Day 113: Ravensthorpe to Ned's Corner rest area

September 17, 2022

Start: 8am
Distance: 101km
Ride time: 4:50hours
Average: 21km/hr
Max: 48km/hr
Finish: 2:15pm

Last night I couple random people spoke to me. One offered me dinner and the other one offered me wine. It was getting late and I was ready for bed so I declined. It was nice of them to be friendly.

I slept very well after my big day yesterday. The resident magpie swooped me many times as I left.

I had another tailwind today. It makes such a big difference. It was hilly too.

The sun was shining and I used sunscreen for the first time in a month.

The vegetation was either forest, wheat, canola or grazing land.

Here's some forest from the top of a hill.

Here's some wheat, dropped by a truck, growing on the roadside.

I saw 3 very big mines in the distance. They were huge. It looked like they were the leftovers from open cut mines but I'm not sure.

This is a large conveyor crossing the hwy.

I've seen a few of them the last few days. They are busy with trucks coming and going. They take the grain to Esperance to be shipped offshore.

I don't know anything about the grain industry. I wish they could do the processing in Australia.

I saw 3 amazingly colourful eucalyptus flowers today:

The sepal (I think) is square shaped with circular stamens (I think). A lovely design.

These flowers were covered in ants eating the nectar.

After about 80kms I made it to Munglinup.

This was my intended destination for the day. It was only 12:30pm and the tailwind was strong. I contemplated what to do next.

I had a nutritious lunch of rissoles and vegetables from the roadhouse. It was great and not covered in fat or grease.

I decided I would do another 20kms to the rest area.

The was a tap in the public toilets and I filled up with water here. I had a luke warm shower there too. Payment was a $2 donation to a charity at the roadhouse. I'm sorry, I forget which charity it was.

I bought some more supplies from the shop and headed down the highway again.

I heard some crackling noises that gradually got louder for about 5 minutes.

This powerline had broken and was shorting out making a very loud noise.

I feel bad for the electricity being wasted. I have no idea which electrical company is responsible for it. Ironically the pole was on the other side of an electric fence so I couldn't get the pole number or details. So I took a photo and kept on pedalling.

Shortly after I arrived at the rest area and made camp. There is a sheltered picnic table and nothing else here.

It is close the road so I hope there aren't many road trains during the night.

I found out that Western Power is responsible for the electricity. I called their emergency number and the person I spoke to was useless and hung up on me. At least I tried.

Two vans pulled in to stay the night. They offered me a tea or coffee. I was okay so I declined.

Today's ride: 101 km (63 miles)
Total: 6,268 km (3,892 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	7
Comment on this entry	Comment	0