perth - capetpcapetrack - margaret river - stirling range NP - esperance

Hi everybody,

Here is finally an update in English.
So sunday, october 16th, I cycle from Perth to Fremantle along the river. It is a nice bike ride and I enjoy. I have some time left and walk on the beach where I see the remainings of a sunken ship. Apparently it is not in the way so nobody cleans it up. So different from home where every little bit of space is being used.

I talk to Bianca who works in the mines in the north. It is 1400km from Perth and she has a flight tomorrow morning. She will be working there for 2 weeks and than is off for 1 week. She is an kitchenaid but makes more money than me. She has been to Italy for a year and wants to go back and work there but has to wait till Europe has a better economics. I think she is in for a long wait but I did not dear to tell her that.

The next couple of days I cycle to Dunsborourgh where I can start my first long distance hike. The cape-to-cape track.
Meanwhile I have encounters with the Australian wildlife especially the magpies. They are aggressive in this breeding season. Twice they hit my helmet.
I also stay for 2 days with Thorna and Robert. Here I eat my first kangoeroe meat and see the sleepy lizards.

So on friday I start the hike. 125km of coastal trail. Sandy beaches in the hot sun (30 gr) but also rain and wind. Meeting nice people. I enjoy it a lot. Some people do it in 6 days but why hurry when it is so beautiful. I plan to do it in 8 days.
But on day 5 my campstove breaks and I cannot cook any more. 1\2 kg of rice, pasta and so on become worthless food in a second. I am now in the northern half where there are no villages.
In Hamelin Bay is just a caravanpark but the store is not open. It is too early in the season. I can buy some meatpies and biscuits
but I am forced to hike 30km in 1 day to get out before my food runs out. I loose some weight here but I am sure some people say that is not too bad because I had some overweight.
I saw my first wild kangoeroos here and also 1 snake. By now I have seen 5 of them. Some people said they haven't seen one in years. I guess I am more in the outback than some city people but that is the way I like it.

I especially like it that I can see the sky with all the stars so good. Back home there are more clouds but also a lot of lightpollution. From space you can so see where Belgium is because it is the area with the most lights. Even more than multi-millons cities like New York and so on. I spend hours starring at the stars just luying on my back.
Also camping in beautiful long beach and being completely alone is a special experience for me.

I also pass Prevelly. A small village where I had a good conversation in the store. Weeks later I learn 30 to 40 houses are destroyed in a stupid fire. A preventive fire that went out of control. I think the goverment officials here are not better than back home.

After the hike I cycle to Mumjimup where there is another host. I have a good time there with a BBQ and so on. Their idea for a rest day is cycling 75km mostly on gravellroads. It is without my bags so not to bad. Here I notice another difference with home. We change our direction because there is to much traffic. This means 2 cars passed us in 15 minutes. That is 3 am traffice on a weekday if you are lucky back home.
David, I really enjoyed my stay with you and give my regards to Camilla. These differences are the things that makes traveling interesting.

I also camp in a forest near a pasture. All night long I hear the kangoeroes jumping the fence. In the morning I see 30 of them and some are bigger than me. I am very surprised. Luckily they move away from me.

Later I visit the tingle trees. big trees who can resist heavy forestfires and even live if parts of the trunk is burned. You see some hollow trees here. I can even ride my bike through one.
I also do the three top walk. It is a bridge make between those trees at an altitude of 30m. It gives you a whole other perspective.
I have an interesting evening with Jane and Glenn and I am invited to visit them when I reach Melbourne. It is not the first time I get such invitations. I already have 2 places in Canberra to go to. Once again I see a snake but she disappears so quickly I can not take a picture.

From Walpole on the coast has the most beautiful bays, beaches and so on. I do some hiking here but decide to do my next multiday hiking in the Sterling Range. Lqter I know this is a mistake. In the Sterling Range are no long hikes and with the wet weather some roads are closed to prevent dieback to spread. Still enjoy it here. I do small hikes up the highest points (1052m) in the east and west side of the range and cycle the whole range drive. 100km of gravelroads but beautiful.

I have lightning storms here but when I finally get wet David and Hellen invite me in. After a hot shower, warm food and a good night sleep in a bed I can face the world again. Thank you for that. The showers and headwind continue for some more days before settling down. Not really the weather I expected in Australia known for its deserts.

I visit Fitzgerald River NP where I due closure of roads I have to do a 100km detour. It is here that I see bigger lizards up to 40cm. Some disappear quickly but others wait till I got my picture.
Also I have my first encouters with emoes. 1 almost hit me. While I was looking to the left to the jumping kangoeroes the emoe noticed me very late and ran for cover. This was the forest on the right so he crossed the road just a few meters before me. I saw it late too and if a 2m high bird is running basicly towards you unexpectedly you freeze for a moment or two. No picture of course.

On sunday, november 13th, I have another restday in Esperance before crossing the Nullarbor Plain. Nick and Hayley take excellent care off me. A fine BBQ with their parents and others sailors of small yachts. I hear a lot of interesting stories.
We also went to the beaches to walk a bit. But you do NOT do this on a beach where 5 cars are parked. That is too busy. I can even imagine that. Well, we have 100km of beaches to choose from and find a beach only for us. I come from a country with 10 million people and 64km of beaches. So abandonned beaches are out of the question.

Well, this it for now. Later I tell the story of my crossing the Nullarbor and my way to Adelaide.

greetings,

nico