fiction on any topic you could think of. Amazing! And April included me in so many different things: a poetry class on sonnets (University for a Third Age...check it out), a vegan dinner at the Soup Kitchen (best meal in ages), an over 55 gym class (I felt so strong, but my upper body is out of shape and I over-stressed my back:)), the Eagle Heritage Center (so interesting learning about raptors of all kinds and seeing them hunt in free flight), a group hike and drone presentation, and went to the movies. Then she got some dog boarders:(. And one night of the barking and I had to find new accommodations. On the hike I met Lidia and she offered her dining room floor in her one bedroom apt. Ok! So I stayed 2 nights with her and did my errands in Margaret River including an organic farmer's market...yum!




This was so exciting. Owls are quite magnificent!!





Froggy Mouth Owl. The look like the branch their sitting on:)




And always a snake hanging around.




Oh, yes!

Next stop up to Dunsborough for yet another air mattress replacement to be picked up at the post office. Expend and K2 Base Camp store in Brisbane have been wonderful getting replacements to me. The mystery is why do the channels blow? The mats are still usable but awkward and uneven. This time I have Exped's Hyperlight. It's smaller than the Synmat UL, more body shaped and not as thick but takes up less room in the tent. I've got my fingers crossed!!

On the way to Dunsborough, I stopped into the Wardan Aboriginal Culture center. April had driven me up here when I was trying to find aboriginal artwork, but I didn't have a look around so I stopped in. It's a family operation, the parents having built it and now the children, Nina and Vivian are running it. Art gallery, museum, classes teaching indigenous skills like finding bush tucker (food), making tools, and throwing spears. For 60,000 years the indigenous people lived and thrived in this challenging land before white settles invaded and displaced them. There's so much knowledge of the land and the seasons to be gleamed from them. Don't lose it. I had a wonderful visit and left with lots of hugs and good wishes.




Then I went to Yallingup, a beach community, for a night at the campground and a swim and sun on the beach. This was my first time in my bathers here.


Gotta use the lingo. Hopefully in Tassie there will be more opportunities this summer. It felt wonderful. And every stop is so social it can get exhausting. At the campground I had a mom, her daughter, and the daughter's friend on one side...and a retired couple from Perth on the other. And we shared many chats in the few short hours. Lots of stories, too many to share. The bike, obviously is the attraction. Nope, never lonely.

On to Dunsborough, but not until I stopped on the way out of Yallingup for free range eggs and wood-fired bread. Yum! The plan in Dunsborough was originally to attend a beach bash. At the vegan dinner in Margaret River I met Lee, a young woman who lives in Dunsborough and teaches movement classes. She was hosting this beach bash and invited me to attend. Timing was the issue. It was still 4 days out. Wasn't going to work. But I did want to catch up with her so after getting my new air mattress at the list office, we met up at a cafe. She's a kindred spirit. A real light in this world. And I wished it would have worked out for me to stay. But I've learned sometimes you have to just enjoy the moment and the connection for the time that you have it.

Keep on pedaling. My plan was to hug the coast and the Geographe Bay around and up to Perth. A beautiful area. Busselton was bustling. A triathlon was happening on the weekend. Get in and get out. Too busy for me. Did manage to find some replacement clothes at an op shop. But letting go of the old faves that have been with me for-ever, is hard. Haven't done it yet, so I have too many items. I do think about why the throwing things out is so hard. I like my old clothes. They've served me well. Looked good, at least I thought so. We're mates. Seems cruel to just stuff them in a bin (garbage can). Sad too. Why? What is thus relationship we humans have with possessions? Why do we need to "own" things? I walk through a gallery and look. I enjoy it. But I'm also tugged with wanting to own the beauty. I can't so it's easy. But what if I could? What would owning give me?



The Western Australia Christmas Tree that blooms bright yellow this time of year.



One of those great wild camping spots I find mist every night. Isn't Spacey, my Big Sky Revolution 2 P tent, cute. I must say I'm ever so happy with my choice of "homes". Just crawling in at night and being able to leave the flaps open, not worry about the rain, is such a treat...especially as it gets warmer and the night breezes are ever so welcome.



Paul and Cherrie, a couple that cycled the Munda Biddi, a 1000 km mountain bike trail here, and I met at the campground in Nannup, spotted me as they were driving home to Perth and stopped to say hello. Small world, isn't it?



Lovely water view this night. What's not to love?!?!?

Onward and upward. Had some wonderful bush camping spots along the way. It's so easy in rural Australia. As long as I have enough water, every place is a campsite. Ants are the biggest issue. And they are everywhere. And every size. Teeny, tiny, like the period on this page...up to an inch long or more. And they get in my tent. And then there's the flies. In my eyes, up my nose, in my ears, even in my mouth. Thank goodness for the bug net. Frustrating to look through but a lifesaver.

I had a lovely stay with Warmshowers hosts Jose and Linda Narvaez-Evans in their Frank Lloyd Wright home high up the hill. They had a separate unit for cyclists. So sweet. And with storms expected, I stayed an extra night. Linda had to leave for her father's birthday party in Perth but I had plenty to do on my own since I was right in town. And then in the morning before leaving Jose and I chatted over a wide range of topics from the Internet to US politics. I love a good film discussion and a differing point of view. Opens me up to looking at things from another side.

Alongside the highway from Mandurah to Perth, and beyond, is the most amazing cycle path...it's a freeway for bikes!!





And a few more nights on the road brings me to today and my predicament. I just looked at a map and I'm so sad not to be biking the rest of the way.


Livin' the life!

BagLady