Day 30 Guilderton to Perth 110 kms

The rain didn't let up all night and everyone was so pleased that we were in cabins and all tents dry. Theo got the big bed in one cabin, Georg in the other and Collis and I in the other. The others all shared the bunks amongst them. We were all up and the first rider on the road by 0730 hours. This was our last day on this leg and Joan's very last day as she was not doing the last leg. Poor Chris has only one last day in the car and she declares she will never get in the car again. I am starting to wonder if Collis and I should get a complex as none of the riders like it in the van ( but that is because they prefer to be on the bike).
Morning tea was at Yanchep shopping mall where Collis shouted everybody coffee and cake. They then had 42 kms to ride down Marmion Ave to a spot picked out by Collis where we would again meet up with them. From here Collis would lead them into the War Memorial at Kings Park.
He rode Chris' bike to make sure Georg had put it back together properly after he borrowed Chris' back bike rim.
Chris and I had the route written out by Collis to follow in the car. All was going smoothly until we came to a No Through Road and I had to turn the truck with trailer around on my own. Wasn't the most successful U turn and I had alot of trouble reversing with Chris directing me which way to turn the wheel and when to stop as I was jack knifing.
After about 10 shots we eventually had turned around and were backon the road. Chris and I beat the riders by half an hour but they were all in before the rain started. Theo took off with his relatives before the photo shoot so we will have to try and draw him in.
Lunch plans were changed to the Botanical Cafe at the memorial due to the impending rain and the parking difficulties we would experience in the city. The meals were disappointing small for these hungry cyclists but everyone had a nice time.

Day 29 Jurien Bay to Guilderton 150 kms via the Pinnacles

The wind is blowing up a storm early this morning and it was blowing in the right direction so they were on their bikes early. Ben, Peter, Annie and Joan were all heading out to see the Pinnacles before morning tea. The clouds started to appear quite early but did not threaten rain in the morning at all.
Morning tea was had at a rest area next to a huge sand dune with a wonderful view to the Indian Ocean. I am going to miss the Indian Ocean. It is a different colour to the Pacific Ocean or Port Phillip Bay. It has beautiful clear waters and white clean sands.
The group were just blown down the road to lunch with top speeds over 50 kms/ hour by all riders and the top riders (Annie) gaining speeds of 63.3 kms/hour for the day.

Annie was experiencing a shooting pain in her gluteus maximus going down her leg so she managed these speeds with an injury although when she arrived in camp she was having difficulty walking with a new pain in her opposite hip joint. She states she has had this pain before and it doesn't last very long. I offered to stretch the joint while Chris pushes the head back into the socket but funny thing she wouldn't let us have a go. Truthfully Chris and I couldn't bring ourselves to do it anyway. A nice hot shower and some Voltaren cream seemed to make a difference.
We managed to get in without a drop of rain falling on our heads but as soon as we started to unpack, it bucketed down. Everyone had decided to take cabins due to the rain. Collis was going to make us sleep in the back of the truck but Annie talked him into letting us get a cabin as well. Thank goodness as it hasn't stopped pouring ever since. The forecast states it should rain most of the night but ease off in the morning. I hope they are right and our final day is clear and dry. It is hard to believe this leg is nearly over.

