Day 8 | Williams Collie road: just a sort of nowhere much camp

57 km | zzOz total: 384 km

My night at Congelin Dam somehow was the first “real” night on the trail: it’s a great little official campsite, with a picnic table, just off the completely unbusy road. I unpacked the stove for the first time, that meant a steaming mug, handle-less, of coffee this morning. After a week on the road I finally felt the trip was coming together.

This first week has had a few phases.

The first was the necessary evil of heading up the Great Northern Highway, plenty of traffic, including those humungous trucks loaded with mining equipment, but the shoulder is wide enough, it’s not so daunting.

Then from the highway turnoff up to, say, York, it’s a continual climb, steep at first but then slowly flattening out as the valley widens, it’s rolling hills and closely settled, very pretty riding.

The third stage, the York Williams Road, one of the few north south conduits, but not much used as it avoids towns, continues the undulations but adds, for the most part, unsealed road to the concoction of pleasure. In my case there was a trifle too much weather distracting, a little, enjoyment in the full-on mode. Less civilisation to contend with, nature close at hand.

I’m now deep in the heart of the next stage, Williams to, almost, Busselton, the hills are much more like your standard oscilloscope reading, slow climbs and fearful, with the overloaded trailer, descents.

Overall the ride to date has been much more scenic than I anticipated but requiring ridiculous levels of time and energy expenditure. I ain’t just fanging down the Old Coast Road.

Just the way I like it.