Unfinished Business

All dressed up and raring to go.

Take two. After returning home to hide from a week’s unseasonal rain, the skies cleared and we were ready to go camping again. The bikes knew their way to Busselton, the long way round. It wasn't long before we were cruising along Mornington Road and gliding through the sweet curves of the Ferguson Valley. There was evidence of lingering rain but it was gone for now.

Kids playground at Busselton Jetty.

If they can find room for us we always stay at the council owned Jetty Tourist Park in Busselton. The mid season rate is $45 per night; all sites have power. This caravan park is right in town in one of the South West's busiest tourist hubs. This is not a caravan park full of kids play things. Once you get used to the ride height of the shower caddy and the peculiar positioning of the hook inside the toilet cubicle you won't want to stay anywhere else.

Wind vane on Busselton Jetty.

For dinner we were served delicious Thai food under one of the town's grand old fig trees. While we mulled over a good bottle of Shiraz we laughed a lot and it seemed we could find nothing to worry about.

By 7am the following morning we were participating in the standard issue walk along the Busselton Jetty. This magnificent jetty stretches 1.8km out to sea and it's easy to daydream while you take in the interpretive signs along the way. Then we wore out the soles of our shoes, enjoying the town from the Geographe Bay Sailing Club to the Jenny Taylor art gallery.

Are selfies still in fashion?

We were up with the magpies the next day and we found ourselves at the end of the jetty once more, enjoying the most magical sunrise. Busselton used to be a favourite haunt of ours. Until 1988 we visited the town every year in our Kombi, and then until 2005 we sailed down from Fremantle each summer. Since then our visits to this neck of the woods have become fewer and farther between. While we stood watching the sun rise I could feel myself falling in love with Busselton again.

Busselton Jetty

Always wonderful views between
Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin.

The rest of the day was about riding. Devil (F650GS) and Dwarf (R1200GS) took us on a run along the lanes between Cape Naturaliste and Margaret River. We stopped to check out the development in Yallingup, and then on we went to admire the soul of the surfing community in Gracetown. We crisscrossed back to Cow Town (Cowaramup) for morning tea and then waddled the length and breadth of Margaret River's newly paved main street. By mid afternoon the humidity was up and we retired to our camp for a refreshing ale or two.

Henty Road

Steve found a nice set of back roads to take us home and Henty Road in the Ferguson Valley was simply wonderful. The temperature eased to a comfortable 27⁰C and for a moment I was gliding along in my own reverie.

It was a magic three nights away. Of course we had to live through the case of the missing thong, which turned up on Steve's left foot 15 seconds later, and then there was the case of the missing plate, which remains missing in action.

Today it's time for a reality check while we clean the ringtail possum pee off the tent fly; until next time.......

Rain Stopped Play

Wellington Dam Mural by Guido Van Helten

Wellington Dam Mural by Guido Van Helten

A gusty south easterly wind blew across the plains at the foothills of the Darling Escarpment as we trundled south towards Donnybrook. We devoured a French vanilla slice from the Waroona Bakery while we spun a yarn with a group of local bikers and then we were on our way to Wellington Dam.

 

The mural on the dam wall, pained by Guido Van Helten, is nothing short of breath taking. Pensive Aboriginal Elders look on while industrious children, both black and white, still with their life's song to play out before them, will remain in my heart for a long time.

 

We stopped at Gnomesville for a picnic lunch to find that our clan's gnomes, all eleven of them, were gone. The bank where they lived had been washed away and no doubt our gnomes had been swept downstream in the flooding waters. I'm sure they continue to make mischief in the wild wood which lies just outside the village boundary.

 

A small group of the Gnomes hanging out at Gnomesville

Donnybrook's Transit Park

Although it was a long weekend we scored a late booking and pitched our tent at Donnybrook's Transit Park. This is an excellent facility. We found grass sites, clean ablutions, a hot bbq and a sink to do the dishes; more than we ever dream of for $25 per night unpowered.

Saturday morning we were on the road to Nannup to soak up the atmosphere at the Nannup Music Festival. Beware of road works on back roads. We came across a long section on the Upper Capel Road, it seemed that Friday knock off time had arrived before the road workers had time to roll the freshly laid gravel. With no clearly defined car tracks to follow, the gravel lay thick and menacing in places; I got away without a tank slapper but I felt that the percentages were high. 

61 was a very good year

Nannup was very welcoming, even to those folks that don't hold festival tickets. Buskers lined the street and the cafes were buzzing. Even the bowling club was in on the act with a free for all folk band playing on the terrace alongside a "try bowls" for anyone willing to take their shoes off.

 

Kings of Collie - Pit Exit

A historic motorcycle meet at the Collie Motorplex was a thoroughly enjoyable interlude on Sunday. Whenever I go to a local race meeting I'm acutely aware that the racing is just as enjoyable as the professional meets I've been to. You can wander around the pits and get up close and personal with the bikes; magic.

 

Kings of Collie - First corner action

Heading home from Donnybrook into the rain.

The long weekend was supposed to be the start of a longer motorcycle journey around The South West of Western Australia. As we were only 165km from home, and rain was forecast for the next four days, we decided to head for home on Monday. We checked the radar before we put our helmets on and we both said, “Lets go for the full wet weather kit.” We were on the road by 6:40am and were rewarded for our early departure as we didn't catch up with the rain until we were nearly home. The riding gear and the tent are drying out in our sunroom and we're hoping to be back on the road again soon.