Day 28 Port Denison to Jurien Bay 130 kms

I had to keep Collis hostage this morning as he woke at 4.30 for a toilet visit and then hopped back into bed for 15 mins when decided he was wide awake and couldn't sleep any more. Rubbish, it was once again freezing out there. There is no way he was going to be allowed to get up and wake the whole camp at 4.45 am. He protested, then slept for a short period and tried again to get out but I held on tight and he didn't get up until 6 am. Woody congratulated me on keeping him for so long as he ,Woody, did not have to listen to his insistent coughing, his fiddling in the trailer, his opening and shutting the car doors and his walking around the campsite looking for things. Collis thinks he is quiet and gets annoyed with me because I can't remain in bed once he is up and rummaging. Theo is another early riser and I was greeted by both of them in the camp kitchen this morning. I must say it didn't feel as cold as yesterday morning so hopefully the colder mornings are a thing of the past. Ha ha!
We had morning tea on the side of the road but with a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean. Georg woke in a bad mood this morning after bad night with pain in his ribs. He wasn't listening to the briefing so he ended up riding an extra may be 10 kms today as he went into Dongara and out again. This did not improve his demeanor at all but lucky we are used to all our different moods so we just ignore Georg until he decides he wants to talk to people again. This usually doesn't occur until the end of the day when he has had his shower and a beer. The routine was the same today and all ended up happy.
Lunch was at Green Head opposite the caravan park. The sun had come out and it was very pleasant spot for a break. A few weeks ago the sand dunes were a vivid red colour, today they were pure white. The changing colors of the scenery is unbelievable. Today we saw lots of new flowers along the way which were all quite stunning.
We got in at the usual time and they placed us at the front of the caravan park right near the camp kitchen. Collis and I unloaded before heading down to the marina. This was quite a long walk but we had read that we could buy some lobsters down there if we were lucky to catch a boat coming in. No boats in sight and the factories situated on the other side of the marina all looked deserted. We turned around and headed back the way we came. We ended up buying dinner from the IGA next door to the caravan park and I am too embarrassed to say what we ended up eating for dinner. It was not a very healthy meal.
We got back and Chris appeared in the kitchen with a new haircut so Annie and I rushed off to the local hairdresser hoping to catch her before she closed up. She was a nice young girl who had bought the shop just a couple of months ago and was making a real go of it. She did a good job giving us both a trim for $32.00 each. Good prices and nice cuts for both of us.
Georg is still suffering with pain in his ribs and he has so far refused to take any pain killers but tonight he has succumbed and taken 2 panadol. I hope he gets to have a decent nights sleep although he is camped close to the car and he does snore quite loudly so maybe not a great sleep please Georg. Actually quite a few tents are very close to the car so it may get noisy overnight.

Day 27 Northampton to Point Dennison

Freezing cold again this morning but I found my new hot water bottle and Collis filled it so I could at least warm my poor old hands- they just wouldn't work and I had trouble packing the car. Phone call from Annie early questioning if she had taken the correct turn (she wasn't supposed to turn until we were nearly in at Geraldton). I wasn't too sure where she was so found Collis and he put her in the right direction. The road she had taken would add another 40 km onto the day for her. She had cycled about 8 kms down the road before she had turned around. Woody was the last to leave again this morning (all rugged up) but once Annie turned around, she was coming up the rear.

Morning tea was at the foreshore in Geraldton where we were picking Chris up after her night in town to get her stitches out. She was waiting for us when we got there without her crutches or her boot- she looked different as we had got so used to her aids. Then Chris surprised everyone by taking us all out for morning tea at the Dome cafe with everyone getting a cake and drink.
This was Chris saying thank you to the group for all the assistance she had received in her time of need. Chris is a very independent person and it was very difficult for her to accept assistance and she did as much as she could for herself. She has been an inspiration to all of us with her quiet acceptance of the situation and keeping a smile on her face even when she felt miserable inside. Only a week or so and she will be able to ride again.
Morning tea was so good that none of us needed very much lunch today. Lots of canola growing along the road and another crop with a white flower which we haven't found out what it is yet. Lots of green wheat around also. The trees are all leaning in the one direction so the wind must blow pretty hard off the ocean.
The road today was pretty slow and the wind was mainly across them. The riding was good up till morning tea but then it got difficult but on the final turn it improved again.

Everyone was in by early afternoon again and it was lovely walking along the beach at the back of the park. Collis went down to the pub to watch the footy and Georg and Peter eventually joined him. A lot of teasing about Collis barracking for a girl's team (as stated by a little kid the night before).
I wasn't game to go out for dinner tonight after the 2 disastrous meals over the last couple of nights so we cooked in. I threw together a curry with leftover boiled eggs, tomatoes, lentils and chilli. Sounds horrible but it was really yum. We had been donated some food by a camper at our last bush camp so I divvied it up between Ben & Theo who were able to put together a meal for themselves. Then Collis topped it all off with an apricot pie he had been carrying since Kalbarri. Nice hot shower, filled the hottie and climbed early into bed.

