Mike and I went (at last, after eight years of thinking about it), to do a stretch of the Munda Biddi bicycle track. We did the first section from Mundaring to Carinyah campsite, overnighted there, then next day to Gleneagles picnic area on Albany Highway, where we had left my car.
How did we originally get from Gleneagles to Mundaring? In Mike's car, of course.
We actually started from Jacoby Park, near the Weir, because Mike found he could leave the car there behind locked gates. It also cut 6k off the trip, for which I was very grateful.
After the first 5k, I didn't think I'd be able to go on with it, perhaps the heat (34 deg), perhaps the 64 year old body, perhaps the steep grades with pea gravel, something made it totally exhausting. If I had been by myself, I'd probably have turned back at "The Dell", where this video starts and taken the road back to Mundaring.
After a bit of lunch and a rest, I felt well enough to carry on, we pushed the bikes up the steeper pea gravel slopes, quite arduous, I have no doubt the surroundings would have been pleasing to behold but there was little chance to look around so very little to enjoy.
By the time we arrived at Pickering Brook, I'd used all my water (3.6 litres), so begged some more from a kindly householder there.
After that, things were a lot better, there were fewer slopes, some flat beautifully forested areas which we could actually look at because we weren't just hanging on to the handlebars like grim death.
It was a relief to arrive finally at Carinyah and have a long rest and a cup of tea. After a period of recovery, and a bit of exploration, we had our dinner and retired for the night.
Next day was much better, cooler, with fewer slopes, most of them downhill, with very little walking and pushing required. Somehow, though, we managed to lose the trail, and spent an extra hour or so recovering from that.
We did about 73k on the trip, averaged 8.2 kph, (about half the pace of my normal cycle touring), thoroughly enjoying the experience from Pickering Brook onwards. We saw lots of red tailed Black Cockatoos, numerous other birds including Rainbow Bee Eaters, and a number of Tamar Wallabies.
Next time? We reckon to really enjoy it, we'll have to wait until the temperature is in the mid twenties, start from Pickering Brook, and be in the mid twenties ourselves.
After a bit of lunch and a rest, I felt well enough to carry on, we pushed the bikes up the steeper pea gravel slopes, quite arduous, I have no doubt the surroundings would have been pleasing to behold but there was little chance to look around so very little to enjoy.
By the time we arrived at Pickering Brook, I'd used all my water (3.6 litres), so begged some more from a kindly householder there.
After that, things were a lot better, there were fewer slopes, some flat beautifully forested areas which we could actually look at because we weren't just hanging on to the handlebars like grim death.
It was a relief to arrive finally at Carinyah and have a long rest and a cup of tea. After a period of recovery, and a bit of exploration, we had our dinner and retired for the night.
Next day was much better, cooler, with fewer slopes, most of them downhill, with very little walking and pushing required. Somehow, though, we managed to lose the trail, and spent an extra hour or so recovering from that.
We did about 73k on the trip, averaged 8.2 kph, (about half the pace of my normal cycle touring), thoroughly enjoying the experience from Pickering Brook onwards. We saw lots of red tailed Black Cockatoos, numerous other birds including Rainbow Bee Eaters, and a number of Tamar Wallabies.
Next time? We reckon to really enjoy it, we'll have to wait until the temperature is in the mid twenties, start from Pickering Brook, and be in the mid twenties ourselves.
