back to Norseman

September 27th

good news - not so good news:

two days ago I already told you about my health problems. For this reason I decided to stay one day longer in Balladonia. the infection on my skin seemed to be becoming better and I continued my trip my trip. Yesterday , in the evening I noticed that the boil became more infected and bigger. the next doctor 400km far away in Eucla. I planned to go there within 4 days, but there was a remaining risk for a much bigger risk, a blood poisoning. Ok, no chance to come faster to Eucla. While having a beer at the roadhouse bar I met a trucker, who does the trip Norseman-Eucla two times a week.He offered me the possibility to take me back to Norseman, with all my stuff, visiting there a doctor at the local hospital and inviting me to stay at his home with his wife, until I feel better. then he will take me back again to Caiguna.

What a great help !!

the next day I had a small surgery and now for five days I have to take antibiotics. I do not post any pics from this very friendly and helpful trucker, because truckers are usually not allowed to take people with.

currently I am knocked out, so tired because, four times a day I have to take strong antibiotics. my hosts are awesome and I wanna introduce my latest, new friend: Benson, a Staffordshire Terrier, but I call him Arnold (according to Arnold Schwarzenegger,) because he is so strong, but very cude and he loves it playing with me :-)

Nullarbor crossing Part I: Norseman to Caiguna

September 26th

I had a 185km ride from the roadhouse in Balladonia to Caiguna, with the longest straight road in Australia. 90 miles, or 146,6 km. Until 12pm, I already cycled 112km, small personal record. I enjoyed this ride very much. a quite good tailwind, music in my ears and cycling like in a state of meditation. the view straight to the asphalt, the left white line as orientation and kicking the pedals in a constant mode. I remembered the time when I practiced triathlon. no exhausting pressure, like a flow. I felt so free and relaxed !
some other globetrotters recommended to stop as often as possible, to walk around, not becoming crazy, but I enjoyed it so much !

Honestly I would like to cycle this part again with a triathlon bike with a comfortable aero bar and a service car, trying to get this straight as fast as possible :-)

The last 30 km a very bad South-North wind. in the late afternoon I arrived at Caiguna Roadhouse.

airstrip

my mascot from the best radio station on the world: the SWR3-Elk :-)

my other mascot: Guenter, der innere Schweinehund (one´s weaker self) :-)

yes, a long long road !

meeting with cyclists on recumbent bikes !

empty water tank, but no problem , I carried enough water with me.

Albany to Norseman

Start:  Sept. 2nd

route: Albany - Stirling Range Retreat - Jerrammungup - Ravensthorpe - Esperance - Norseman

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xariwbwmwzbzbdrb



I had a great time in Albany. the The 1849 Backpackers at the London Hotel was a perfect place to chill out and know were friendly people. I took the chance, to organise my stuff and learn more about cutting videos. I like my new GoPro Hero 3+ very much and it would be a pitty to leave the videos on a SD-card ;-).

I repeat myself, when I tell you, that the roads are quite boring. On the one hand, there are many upclimbs and many times only headwind. Next stop was at Stirling Range Retreat, one night with a camp site, the next day heading to Jerramungup. Due to the fact, that currently I not only get saddle sore, I also have spinal pain, when I sleep in my tent, I sleep more often in a hostel, motel or cabin in caravan park. So in Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe.
Well, when I arrived in Ravensthorpe I remembered the gaz station there. in 2010 I filled my campervan there :-).
Weather became very bad , the forecast give information about thunderstorms and windspeed of 42km/h. I decided to stay three more days..
On September 9th, I had my longest trip on the pushbike ever: 195 km to Esperance within 9 hours. yes this was a long day but a very good physical and especially mental training for the coming trip through the Nullarbor Desert.
On Sunday, Sept. 14th, I left Esperance , heading to Norseman.
Two days to Norseman, heavy headwind the first day. After 78 km I had to stop in Grass Patch, a 29-people village, but I was so exhausted.
The next day I cycled 130 km to Norseman. I met Uwe from Delmenhorst/Germany. He is 77 years young, an experienced cyclist and going from Perth-Kalgoorlie-Norseman-Nullarbor-Sydney. we had a great evening together. 
He started two days earlier than me through the Nullarbor desert and I hope he had a safe trip. there were big thunderstorms and heavy rain for two days.
And of course, would be great to see him again :-)

great stay in Albany

on the way to Stirling Range Retreat

"Achtung, Baby", roadtrain !

Camping at Stirling Range Retreat

roadhouse on the way to Jerramungup

Australia, not Netherlands ;-)

slash and burn... 

never cycled so many kilometers on one day in my life !

view from the YHA in Esperance

full-scale replice of Stonehenge in Esperance, with Ean (Mandurah) and Maria from Austria

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Uwe from Delmenhorst/Germany. awesome meeting !

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Jon and Michael, first I met them at Stirling Range Retreat

YHA in Esperance with the very friendly manager :-)

I will consider it, when next time I overtake a roadtrain, they are too slow for me :-)

"we are always open unless we are closed"

Sy

more pics from my trip in Western Australia 2010 (by campervan)

Well, I already have seen so many places in Western Australia, so I do not visit them again. I would like to give you a small impression from my trip in 2010. Hope you will enjoy it :-)


around Esperance

boat to Woody Islands

for coal. mining is a very big business in Western Australia

caravan-park , now I stay at the YHA next door.

up to Frenchman Peak

steep climb to the peak. some Asian tourists came there with thongs (flipflops)..not really recommended

Perth to Norseman

VW Beetle, I was very surprised to see a German car there.

a BMW "Isetta". what a big car :-)

Wave-Rock. some other tourists asked me: are you the ranger here ? ;-)

on the Great Eastern Highway

what a huge goldmine, the small yellow points in the middle are the trucks !

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pneumatic hammer, also called the "widow-maker", causing dust pneumonia

Gold !!!!!

small truck ;-)

unfortunetly no guided tour on this day. but I met a doctor, who was from Munich .

Norseman, Roadhouse

seems, that some people have a gun and use this sign as a target.