Day 26 Kalbarri to Northampton 105 kms

Woke to another cold morning although we happened to be in our lovely warm motel room and didn't realize how cold it was until we got out of the room. The briefing was for 7.15 in the camp kitchen at the caravan park. We arrive at 7.18 and Woody is waiting but there's no-one else around. I had a word to Woody last night about dressing for the cold weather as he continues to wear short sleeves and short pants and no socks and he constantly complains about the cold. Well, this morning he has long pants, socks, long sleeves and a beanie- he was warm at last. (Later in the day he said to someone he was hot with all this gear on but had not started to strip down- we will get it right soon Woody.)
Collis and I were packed up quickly this morning so we stopped off at the bakery to buy them a treat of cream cakes for morning tea as we feel it may be a big day for them. The wind is not favorable at the beginning and they are all fighting into it.
We come across Ben very early (like 5 kms) out of town, he appears to be doing all of the side trips this morning. We decide to do a little of our own sightseeing today and went out to Eagles Point and who comes up behind us but Ben. It is a magnificent view and we leave Ben there to wander down to the beach, the track looked a bit steep for me.
We had morning tea at Lynton Convict Settlement. We had been there last trip but I didn't get to climb the hill last time so Annie and I went up to have a look. Decent climb and we came across Ron who once owned the property and wanted to be buried on the hill.

So his family made a memorial of a man on a motorbike looking out over his land.very cute and some good photos taken. Morning tea was scheduled for 10.30 to 11.30 at 55 kms, well it was 65 kms and everyone was a little late. Woody said he was at the 55 km mark at 11.15.
Anyway we were still there at 1 pm as there was no sign of Ben. A voice message comes through on the phone but due to reception (or lack of) made it impossible to hear what was said and even to recognize the voice. So I sent a text to Ben explaining he would need to send a text as I thought it must have been him. In the meantime I climbed to a higher spot and got enough reception to be able to hear the message which was from Ben. He stated it was around 11 am and he was just at the cliff turnoff and would be late for morning tea. Late is one thing but it should not have taken him more than 2 hours to get to us unless something was wrong. We quickly pack up and head back, we hadn't got far before we came across him pedaling towards us. He was fine but exhausted, the wind was a killer and he had added an extra 20 kms at least onto his day. We gave him some morning tea and a couple of apples plus filled his bottles ( he had run out 10 kms back). He was pleased to hear there was only 40 kms to go.
We all got into town early afternoon and Georg did his usual of heading to the local hotel for a beer. Unfortunately he misjudged the gutter and came off his bike (he says this happened before his beer but I wonder) and he took the skin off the top of one finger, scraped both knees and hurt the ribs on his L) side. He said quite a few people watched it happen but no-one offered assistance. When Ben came in he went straight to the cafe to eat and then came to tell us that he had sprained his ankle just after we left him at Eagles Point whilst he was climbing down to the beach. He had ridden all day with this ankle but said it wasn't painful whilst on the bike, just when he is walking. I gave him some ice as not much else you can do for a bad ankle.
On Woody's recommendation we ate at the local hotel tonight plus they had a special of bangers and mash for $10.0 (Collis' type of price). Well Annie, Woody and I ordered the special but Collis went all out and had the lamb shanks. The bangers and mash were 3 skinny sausages and a lump of cold mashed potato, no gravy, no vegetables. We had waited nearly an hour and a half for this crap and we had ordered sticky date for dessert to be told that they had run out of that and no alternative. Needless to say we were not happy so asked to speak to the manager who apologized and offered us a round of drinks (Collis and Woody don't drink) but we were hungry not thirsty! We left and Annie and Woody got another meal at the roadhouse who were closing up but they could at least get something decent to eat and then they gave us a big packet of leftover chips and gravy for free. That's how to run a business.

