Up and at ‘em

9:15 a.m. Local time Mandurah – Jan 16th

My day started at 4 a.m. this morning. Despite my spectacular cat nap from yesterday, my night’s sleep was not the least bit restful. I had not taken into account how cold it could get at night – not cold comparatively, but enough that I should have used my sleeping bag instead of just my bivy sack. After a quick stretch and getting my bearings, I set off at 5:15 in the dark. I rode for two hours before stopping off at Kennedy beach for breakfast where a leathery old morning beach walker took one look at my bike and told me, "I reckon tha'd be the way to do it. I’ve gone round Australia on a motor bike, but going slower I reckon you see a bit more."

I made my breakfast of Muesli and powdered milk. The east wind (yet another east wind) had died down for breakfast and allowed the flies to join me, reminding me briefly of the Hostel.

Today it’s been busy roads and not a lot of nature to see. Western Australia is booming with mining and tourist money, and building is everywhere. Mandurah, at least the part I have seen coming in from the north, looks like it was built in the past five years. It is tastefully done, modern, and very "beach Australian." I imagine all it needs is people. Today I have 50k more to go to reach Preston beach at the Yalgorup National Park.