Nala Mia to Nannup

For one of the first times all trip, Aron was leading the way for extended periods as I was stopping frequently to photograph wildflowers, railway line, trail views and anything that caught my eye. He had stopped at the longest bridge of the day, an old wooden relic running over St John Brook and one spot that deserves a slow crawl to fully appreciate the beauty of the place. The narrow bridge can be a bit slippery with the exposed slabs of timber but there is no risk of falling off thanks to the metal railings that have been installed. I found myself walking across so I could take photos of the creepy old mans beard lichen that is dripping off every tree branch and trunk. The water levels were pretty full thanks to all the winter rains we had received this year and the whole place had an enchanted feel about it (if you looked to the east and not the exposed property to the west). Aron rushed off into the distance as he had a carrot dangling in front of him to pick up the pace this afternoon, while I was a bit more relaxed as I could easily put on the afterburners and I knew that the trail was an easy ride leading into town.

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The excellent scenery continued as I left the old rail bridge behind and despite the nature of the scenery not changing a whole lot (straight trail with trees either side), I was busy scanning the edges for wildflowers. My prayers were answered with a collection of Pink Fairy Orchids, some tangled Drosera and plenty more that didn't make the cut for the above gallery. After a week filled with plenty of hills, steep gradients, pea gravel and long road or vehicle track sections, this was a nice relief and a fantastic way to finish the first part of the track. Tootling along at around 20kmph for long periods had been unheard of up until this point but with minimal effort, the reward was making up time as we headed into town. At this rate we would be arriving before the girls and based on the updates we had been receiving during the day, that was going to be the case. Arriving at Cambray Siding, there is some old railways relics here including a water tank and accompanying information boards. This marks the turn-off for the Old Timberline Trail that together with the Sidings Rail Trail, form a nice loop from the centre of Nannup (stay tuned in 2022 as I come back to do this one).

Aron skipped ahead here as I had some minor maintenance to do and it wasn't until after the next abandoned bridge that I caught up to him. This bridge was one of the more interesting bridges along the way as it is mostly intact and the detour along the more modern creek crossing allows you to see it from a better angle, appreciating the old timbers that make up the structure. Continuing along the straight and narrow old rail form, I'm not sure this would be as enjoyable an experience if you walked it given you would be at roughly a quarter of the speed. The scenery would still be nice but the distance between interesting points would make it seem a bit samey. On the bike it was a hoot and we reached an open space that I remembered as having a water course running next to it that was visible from the trail. The wildflowers through here were also spectacular with some a variety that I hadn't seen so far on our journey plus some Prickly Hakea and Blue Squills in bloom.

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Here we crossed paths with some other cyclists out for a day ride on the trail and we had a quick chat about the Munda Biddi and our heavy bike setups. I had expected that the rider we met at Nala Mia would have overtaken us by now but it seems our pace wasn't so bad after all. Continuing on, we reached a lovely section of She-Oaks that provided something different to the Jarrah and Marri forests that we had been riding through up until that point. It would also mark the final part of the sneaky climb that we had been on for about five kilometres. I say sneaky because there isn't a noticeable difference to the eye that you are going up a hill thanks to the small gradient but the drop in average speed suggests that it is indeed an incline. Given the hills we'd already covered today, this was a minor one and at the top we had nothing but downhill to look forward to. I hung back to photograph more wildflowers along the increasingly narrower trail and was lucky to also get a Scarlet Robin flitting around where I was. As much as I wanted to get into Nannup and see Caris, I didn't want this section to end because it was so enjoyable.

All good things must come to an end as they say and this would be a quicker than usual end to a day given the downhill assisted arrival. I got off my bike at the first farm section as the blue skies had produced an idyllic scene and the photo requires a short trek off the main trail. Aron was again waiting for me, this time at the second Vasse Highway crossing and I remembered that past this point was some excellent forest and the finishing farmland. My memory didn't fail me and the lush feeling forest was a great way to finish what had been a wonderful section. There were some last minute wildflower surprises with more Pink Fairy Orchids, a Grevillea and some Flame Peas. Skirting the edge of the last farmland section before the last highway crossing, the flooded section of the distant paddock made for a nice scene despite the darkening skies. Crossing the highway again, you pass the turnoff for the Old Timberline Trail, cycle along the edge of one last paddock before arriving at the bridge over the Blackwood River heading into town. The place was busy as it was a Saturday and one of the weekends of the month long Tulip Festival that Nannup puts on during September. Keen to get into town, I took a quick snap of the ridiculous 1982 flood level on a nearby tree (Cyclone Bruno in 1982 was devastating to this area) and then joined Aron as we rolled into the main bit of town.

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Nannup was buzzing with activity thanks to market stalls next to Melo Velo, bright tulips everywhere and plenty of side activities to enjoy like art exhibitions. The girls had not yet arrived so Aron and I set about checking into the Caravan Park. Aron was in an old caravan as we couldn't stay together thanks to his let's say "unsociable" dog that tries to bite anyone's face off if they approach him. After a week together that probably wasn't a bad thing so I had booked a cabin by the river for Caris and I to enjoy. It was a short ride from the main strip in town but it was a nice feeling knowing I would be seeing Caris soon and I had a rest day to enjoy Nannup. The girls eventually arrived and I rode my unloaded bike back into town to greet them and it felt like a rocket ship without all my bags attached. After a nice hot shower, we headed back into town to wander around the markets and enjoy the Tulip Festival. The following day turned out to be a great day for a rest as the cold and wet weather would not have been pleasant to ride in. Great for visiting Lavender Farms, Cheese Farms and indulging in plenty of food but not for riding a fully loaded bike. I love Nannup and it's definitely a town you should take a rest day in. The first week is now over and with the bulk of the hard riding behind us, it was time to enjoy some gentle touring going forward.