Day 25 Kalbarri Rest Day 0 kms

(Written by Collis)
Kalbarri is such a pretty place. The colors of the sea are deep blues and the waves crash around the inlet as the Murchison River meets the Indian Ocean.
Kath and I had a lovely sleep in which is quite rare. Went down to the Bakery and i couldn't believe the price of stuff, almost Melbourne prices ($6.50 for a very large apricot pie-you bewdy!!). Things will probably get cheaper as we head to Perth.
A day of not doing a whole lot,which is just how I like it. Tomorrow we head off to Northampton a nice old town in the wheat fields. Hope it's not too blowy.

Day 24 Galena Bridge to Kalbarri 85 kms

Well thank God everyone had the sense to remain in their sleeping bags until at least the sun came up this morning. It was another cold night and too cold to crawl out before there was at least some heat coming from the sun to help warm us. It was a beautiful morning once the sun came up and we all soon thawed out.
A lovely ride today with the wind mostly behind them after morning tea and no wind before morning tea. Morning tea was at the Ross Graham Lookout which is a spectacular spot with a river walk and a great lookout.
The road into Kalbarri has a great downhill run that goes on for quite a few kms and the scenery is beautiful with the sea peaking out from behind the hills. We had some cultivated pastures today and it felt strange coming back into some civilization after so long in the outback. The shrubs and trees have changed again with lots of wild
flowers and banksia (some flowering) along the side of the road. There were a couple of dead emus along the way as well. Collis commented on how we get upset at a dead emu but think nothing of all the roadkill of dead kangaroos and cows. Maybe because there are less emus around.
Rolled into the caravan park around lunchtime and everyone settled in. Chris went to the health centre here and had her leg inspected with a good report. Now she has to go to Geraldton to have her stitches removed. She has booked herself a cabin for the next 2 nights. Annie & Woody both upgraded to cabins within the park and Collis & I moved out to have some alone time at another abode in the town.

Day 23 Billabong to Galena Bridge

How cold was it last night. No-one was too sure as we didn't have internet access to check how low it went. It was so cold but we all rose early even though it was slightly warmer in the bed. Joan continuously told us that it was 5 degrees while we ate breakfast. There really wasn't anywhere to go to warm up as those in the motel rooms said it was probably colder in their rooms than out in the tents.
The sun snuck out briefly so the first cyclists took off down the road. All of the thermals were put on and they gritted their teeth and rode onto morning tea. Most layers had come off by the time they reached morning tea as the weather had improved quite a bit. Very little wind before morning tea.
Things changed after morning tea, the wind became a head wind and the rain started to drizzle with the temperature dropping. Joan said that when it rained then at least the wind dropped off. It didn't rain for very long as it was only a small shower, just enough to make them wet and cold again. It was a tough riding day all round and Woody was pretty exhausted when he eventually got into camp.
Most got into Galena Bridge by 3 pm and we managed to get the best camp sites before the crowds came in. The water was alot lower than the last time we were there over 2 years ago. The boys actually pitched their tents below the water line of our last visit.
Lots of bird life around the river with black swans, swallows, finches, Port Lincoln parrots and a few other water birds. Even with the large numbers of caravanners in the area, it was still very peaceful and easy to meditate sitting next to the rivers edge. The wood supply is always pretty low in this campsite so Collis & I collected some after lunch and carried it to the campsite. Then we all went scrounging around and found some nice pieces.
Ben was the fire meister again this camp and he made us all proud with us having the best looking camp fire of all the fires going in our area.
Tonight I was cooking a vegetarian risotto with pumpkin, spinach, mushrooms, beans and capsicum. For dessert I was making a bread and butter pudding. I had pre- roasted the vegetables so cooking the meal was not so daunting as it can usually be. The bread and butter pudding was burnt on the bottom again, which is a bit disappointing. I had cooked it on a pile of hot coals with hot coals on the lid but next time I will try placing the bowl on a small stand above the hot coals and see if that will make a difference.
Woody was so tired he had fallen off to sleep in his tent just on the mattress and so when Collis woke him for dinner he was even more cold and shivering. We had to place him directly in front of the fire with his sleeping bag around his shoulders. He seemed to warm up as he ate a large helping of risotto but then Collis accidently spilt some boiling water onto his knee and he ended up with a small burn area- not his night!!
Everyone sat very close to the fire to keep warm and we had a nice chat with Theo reciting a little dogeral that he doesn't want published. It was very good. Collis taught Annie and Ben the delights of warming your deriere at an open fire and then we had trouble getting both of them away from the fire.

