Rockingham – Part 2

Final Thoughts on Location No 70

Rockingham, Perth, Western Australia

Five weeks and four days ago we rolled into Rockingham and stayed a couple of nights at a (very run down) caravan park in order to meet the home owners of the house we were scheduled to look after.  During the entire school holidays they went off and got lost in Europe, while we looked after their house and their two fur kids.

My how time flies when you’re having fun.  But that wasn’t necessarily the case.

With Christmas, my friend Denise arriving for a short visit, another trip into the southern forests, the hot weather, the arrival of the New Year, and the bushfires that devastated the area just south of Rockingham causing so much heartache to those who lived in and around the little town of Yarloop.

Looking back over the last five weeks we’ve done a lot.  We’ve just done so while marking time.

. . .

As I said in Rockingham – Part 1, being off the road during the busiest time of the year wasn’t such a bad idea.  We’re managed to fill our days with all sorts of activities, not least of all, cycling around the streets of Rockingham and enjoying the opportunity to leisurely coast along.  Ok, I’m the one who’s enjoyed riding along without being concerned about getting up any hills.

For the most, we’ve ridden over to Warnbro Sound and enjoyed riding along the foreshore, gazing at the tranquil waters, before turning around and riding back.  Most days, this was a 15 – 20 kilometre round trip (9.5 – 12.7 miles) and a wonderful way to start the day.

With a view like this, why wouldn’t it be.

The toughest day included one section of 7 kilometres (4.6 miles) directly into a 40 kilometre headwind (24.1 miles).  Simply propelling the bike along was very physically demanding and to be honest, there was nothing simple about it.  I’m a big enough windbreak at the best of times.

It’s just as well I was attached to my bike otherwise I many well have flown away.

With our house sitting commitment now fulfilled, Dean and I are back on the road and will arrive at Cervantes later today – a sleepy little town in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region just 200 kilometres (124.4 miles) north of Perth.

How lovely it is to be back on the road, with our batteries fully charged, and both of us physically and mentally ready for the long leg home.