1st August.  Thursday   Scarborough to Guildford

Loaded up and left at 9.00 am after photo taken by Park Manager.  Great tail wind.  Got lost several times trying to follow bike routes.  A few good hills.  Posted bike bags home from Karrinyup Shopping centre.  Very helpful lady showed us where we were when lost again!  Arrived at Rose and Crown, Guildford, 2.00 pm.  Luxury motel rooms at the hotel made to look like stables from outside.

2nd. August.  Friday   Guildford to Mundaring 

Rain during night.  Low, misty cloud.  Set off at 8.50 am.  (waited for schoolies and workpeople to get off road)  Stopped and bought a new Allen key in Midland.  Then the climb up Green Mount started.  Had several breathers but made it comfortably apart from millions of cars and trucks passing us.  Got to Mundaring.  Caravan park in disrepair and permanents only (this despite ringing them before we left and being assured we could camp there!)  Information centre put us on to Travellers Rest motel; lovely cabins set in bush surrounds.  Rode up and down a few hills before we located the motel though.  Another luxury night.

3rd August.  Saturday   Mundaring to Northam

Cloudy, NE breeze.  Quite hilly.  Found great pies and pasties on Bakers Hill and lunched there at 11.30 am.  Not as many trucks as previously but plenty of traffic.  Good verge though.  Some terrific downhills especially the one into Northam where Avon white water festival began today.  Lovely green countryside, tall trees and grass boys, sheep and goats.  Saw the famous Northam white swans.  Accommodation nearly all booked out - small room in hotel/motel (not a small price though!)  Tired after hilly ride.  Dinner was in the lovely pub restaurant.  Support crews for the Avon Descent left very early from the other rooms.

 4th August  Sunday   Northam to Kellerberrin

Rain overnight.  Held up 45 minutes by hotel owner having great chat.  Fantastic tail wind.  Had to put on rain gear several times.  Couple of good climbs then gently rolling country, mostly wheat and mallee scrub.  Lunched at Meckering - what is left of it after the earthquake years ago.  Sports drink and Cherryripe at Cunderdin.  Ice-cream at Tammin giving us enough energy for the last 23km to Kellerberrin.  Met fellow rider at Kellerberrin pub who'd fallen off his bike on the railway line.  He was riding from Perth to Brisbane.  Stayed at luxury cabin - no rooms at the pub.  Dined at the pub.  Pub bursting with young people, over 100 and it was Sunday (after a Sunday footy match).  106kms at an average of 22 kph.

5th August.  Monday   Kellerberrin to Carrabin

Partly cloudy.  Light W winds.  Left Kellerberrin at 8.30 am.  Arrived Merredin for lunch, 57km by midday.  Visited Internet café and sent first email.  Shopped for groceries.  Set off on final 40k for Carrabin roadhouse, had booked a room the previous night.  Countryside green with wheat but crops are sparser.  Mallee trees are smaller with lots of low shrubs.  Passed by a few trucks carrying houses.  Got off the road for them but truckies very good at moving over.  Great dinner!  The cook steamed potatoes and vegies instead of chips and salad.  She has a daughter who teaches at Henderson College in Mildura.  Total distance 101.8km in 5 hours 30 minutes.  Some uphills and good downhills, flat in between.

6th August  Tuesday   Carrabin to Yellowdine

Clear skies, light NE wind.  Left the wheat fields behind as we neared Southern Cross.  Had a pie(L) and pasty(R) as well as our sangers and apple at Moorine Rock roadhouse/store.  Less traffic and lovely bush.  Some long, slow climbs and long downhills.  Passed by several houses again so got right off the road each time.  Len's shin is giving him trouble so we got some Ice Gel at Southern Cross, enabling us to continue to Yellowdine 101km.  Great roadhouse with cabins and home made rissoles! TV, heater, and good showers.

7th August  Wednesday   Yellowdine to Bush Camp

Strong NE wind.  It was a freezing night at the Yellowdine Roadhouse but the day warmed and we kept stripping off clothes.  A hard day with plenty of gradual climbs into a stiff wind.  The 75km were as hard as the 100kms on the previous days.  No farming country at all, just the constant companions of the pipeline and the mallee trees.  Only half a dozen trucks passed us during the day and a few more came from the opposite direction - a quiet day.  Bush camp tonight with another 70+km into Coolgardie tomorrow.  We're stripped to shorts sitting on a log listening to birds, surrounded by mallee and shrubs.

 8th August  Thursday   Bush Camp to Coolgardie

 NE wind.  Broke bush camp at 8.30 am.  Not a cold morning and everything dry.  Fair bit of uphill into wind with a couple of steeper climbs.  We both heard Len's spoke go at 40km from Coolgardie, so we had a ½ hour break while he fixed it.  Held off having lunch until we got to Bullabulling Pub only to find 30 women just arriving for "Christmas in July"(in August!) so there was no way they could do food for us.  Brought in our loaf of bread and peanut butter and made sandwiches while the ladies partied beside us.  Internet café in Coolgardie unavailable as it closed at 3.00 pm.  Rented a lovely cabin in the caravan park.

9th August  Friday   Coolgardie to Bush Camp

Overcast sky, strong N wind.  Set off at 8.00 am.  Internet café not open so took off with a great tail wind.  Had done 40km by 10.30 am and had lunch.  Lots of smelly kangaroos, little traffic and a flock of goats.  Plenty of birds too including wedgetail eagles.  When we were stopped for a drink just at the junction of Kalgoolie/Kambalda road a car with a couple of girls stopped.  They came and chatted to us and asked to take our photo.  One of the girls is a physiotherapist and she is driving to Perth to take up a position there.  She gave each of us a shoulder massage spontaneously!  Gave them our card and received useful advice for a couple of problems we were having with our legs.  Arrived at Widgiemooltha Roadhouse (where we had booked a room) at 12.30 pm.  We decided not to stay but to make the most of the great tail wind knowing that the 90km to Norseman would be into the wind after the change went through.  Manager of the Widgie roadhouse knew all about Enviromission and the solar tower to be built near Mildura.  He has shares in the company.  Stopped at 102km and sought a good spot in the bush just as it started raining.  Now relaxing in the tent listening to rain on the 'roof' at 3.30 pm.  In bed by 6.10 pm!  Passed 700km.  Average 21.1 kph.

10th August  Saturday   Bush Camp to Norseman

Clear skies after overnight rain.  Strong SW wind.  The wind was in our faces so it was hard work so we were pleased that we had done the extra kilometres yesterday.  Met 3 other bikers outside Norseman supermarket.  They'd left Perth and ridden via Esperance.  They'd had a really hard ride and were running a few days late.  They're heading across the Nullarbor tomorrow.  Booked into Lodge101 (Backpackers) for two nights.  Sent an email from the Ampol servo so hope it gets through.  Dined at the pub as the club was not open - beautiful roast lamb on special and a bottle of wine.

11th August  Sunday   Rest Day 

Breakfasted on the verandah in the sunshine then did the washing.  Shopped for groceries, medicines, and spokes.  Spokes not the right size so Len is trying to adjust them.  Bought cards to send.  Packed bags and organized water for the ride to Fraser Range next day.  Rang John Birch asking him to send more spokes to Border Village.