Day 22 Hamelin Pool to Billabong 80 kms

At the briefing last night Collis had got a dodgy weather report stating high winds with SE wind gusts of up to 40 kms/hr which meant very strong head winds. So he suggested everyone leave early to get the early morning no wind period. This turned out to be pretty wrong as once the wind kicked in around 9 am they had tail winds blowing them down the highway.
Woody stopped at the Overlander for a snack and a phone call home. Collis chatted with Heather and she told Collis not to put up with any of Woody's nonsense but Collis said it's too late as Woody knows how to get his own way after all these years. While there we heard the happy news of a past rider who has recently married announcing that they are expecting their first baby. There is going to be a new little Richaaard or Ricki. Congratulations guys, wonderful news. Maybe you could call the little one Hamelin or Billy after the towns we were riding to & from.
We arrived into Billabong early afternoon. The owners have done some upgrades since our last visit although not much has changed in the camping area. Still no grass and the toilets are pretty ordinary. We had potato and bacon soup with garlic bread for lunch at the motel. Dinner, I think will be at the roadhouse though. Funny setup here with the roadhouse having dongers and the motel having the caravan park. Both places have meals.
The wind has picked up this afternoon with Georg sleeping in his tent and the pole breaking and he is then covered in tent. He has moved his tent in an attempt to avoid the wind gusts. He has also fixed his pole temporarily. George's sense of humor has come to the forefront in the last couple of weeks and he can be very funny when he wants to be ( he can also be very grumpy when he wants to be and everyone knows when these times are). "Horrible, horrible" Georg!
Georg's repair to his tent did not work and a half hour later he had managed to get himself a motel room and is drying out his bedding and changed into some dry clothes. He was not smiling for quite a while after this. He may have to borrow our spare tent tomorrow night at the bush camp. All is not lost Georg.
With the rain and the cold wind, we all decided to head into the roadhouse early for dinner. All the meals were pretty good and a little different to the usual roadhouse fare. Theo's order got confused and we think Georg ended up eating it. Theo wasn't a happy chappy but he was pleased with his meal when it eventually arrived.
Early to bed although there is a group of young people who may get a bit rowdy during the night. How old does that sound?? Good luck to them.

Day 21 Denham to Hamelin Pool 103 kms

We did the reverse to the other day. We left Denham in the morning and had morning tea at Shell Beach. I was going to attempt the climb out of Denham on the bike, which I had walked up on the last trip. But when I revisited the hill, I changed my mind and withdrew my challenge. It's not a huge hill but it is a sudden steep hill, there is no run up, it is an instant climb. In other words I piked.
We stopped at the IGA for diesel and had to wait for a grey nomad to finish. Another car pulled up on the other side of the pump and could have jumped in before us but offered to wait until we had our turn. He had seen us around and had spoken to a couple of the riders, so knew who we were and said he didn't want the riders to have to wait too long for morning tea. This doesn't happen too often at petrol bowsers.
Shell Beach was as beautiful as ever. The speedway drivers were all pulling up and we chatted with the guy next to us who had a battered race car on his trailer. I couldn't work out what he had in the back of his truck so asked him. It was another full sized race car that his 10 year old daughter raced in. The other trucks also had similar cars and daughters with them.
Annie decided to stay and soak up some sun at Shell Beach so we left her behind and Woody said he would keep her company. Poor Annie had witnessed an emu being hit by a car earlier but hadn't told anyone so was a bit upset and just wanted some quiet time.
We got into Hamelin Station early in the afternoon and it was a bit like coming home. We settled in quickly and I got started on the salads for dinner and preparing the vegetables for roasting for the next bush camp. Collis and I walked up to the lake around sunset hoping to get a good photo over the lake but the sunset wasn't all that spectacular, so a little disappointed. Theo, Georg and Ben had ridden down to the stromatolites also for sunset photos but also disappointed.
Tonight we had $10 BBQ dinner packs with a vegetarian alternative for Joan. Everyone was expected to cook their own meat but Georg ended up cooking for Woody, Chris and himself. I made two large tossed salads and a potato salad. We cooked pancakes for dessert. Quite a few subdued moods tonight amongst the riders and not sure if it was something in the water or they were upset about leaving Denham or they were just driving each other crazy but a few of us had a quick game of cards and off to bed early.

