The beauty, the beach and the Indian Ocean. Happiness. |
The city appears. Yes I did change my shirt. Vanity is an illness. |
So this is about as good as times can get. Am sat writing
this sat in a café looking out over Cottesloe beach to the Indian Ocean beyond.
The oh so yuppie Goji berry muesli was delicious, have a latte and chocolate
brioche on the go, and nothing, absolutely nothing to worry about. No
timetable, couldn’t care less that it sounds like the back wheel is finally
buckling, and all my knees have got to do today is rest, and swim in the sea.
It’s just about as perfect a feeling as you can have. All
the stress, worries, pain, screaming at the wind in the outback, flies, heat,
motels and if I was honest, loneliness of it all, and it’s over. Not just over,
but worth every sanity stretching minute of it. And, to my great satisfaction it’s
over damn near on the target time of four and half weeks.
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Looking back at a great, if grey, view. |
Out of habit, more than design, I was wide awake by 04:30,
and outside the funny lodge place I stayed at last night by 05:50, looking
mournfully at the sky. Rather than the milky grey and pastel pink of a clear
pre-dawn, there was a huge black cloud pressing down on the city. It was humid
as hell to boot.
Clear and crisp it was not to be. Within 2 miles I was
forced to take cover in a bus shelter as the first Perth rain since December
came down heavily. Sat in a graffiti strewn bus shelter looking at a dreary
commercial park was not quite the dream, but it gave me half an hour to sit
there and take in what was actually happening.
Luckily once the shower passed, that was it. The short
20 mile odd ride just got better and better. Almost entirely on cycle paths,
for the first time all trip I was plugged in to iphone and thumping through the
miles to a soundtrack.
So great a view in fact, I put my ugly mutt in front of it |
As the tower blocks of downtown came into view I was joined
by a wonderfully eccentric old grandfather in board shorts and T-shirt of the dude
from the Big Lebowski. Unlike the lycra clad MAMILs hammering it to work, he
seemed to have all the time in the world. He was great company, guided me
through downtown past besuited office workers frowning their way to their
desks, and on down to the Swan River and the bike path towards the coast. He
then just waved me on my way and disappeared.
Moody boat shed |
Striking quite a pose at the Ocean |
2,465 odd miles, two punctures (oddly both on the same day), one snake spotted, no spiders that I'm aware of, two shot knees, a burnt nose, more flies than stars in the sky, more motel, hotel and roadhouse meals than you should ever eat, miles of road trains, caravans, vans, utes, mountains, deserts, plains, hills, hot hot days after beautiful crisp bush mornings, kangaroos (dead and alive), emus, parrots, funny friesian magpies, so much gloriously terrible municipal art, two stripped tyres, one very untrue back wheel and so much else besides. And it's done, all done.
However before signing off would like so say some thank yous.
Cottesloe Beach, a good place to be |
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Cutting a pose with a vast cushion sculpture. Pass |
Thank you to everyone who's read my dyslexic rambling on this, then emailed, texted or messaged. People wishing you on is vital on
a trip like this. You have spurred me on more than you know.
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Appropriate sculpture at the end of Cottesloe jetty |
Whilst doubt they’ll ever read this, thank you to every
trucker, caravaner, holiday maker, car driver, ute driver, bus driver, you name
it, who waved, tooted, offered sweets and water out the windows, teased me in roadhouses, wished me luck and generally willed me on my way.
This is one, huge, hot, wonderful, weird at times, brilliant, dusty, beautiful, and kind country. Its people are its heart. It’s been one
of the great privileges of my life to have a chance to see Australia like this. The warmth and kindness of the Aussies, has been the quiet constant tailwind of this whole
ride.
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Muesli, bike outside, the ocean. All is good. |
So that’s it. It’s been a proper experience, worth every inch
of pain. Tough, epic, and more than a little emotional. Just can’t really believe I’ve got away
with it.
Today is a good day.
Miles: 19 – Guildford – Perth – Cottesloe
Breakfast – Pain au Chocolat and a coffee en route. Then
Goiji berry muesli, chocolate brioche, latte, and apple juice with all the
brunching mothers at Il Lido in Cottesloe. After weeks of corn flakes on a tray
in motel rooms, this is bliss. Pure yuppie bliss.
p.s. Hope you can forgive the indulgence of peppering my
mug all over this post, but just occasionally you feel ok about doing this
kind of thing.