Distance: 623km
Dep: 7:00am
Arr: 4:30pm
Temperature: 12°C - 27°C
Total distance to date: 5937km
Route:
- Perth [Fremantle]
- Lancelin
- Pinnacles Desert
- Geraldton
- Kalbarri
Our bodies were moving before our minds were, and we tried our best to gear up while eating a breakfast salad with just so many carrots in it. Why are there so many carrots in this super healthy salad that we bought from IGA last night?
It took two trips to bring all pieces of luggage down 3 floors and across the street to where our bikes were secretly stashed. The air was brisk but we were working up a sweat whilst wearing 3 longsleeves under our gear.
By 7am we were on the road, quickly reminded of how badly I needed to get out of the city and onto the open road. We hit a minimum of 10 consecutive red lights on our short ride to the freeway entrance. The stop-go situation that is typical of poorly timed traffic control systems. When we did finally make it onto the freeway, the temperature seemed to drop well below what was stated on our weather apps, and once we left the greater Perth area we had to pull over to put heated gear on.
Our bladders decided we needed to take an emergency detour to Lancelin, the next pitstop which is located 6km off the highway. Mounds of sand, covered in bushy vegetation, start appearing leading into the town. Refuelled and with empty bladders, we continued onward to the Pinnacles Desert. A very unique sight to see, especially because the sand itself is a completely different colour from the bright white dunes or the red dirt everywhere else. There was a park entrance gate where they took a $10 fee per motorbike, then advised us that we couldn't do the drive around the desert like I did so many years ago. They said it was filled with potholes, though we checked it out on foot and it was smoother than how I remembered it.
The Pinnacles Desert are filled with limestone structures that were created when the area was under water - the "pinnacles" are seashells pressed together over time. Remarkable enough to invite an influx of even more tourists by the time we snapped a few photos. It was our cue to leave. In my mind, I was desperately thinking of when the crowds will stop and the serenity begins, though I can't question something like that during both a long weekend and school holidays.
We made our way further up the coast, greeted on both sides by stark white clouds that lay on the otherwise deep green bush. I remember these in my first trip, of course automatically thinking they were covered in snow and not bright white sand. Some dunes were several stories tall.
Caption: Not my photo, we didn't stop anywhere to take a decent one of the dunes near Lancelin. For illustrative purposes I've used the photo above - Credits from this blog article.
As we headed further north, the highway teased us with views of the Indian Ocean which sparkled in the sunlight. Elevation changes kept the ride as interesting as it could be, while we were made to combat about 50 caravans in the space of every 50km. Some caravans were towing boats, some trucks were towing caravans, and some trucks were towing boats. One SUV driver towing a small fishing boat cut us off at speed unannounced, and bumbled down the double-white-lined highway (at 20kph under the speed limit) for 10km before we could pass.
Jurien Bay seemed to be the hotspot for such drivers, and once we found ourselves in Leeman for some delicious fish and chips, incompetent drivers reduced to a minimum. Local residents in 4WDs with all the gear, workers on their commute to and from a mining site, or the odd backpacker couple in a Combi were all that were left.
Caption: As we pulled up to the only restaurant in Leeman, a few other riders from Geraldton pulled in too. Friendly older gentlemen who have been around the block a few times, but haven't seen two women do a trip like this together. They were enthusiastic about our efforts.
My memory of the West Coast in 2017 was quite different - close to zero traffic the whole way up, a feeling of freedom, and people who drove at or slightly above the speed limit. Needless to say, I was desperate to get as far as I could from the built up areas of this coastal road.
Interestingly, the coastal highway comes to an abrupt end, twice, at T-intersections that keep you on your toes. Turning left means continuing north, whereas turning right points right back to Perth. This also means that we started heading inland a bit, so the white sand dunes were now very much a distant memory - replaced by flat, red, rolling plains and cattle stations. I've always been in love with how quickly the landscape of the West Coast changes, just like how things in life can change fast but the journey surrounding it makes it worthwhile.
Caption: Parts of this ride opened up onto seemingly endless plains. During these photos, a husband and wife team in a beaten up ute stopped behind us to ask if we needed help. After letting them know we were just taking some photos, they were delighted we loved the landscape they lived in and drove off. They also warned us about the wind in the next section (yes, it was rough)
Parts of the journey opened right up so you could have the whole world in view. At other times, trees hugged the shoulders of the road tightly so we weren't certain if Skippy was lying in wait. This is the exact reason why the West Coast was my favourite part of my 2017 trip - WA seems to shapeshift at every given opportunity, leaving you wanting to do more kilometres to see what she has in store for you.
We were told some advice: before turning off to Kalbarri, go further - take some photos - then come back.
Caption: WA never ceases to amaze! At Pink Lake near an area called Gregory.
We did what we were told, and were treated to an enormous, 20km long Pink Lake which was indeed a sight to see. Pink lakes are found all over Australia and are formed by various natural environmental processes, however it is rare for one to be this huge. As we turned back to head toward Kalbarri, the lake shimmered with varying hues of pink until it was finally replaced with red dirt once more.
Caption: Steph and her Yamaha MT-09 at the Pink Lake.
Caption: A pink lake that stretched 20km - the biggest one I've seen yet.
One final stop at Pot Alley, a lookout point just outside of Kalbarri, treated us to what is now my favourite scenery of the entire trip thus far. A curvy sealed downhill path gave us a front row view of the ocean, with "Western Australia's Grand Canyon" to the left of us and another cliff face to the right. I stood at the top of the highest spot I could climb onto and simply stared into the ocean for a half hour. It was as though we've reached the end of the earth and these are the last sights we're seeing.
Caption: She's not built for these parts, but she's doing great anyway. So proud of her.
Caption: Nena looking toward the Indian Ocean at Pot Alley, near Kalbarri WA.
Caption: Western Australia's "Grand Canyon" - I can see why they say so.
Tomorrow is a short 400km ride to the iconic Monkey Mia, famous for its wild dophins and hilarious name.