Day 20 Denham Rest Day 0 kms

Up fairly early for a rest day as a couple of us were heading out to Monkey Mia for the dolphin feedings. Georg and Annie were the only ones that chose to travel with me in the car. The others decided to be more independent in their movements for the day but most eventually ended up at Monkey Mia. Poor old Chris thought the walking may be too much for her today so chose to remain at home.

Not many dolphins came in to feed on the first sitting but they came in in dribs and drabs today and eventually it appeared they had all been in for a feed with their babies. It was interesting to hear how dolphins sleep and how they feed their young but I can't say how because Annie will have this as one of her quiz questions.
Joan, Woody, Peter and Ben all rode out and Woody found Peter asleep under a palm tree. Peter stayed for quite awhile and witnessed a number of feedings. Ben and Joan both did the nature walk. Joan missed out on all the feedings.
On the way back into town we run into Collis going to the fair and sunday market. We joined him although Annie was a bit embarrassed by his attire of long johns under his shorts which he has worn a few times lately but not in public (she feels). Bought mostly fruit and vegies for the bush camp. I had bought a couple of presents for friends at the Monkey Mia shop and I have so much trouble trying to decide what to buy for the kids as they all hate my taste in everything.
Collis and I went out to Eagles Bluff in the afternoon and it was very pleasant and interesting. Georg fixed his back wheel by replacing it with Chris' wheel until he can get a new one down the track.
Georg, Woody and Peter decided to go out and have the seafood platter each as recommended by Annie. Collis, Annie and myself just went to the pub where I had the poor mans version of the seafood platter, Collis had roast pork and Annie a lasagne which was pretty small.
England won the first test of the ashes by 14 runs.

Day 19 Hamelin Station to Denham via Shell Beach 103 kms

Off and running this morning as everyone was excited to get to Shell Beach for morning tea. A few of the riders went into Hamelin Pool to look at the Stromatelites and the old Telegraph Station on their way this morning. Everyone was spread out down the road as Collis, Chris and I passed them with Woody up the rear.
Shell Beach did not disappoint again and was as beautiful as ever. The water was pretty chilly but Ben and Peter were brave enough to go for a swim. The water was crystal clear and the sand and shells pure white.
Woody did not turn up for morning tea so we assumed he had cycled past (as he said he would) and he will quite often do this. We waited until 11.30 for him but then we headed into Denham and would stop and check he was OK when we passed him. Needless to say we didn't pass him on the way in so we dropped off Chris at the chemist and went back to look for Woody.

We at last passed a few emus (alive ones) on the side of the road so they are still around. The other riders were wondering where we were heading when going in the wrong direction but did not seem too concerned. Found Woody who stated he thought Collis had at last taken him at his word and not waited around. He was fine but was happy to get a red bull and some cookies to keep his energy levels up. He ended up stopping off at the Aquarium, had a coffee and watched the feeding of the shark, so thoroughly enjoyed his day.
At the Denham caravan park we had been given a different position to where we had been situated last visit. We were closer to the toilets and the camp kitchen but the area looked a bit like a car park (as described by Ben). We had 3 sites which were quite big areas but it was difficult to determine where the site stopped and where the driveway began. So we did a single layer of tents across the whole site with the first comers and then Ben and Joan were unfortunately placed in the front row closer to the driveway. Neither were very happy with this at the beginning, as they feared for their safety, but it was the same for all of the other campers and everyone was aware of the need to drive out with caution. We are again sleeping on shell grit but the kitchen and the toilets are top class. One thing that was noticeable was that all power outlets were boxed in with signs up of no recharging of electrical goods. Hmmmmm, I'm sure we will find a way.
Ben and Joan seemed to ride off on all made roads that came off the road into Denham and Ben said it had been an afternoon of swimming at every beach. Ben tried a couple of unmade roads but Joan was not so game. They were both in fairly late afternoon.
A few of the riders decided to check out the carnival that was on in town and were sadly disappointed by the lack of numbers attending the fair, the prices charged for the rides and the poor variety of rides on offer. No one stayed very long. Annie ran into her Irish friend again and they went out for a night on the town. The two shared this seafood platter I had eyed off but was told it was too expensive at $98.00 for two. Apparently it was to die for with lobster, squid, prawns, 3 different types of fish and more. She got home in quite a happy mood around midnight.

