Day 15

Kwokralup Beela To Booner Mundak via Walpole - 85 klms

Having had a dry comfortable sleep I was away with a flurry of hope and determination. Yesterday’s wet had firmed the track making the sand and gravel easier to negotiate. However, my shabby quick fix was failing. Recollecting adolescent reckless times, I commissioned some scientific foolhardiness and added the friction generated by placing a foot on the ground to slow my pace. Not such a terrific idea! A reappraisal lead me to modifying my route and reneging from the authenticity of the Munda Biddi for a few kilometres. A safer strategy was to travel via the road to Walpole have breakfast and ponder my future onward pedal.
Once again I felt connection with the nativity as three wise Munda Biddian men sauntered in and joined me for breakfast.It was an auspicious moment that would change my adventure for ever. A rather pretentious claim but it was their knowledgeable insights and know how that set me back on the trail. Word had reached them of my plight and within minutes they’d looked, assessed and were solving the mystery. With a twist and a tweak my mechanical mess was fixed. A miracle!
With my spirit ascending, I was back on my true course and no longer contemplated taking the easy road.
Mind you the trail onwards to Booner Mundak hut - meaning wild place or in the bush in traditional Noongar language was proving to be a less onerous journey - kind of! Here the landscape becomes more open as there is a transition from forest to bush and with the firming of he trail surface I was rolling along at a reasonable pace yet still requiring strenuous and at times fading efforts negotiating hill after hill.
Upon reaching the hut I was greeted by fellow traveler Cormac - an experienced bikepacker who understood my occasional mishaps. Whilst not riding together our paths have crossed. Recounting our experiences over the last few days and having recharged our caloric deprivation we each claimed half of the hut and settled in for what proved to be a dry but very cold night.
As I drift off I’m thinking about the possibility of another long day and a concerted push to reach Denmark.Read more