WEST COAST CRUISING

Michael and Nino cycled 1,200km from Exmouth to Perth – swimming with humpbacks, cavorting with sea lions and consuming carbs like never before!

Some people don’t want beaches or apré ski cocktails on their holidays. Michael Sean Walters and his mate Nino hit the road to cycle 1,200km from Exmouth to Perth – swimming with humpbacks, cavorting with sea lions, and consuming carbs like never before!

Why? That was the question I was asked by nearly everyone I encountered on my Western Australian odyssey as I pedalled 1,200km from Exmouth to Perth. Why cycle when you could drive?

In fairness, on a route frequented by grey nomads and roadtrains, we didn’t see any other cyclists and I have to admit there were times – as campervans sped past, travelling in an hour what it would take me a day to cycle – that I thought the same thing.

But despite living in a constant state of sweat, there was a certain satisfaction that came with each hard-earned kilometre. Moreover, cycling offers the perfect pace to digest what would otherwise get lost in the blur from a speeding car; it’s about appreciating the nuances of a changing landscape and the relished reward of reaching a destination under your own steam.

DAILY TEMPO

I’m not a morning person, so it came as a surprise that cycling in the early hours quickly become my favourite aspect of the trip. I can’t say I loved the 4am starts but there is something magical about cycling into the day.

Starting out in the pitch dark, with nothing but the reflective white strip along the roadside to show the way. Passing unperturbed kangaroos, hearing bird’s wake with song as the sun’s light slowly crept across the sky in hues of intense orange, revealing silhouettes of lifeless trees, perched predators and massive termite mounds. The best part about the morning? No heat, no flies and no traffic.

The days themselves were characterised by long bouts of meditation, peppered with focussed determination not to let the elements or terrain get the better of me. And while physical demands were tough, the challenge mentally was to not get overwhelmed by the enormous distance ahead. Stopping every 10km for a break broke the trip into bitesize pieces, and also gave my bum a break from the seat!

By afternoon it was time to search for a place to camp before the setting sun limited our ability to cook and set up our tents. Meals were almost always massive portions of pasta to fuel the next day’s ride. Each night I promised myself I would appreciate the exquisite blanket of stars I was lucky to be sleeping under but, ultimately, physical exhaustion got the better of me and, all too soon, the alarm was ringing, reminding me it was 4am once more.

BULLARA STATION

It was only our first night on the road and already Nino and I were local celebrities when we arrived at this dusty outback stationturned-campground, as caravaners came to chat with the two crazy cyclists tackling WA.

This fascination carried on throughout our cycle, with plenty of thumbs up of encouragement from almost every passing vehicle – some even stopping to offer up a welcomed cold drink on the roadside in the middle of nowhere.

Added bonus: The camaraderie of enjoying some fresh made damper around the campfire with your fellow travellers as a cowboy serenaded us with sing-along songs.

CORAL BAY

True to its name, this one-street town sits on a bay packed with kale-like coral an easy swim from shore – the cool winter water the only thing that stopped me from snorkelling longer. But the bigger attraction is Coral Bay’s access to the Ningaloo Reef where, depending on the season, you can swim with whale sharks or, in my case, humpback whales.

The logistics of how Ningaloo Reef Dive And Snorkel successfully makes this happen is near unbelievable – akin to threading a needle with your eyes closed. No simple task, first an airplane pilot spots a pod of migrating whales. He then radios the boat captain, putting him in line with the whales’ trajectory. The captain then drops the group of swimmers in the water and pulls away. The pilot now communicates directly with the guide in the water and we swim like mad as the pilot directs us to swim west or east (sometimes in rapid succession!) so that we might intersect with the whales heading our way. The result? A once in a lifetime experience.

Three of the four times we jumped into the water we successfully swam with whales when four of the massive creatures passed mere metres beneath us, the last time one turning on its side to cast an inquisitive eye upward. I could have sworn he winked at me.

Added bonus: A tip taught in the wake of

The sea lions of Jurien Bay are like puppies… they want to play, and the more you engage, the more they respond.

the passing whales: go under water, and most importantly equalise your ears, and you can actually hear the whales singing. Incredible and other-worldly!

CARNARVON

Cycling into the seaside town of Carnarvon with its groves of banana plantations along with a swathe of other fruit, it’s hard to believe that the dusty soil can produce such a bounty. But, in fact, it was here that bananas were first introduced into Australia.

With limited ability to carry anything fresh in the outback heat, the cornucopia of fresh produce on offer was almost overwhelming – particularly at Bumbak’s with its wildly imagined mixes of jams and chutneys, and Morel’s with its unique frozen sapote, a chocolate pudding-tasting fruit.

Added bonus: Get your geek on at the Space And Technology Museum. Located at the base of the massive satellite dish dominating the town, it touts the role Carnarvon played in the moon landing and subsequent missions. If you time it right, the museum hosts actual astronauts from time to time.

WOORAMEL RIVERSIDE RETREAT

With years of drought, this is another station that’s turned to tourism as a way of balancing the books. But unlike so many others, they’ve done a bang-up job of providing a range of amazing accommodation from glamping tents to rooms in shearer’s quarters. But by far, its most popular attraction are the three therapeutic artesian bore baths – great for tired muscles – where strangers soak and share tales from the road.