Day 18 Wooramel to Hamelin Station 105 kms

I was the second person up this morning after a little bit of a restless night. It ended up pretty chilly overnight which usually means a couple of loo visits. This is not the easiest maneuver in/out of the back of the truck especially half asleep and in the dark. Now that I have a little folding step, it is a little easier for all concerned. not as many flies here this time compared to our last visit. Heavy dew this morning so none of the camping equipment really got a chance to dry out after the sprinkler incident. The back of the car smells dreadful when everything is damp.
Theo was first up today and he had started the water boiling process that goes on religiously every morning. Up till this leg we had Robbo and Peter doing this job and this leg Joan has volunteered to do it but she isn't coping very well with the cold weather and the mornings are getting very cold.
Lunch was at the Overland Roadhouse and we had a little bit of drizzle before heading down the road to the world heritage park at Hamelin Pool. The winds had been favourable up to the turnoff and then they changed to be across them. The road surface had improved a little but there was alot of traffic which was mainly going in the opposite direction- it looked a little like a mass exodus at times. Denham has a big weekend planned and it looks like alot of people are avoiding it as a destination. It has a speedway comp on apparently. Look out here come the bikies!!
The Hamelin Station is a really pleasant surprise for all of us. We are still camping on shell grit (which makes me feel a bit like a budgie) but everything is top quality with the best equiped camp kitchen, dining areas, clean toilets and showers and very friendly service.I was able to cook up a storm in the kitchen with some assistance from Chris (the chopper) and Annie (the stirrer). Tonight we were having chicken and pumpkin spaghetti and another vegetarian dish of pumpkin and lentil spaghetti followed by chocolate cake and custard.
Dinner was successful with very little left over and everyone full to the brim. A few of us decided to play Squatter (a game we found on a shelf) but this only lasted about 10 minutes as you really had to be a sheep farmer to understand the rules for this one. So we decided to play cards and I suggested a quick game of switch. Taught everyone the rules and away we went. Georg, Woody, Ben and I all won a game each and then I won the decider. YES!! HA Ha! The stars and the sunset were both spectacular tonight with Ben getting a superb photo over the stromatolites, I hope he will let me post one of them in the blog.

Day 17 Carnarvon to Wooramel 120 kms (73.4 miles)

