Blown Away

It's a shame we have to leave Cape Le Grand so soon but we have a deadline to meet in Perth. I'll be coming back here one day for a longer stay. Although next time it will be in spring; it got a tad chilly in the tent overnight.

Today we're aiming for Albany and it's another long haul which means an early start. I ride cautiously out of the national park, well aware that roos will be hopping about at this time of morning. Once I'm out of the park and back onto the highway I ramp up to the speed limit of 110kph.

Ten minutes later a big kangaroo jumps directly in front off my bike. He comes from behind a row of trees and I don't see him until he is on the road. I wail on the front brake and the ABS kicks in. I don't even think to pull the clutch or use the rear brake. I'm barely able to stop myself going over the handlebars, the rubber bites that hard into the road. The roo hops away, blissfully unaware of the disaster that was so narrowly averted.

I'm still in one piece, full of adrenaline, and now riding a lot slower. I catch up to Dave near Esperance and we start the first leg. The wind is getting fierce and it's a northerly which means almost all crosswind. It's also really gusty. The bikes are frequently pushed off balance so it's a constant fight to keep them upright. Oncoming trucks throw solid walls of air at my chest. I lean heavily into the crosswind and the front wheel steers an erratic path beneath me.

I stop for lunch in Jerramungup. Dave arrives soon after and he is clearly unimpressed. He's not enjoying the gusty conditions at all. However we continue onto Albany. The wind gets even fiercer as we head further south and it's not until the last few kilometres that we get shelter thanks to the forests. Thorests.

The last few kilometres are a great ride through wine fields, green pastures, and aromatic forests. It's a real treat after the dull straights of the past week. We rent a cabin right on the beach and only just in time as it starts to pour down.