Added bonus: During the winter months you can find echidnas breeding along the wide (dry) riverbed. And if you get a chance to taste hostess Rachael’s cooking during the Gascoyne Food Festival you’re in for a treat.

GERALDTON

After nothing more than tiny towns and roadhouses for 500km, Geraldton felt like a shimmering oasis upon approach. Suddenly, I was able to drop 15kg in weight from my bike, with plenty of options for food and water. With a vibrant waterfront and a hip museum, for something a little offbeat, the live lobster tour of fisherman’s cooperative is not to be missed. So, too, the reasonably priced lobster tail direct from the factory at nearby Barnacles take away.

Added bonus: This is the epicentre for some of WA’s most stunning wildflowers, which carpet an otherwise dry and dormant landscape in millions of tiny flowers every August/ September.

JURIEN BAY

I’ve swum with seals twice before, so I thought I knew what to expect. But, hands down, swimming with the sea lions of Jurien Bay with Turquoise Safaris was the best experience yet.

Similar in temperament to puppies, the curious sea lions want to play with you and the more you engage with them, the more you twist and turn, the more they respond in kind – to the point that when I stopped from too many dizzying spins, the pup nuzzled me to continue playing.

Added bonus: White sand beaches, azure waters (it’s not called the Turquoise Coast for nothing) and plenty of accessible marine life. I watched dolphins feeding mere metres from the shoreline.

THE PINNACLES

Wandering among the fields of limestone outcroppings that punctuate the desert at The Pinnacles is not unlike wandering through a cemetery of misshapen tombstones. Best appreciated at sunrise or sunset when The Pinnacles glow in the warm light.

Added bonus: So tacky, you can’t help but love The Lobster Shack in nearby Cervantes. It’s overrun by tourists but the ocean view is great, the lobster fresh and who doesn’t want to have their photo taken as a lobster in old fashioned face-in-the-hole board?

ROTTNEST ISLAND

A pre-Perth detour, we took the ferry from Hillarys (north of Perth) to Rottnest Island. A cyclist’s haven, Rottnest is worth so much more than just a day trip. This is where Perthlings go to holiday and it’s easy to see why, when every cove is a Mediterranean-like mix of mottled azure waters and stellar white sand beaches. It’s the perfect place to unwind.

Added bonus: Whales, whales and more whales. Easily spotted from the island or up close, on the island ferry – breaching, finflapping, tail-slapping – they’re happy to put on a show.

PERTH

The world’s most isolated capital city and my goal from the beginning of this trip, it was with some disbelief that I finally cycled into Perth. I warmed to its hot beaches and cool neighbourhoods from up-and-coming Leederville to historic Fremantle. Perhaps most eye-catching, I marvelled at Perth’s integration of old architecture into new buildings and a modern waterfront.

Added bonus: After weeks of being relegated to the side of the road, and worried about every passing car, being able to enjoy Perth’s incredibly comprehensive bike paths was heaven.

NOT WITHOUT DRAMA

It should have been a simple enough start. Land, unpack, reassemble my bike and cycle south to Bullara Station to meet up with Nino. But Qantas didn’t deliver my bike or my bags and I was stuck waiting another six hours for the next flight to arrive.

After my first day of cycling, a mere 70km, I thought I would die. In retrospect, perhaps I could have physically prepared better, but I’m grateful no one was around to hear the noises, whimpers and rants as I forced myself the final 6km into Coral Bay. I was spent. I barely managed to set up my tent before I collapsed into sleep. Comically, following my nap, when I went to stand up, I immediately fell down due to cramp in my legs. Stretch people, stretch!

Then there was the asshole who overtook a roadtrain approaching from the opposite direction, so that suddenly I had two trucks barrelling towards me. Another rant! (For the most part, drivers were generous, but you can all too easily see how impatience can lead to an accident when trying to squeeze past a cyclist rather than waiting a few extra seconds.)

The worst incident occurred 10km before the Billabong Roadhouse. After a sudden and unmistakable “crack” I prayed that it was just a rock bouncing on the road but I knew it likely wasn’t. At the roadhouse, we discovered the cause of the noise: a broken spoke. And me, foolishly, without any spares.

The next bicycle shop was 250km ahead in Geraldton. (The one behind was 1,800km back in Broome.) I pushed on, even though my warped wheel (due to the loss of spoke tension) meant I could no longer use my front wheel brakes.

I made it 140km before another spoke broke. That was it. I had to concede defeat. I managed to hop aboard an Integrity bus that plies the WA coast and made good on a bad situation by treating myself to a night of luxury at The Gerald Apartment Hotel while my bicycle was repaired.

UP NEXT: CYCLING 11,000KM ACROSS CANADA

Cycling WA was just a test run for a planned cycle across Canada this June to October 2020 to raise money for mental health charities in Australia, Canada, the UK and USA.

I’ll be cycling 11,000km and posting stories on a daily basis.

Please follow me at www.joyridecanada.com and, even better, donate. Sponsorship inquiries are welcome.

Find me on Twitter and Instagram @ BikeyMikey1.