What a start to the day! 5 am and I'm woken by the strange sound of water pouring onto the ground very close to the truck. Then it sounds like a cyclist riding past the truck on wet grass over and over again. I wake Collis who thinks Joan is just filling the jug. It's more than anyone filling any size jug. When he opens the side flap and sticks his head out, he is hit in the face full on by a twirling sprinkler. One sprinkler is broken and has a spout of water shooting up into the air. He manages to get up without getting too wet yelling, "it's the bloody sprinklers on" and Georg yelling out "it's horrible, I am all wet, it is shooting straight in my tent." I can't open the flap without getting wet so I stay in the van listening to everyone getting up and trying to solve the problem. Collis rings the manager 3 times leaving messages and they eventually ring back and give Annie directions on how to turn the sprinklers off. Joan was running around with whatever receptacle she could find and putting them over the jets, we had plastic bowls shooting up into the air as well. Woody snored through most of the event but then said it gave him a shock to wake up to it. Ben and Theo did not surface until it was well over and both thought it was rain. Peter helped Annie turn them off and the family next to us tried to wake the reception area up but with no response. All tents, table, food boxes, eskis and chairs were saturated. Looking at the bright side, everything is looking a bit cleaner. The park were very apologetic and gave us a discount for the 2 night stay.
Morning tea was 50 kms on the side of the road and we had a visitor who we have been passing on & off since Broome. This was a man named Vic who is 72 year old man who is from the blue mountains and riding around Australia unsupported. He wanted to know who the lady was that he ran into at Broome and Kununurra and is riding with us. He thought she was part of management as she was so bossy. We all automatically thought it was one of our past riders but it turned out to be Joan he had met. He told us he will be staying at the same place as us tonight.
Lunch came early today at a rest area and the rain drizzled slightly during the lunch period. Georg and Theo rode through and Annie stopped, made herself a sandwich before heading off down the road. We have started seeing quite a few sheep (that Chris says they looked like a dormer cross sheep which are used for meat not wool)and lots of wild goats.
Chris had her first taste of a day in the car. Not sure how she felt about it but she managed to get herself in and out of the truck unassisted. She also made the sandwiches for morning tea so she isn't sitting on her laurels.

Wooramel is a funny old roadhouse that closes it's kitchens at 5.30 pm and all dinner orders to be in by 5 pm. You have to eat in the camp kitchen as they clean the floors in the roadhouse at 4.30 pm. Annie and I can attest to this as we were asked to leave right on 4.30 pm.
Vic apparently tried to sneak into the camping ground pretending to be part of our group but got caught by the manager and asked to leave the premises. Looks like he will be sleeping in the bush again tonight.i wonder how many other camping grounds he has successfully pretended to be a Cycle Oz participant and actually got away with it. It would only work in the bigger campgrounds. Vic sleeps in a hammock with a tarp over the top of him so he needs a couple of trees to tie the hammock up to.
We all had dinner together in the camp kitchen and it was very pleasant although we are a very quiet group when we are eating. Some lively conversation after dinner with Annie being the last off to bed.

Day 16 Carnarvon Rest Day 0 kms

(Collis' insert)
Two days in the saddle for the riders. Kathy and I are trying to keep the troops happy and two days sitting on our arse in the car,we come to the fruit and veggie town of Carnarvon.
Got in late last night due to taking Chris to the hospital and thankfully she is slowly on the mend. Just these last few days, she has improved dramatically and it'll be no time and she will be back on the bike.
Did some shopping with Kath for Hamelin Station Stay and I had to hang around the beauty shop, as she was having a pedicure done(a pleasing colour). A side trip to the Harbour Fishing Area, picked up some Snapper wings, crab cakes and a rock cod fillet. Back to the caravan park via a local veggie farm. Tomatoes, shallots and cucumber salad made by Kath, I cooked the fish and asleep by about 9pm-a nice rest day-goodnight!!!

Day 15 Minilya to Carnarvon 137.8 kms

It's hard to believe that we are down to 7 riders for this leg. Poor Chris is planning on staying with us in the car until we reach Perth. It will be difficult for her getting in and out of the truck but she wants to stay with the group. She has a large dressing on her wound that will need daily attention as well but how frustrating it is going to be for someone who is always so active.
With the extra packing, putting Chris' bike up on the trailer and following up on the insurance information required for Chris then we were a little late getting to the morning tea stop. Everyone was very understanding and not fazed at all. They are a great little group.
Annie and Ben rode together most of today, they tried to jump on with Georg but he doesn't like riding and chatting so he encouraged them to leave him.
Woody was riding with Peter for awhile until he lost him.
We followed a long red soil sand dune all the way for about 50 kms up till morning tea and then it all dropped away. Gum trees started to appear after a long time without them. There were goats near where we stopped for lunch and we saw an emu just after lunch. Heaps and heaps of road kill today which coincides with Collis' report last night of lots of animals on the road when he was driving back from the hospital.