We found we averaged about 50km/day and needed a rest day every fourth day. This let us wash, shop and rest. So we aimed for about 150 km every 4 days. If you were using hard accomodation or were on road bikes or were much more experienced cyclists, you could easilly better this but 25%-50%.

Cairns to Perth via Ayers Rock (Flying QANTAS)

We learnt here the importance of preparation! We bought a bike box from QANTAS a few weeks earlier and had practiced pulling them apart to see what was needed to fit them into the boxes. We realised we'd need a third box for the trailers unless we did a major dissassemly job. We flew business class (on Frequent Flyer points) so we got away with 3 bike boxes and two bags of luggage for 2 people. Economy flyers may not be so lucky! It took us about 1.5 hours to get the boxes from QANTAS staff, dissassemble, pack and check in. This reduced us to grease covered balls of sweat. Luckilly we live very close to the airport and could get home in time. The lesson - practice the dissassemlby ages before (and know what to do and what tools and packing materials you will need), get the bike box dimensions and get to the aitport early!

Perth to Bunbury

We rode into Perth city and caught the bus. We used ???? Buslines which we'd booked from Cairns weeks earlier. They were very friendly and helpfull and only charged $10 per bike which did not need any dissassembly. The bus was $??each. The trip was quite pleasant and it did not look like a good ride.

Bunbury

This was our big shopping day. Bunbury has everything you could need (but no good bookstores). The K Resort was an expensive but delightfull and well appointed camping spot.

Bunbury to Busselton

The wind today was from the SW at about 35 knots. We were only doing about 8km/h - seriously. It took all day to go about 50km. We would've been better off just sitting tight. The wind starts about 9 or 10 am and sunrise is at 5:30 in October so from then on we made early starts. The road is flat and wide with a good shoulder. Take the scenic detour for the last 20km. If I was doing it again I would take the bus all the way to Busselton which also has just about all you could need.

Busselton to Dunsborough

A short, flat ride and still very windy. Almost half the ride is on a bike path that runs along the beachfront. Don't miss it! BTW the old Caravan Park on the beachfront is gone. The only one is 2km west of town on the way in.

Cape

Another half-day, unladen. A bit hilly esp. going to Rock but well worth it. Allow a couple of hours to look around the Cape and lighthouse. Do visit the bakery on the way back!

Dunsborough to Margaret River

We chose to follow all the back roads from Dunsborough to MR through lovely wine and dairy country. It's fairly evenly graded and a beaut ride. The roads are narrow but very little traffic and great signage. Don't miss the MR Chocolate Factory. Cellar door sales and tours are everywhere but most are closed on a Mon or Tue and most open at 10 or 11 am.

Margaret River to Augusta

[Click on picture to enlarge] This is type of forest that's easy to see on the tour. Note how small I look on the bike.

There are some great caves along the Caves Road (!). We chose Mammoth Cave which was excellent. We also took the 14km dirt detour down ??? This was delightfull but had a sandy, sometimes rough surface that best suited mountain bikes and featured a killer hill. The last 20km into Augusta was very kind. Augusta has a wide range of accomodation and we spent a total of 3 nights here. We also did an unladen 1/4 day tour to Cape. Allow 2 - 4 hours.

Augusta to Nanup

[Click on picture to enlarge] We took our own bikes which is just as well as some of the local ones looked like they'd seen better days.

Today we had a huge tailwind and made excellent time over the 88kms. There is not much change in the scenery as you progress but it is beautiful, fairly flat and even.

Nanup to Donnelly River

[Click on picture to enlarge] We stayed in the old school at the old mining town. Note the flags on the trailers.

Leaving Nanup we found the biggest hill of the trip - totally unexpected. It took nearly 2 hours to get the laden bikes to the top and it was only a few km. After that again it's fairly even going. Again the trees are amazing

Donnelly River to Manjimup

We followed the Donnelly River Drive - 20km of good dirt road - only a couple of badish ups and downs and mainly just the best scenery of all. From the One Tree Bridge to Manjimup was one huge hill that then became a series of smaller ones. Manjimup is a timber town. There's good shopping but plenty of nicer places to spend time. Under no circumstances plan to stay at the Manjimup Caravan Park. There's another one 3km north and it just couldn't be any worse.

Manjimup to Shannon

The first hour is a nearly constant downhill followed buy a bit of a climb and then some rolling country. Fairly easy day. Shannon is a CALM campground but has how (boiler-powered) showers and is clean and well maintained.

Shannon to Walople

A longish day but only hills at the start and end of the day. The country is very changeable and a great ride. The traffic picks up a bit from here on but the wind is now at least partly behind you a quite a boost.

Walpole to Valley of the Giants

We had another very short day here to allow the afternoon to go up to the walk. We stayed at the Eco-Park on the Highway near the turnoff. Allow a coule of hours to get up to the tree-top walk and back. We got a lift up and walked back.

Valley of the Giants to Denmark

Some hills but a great tailwind by now makes this pretty easy. Don't miss the Mead Winery! Denmark accomodation tends to the expensive but the Caravan Park on the river mouth 1km from town is pretty and serves quite well.

Denmark to Albany

[Click on picture to enlarge] Our rigs on the home run. Note the reflective safety tape applied to trailers and flingers.

Take the bike path around the Inlet and save yourself from the few big hills at the start of the day. Soon it flattens out and once you take the Torbay turnoff it's all pretty gentle following the railway line.

Stirling Ranges

You could do these easilly by bike from Albany but it's a long way and the best part of the ranges is the 42km dirt scenic drive. We decided this would be nicer by car. It also gave us a chance to compare car camping to cycle camping while it was still fresh. You see a lot more on a bike as it goes past slowly. You hear the sounds of the country instead of your radio and you smell it too - cow poo and road kills leap to mind. But the car is fast and easyier on the legs if not the pocket. It's wickedly expensive to drive compared to ridding.

Abany to Perth

The only option here was Westrail coach who are to say the least - not bike-friendly. They could not guarantee our bikes would travel with us or at all. We ended up using the very friendly Stirling Transport who sent them and trailers to their Perth depot where we picked them up a few days later. We took the bus $39 each.

Around Perh

Perth is cyclists heaven! Real bikepaths not just lanes on the road. Proper signs, maps and parking facilities. Pick up the free "Ride Around the Rivers" by BikeWest at the Info Beauru or their office in town.

The Perth Central Caravan Park isn't fancy or big but it is just opposite the Airport entry and only 8km from town or 12km by bike path virtually to the back door.

We rode around the city and up to Kings Park after collecting our bikes. Another day we rode to Ffremantle and back. Be warned, the Southern route is easy, the Northern a joke! It passes through all the posh suburbs but is hard to find or follow, the rich folk drive like they want to kill you and some of the hills defy belief. Clearly the designers never rode a bike.

[Click on picture to enlarge]

On our last full day in town we rode into the City and onto the ferry to Rottnest. The bikes cost $9 each and we paid $60 each for the big, fast ferry. Rottnest has very few cars and is mainly flat. On the day we were there, there was also huge winds which made even the cute Quokkas head into cover.

[Click on picture to enlarge]

We got to the airport 1.5 hours before our flight and it took 1 hour to pack this time. Thankfully it was cool as it was early morning. The boxes were wet and a little mangled on the trip back but there was no damage to the bikes. We used sleeping mat foam for packing and re-usable zip lock ties from a gardening store to attach things to the frame and one another. Pack a rag so you can wipe your hands when the inevitablly get dirty.