Bicycle Tours - South Western Australia

At www.treadly.com we are pleased to present the bicycle touring stories of Charles Pierce, who has taken a bicycle tour in the South of Western Australia every (Austral) spring for many years. We believe these accounts are unique, as we have not been able to find other publications with bicycle touring stories covering this beautiful region. Charles has a sharp eye for detail, and his anecdotes are full of local colour.

If you have questions about bicycle touring in Western Australia's SouthWest, you're welcome to ask Charles! Email Charles

[Also see Ask Charles - our Bicycle Touring FAQ]

1977 bicycle tour - Cottesloe - Busselton - Bunbury
6 days
Charles tells the story of his first bicycle tour in South Western Australia. He was not well prepared....

1978 bicycle tour - Cottesloe - Margaret River - Bunbury
6 days
"I hoped that this ride would be better than 1977, learning from the mistakes of the previous year. Unfortunately I didn't know what all the mistakes were. But one had certainly been, starting too late on a hot morning. So I decided to start at sunrise....."

1979 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Margaret River - Cottesloe
6 days
"This year I planned to do things in a different way. I would start the ride by taking the Australind train to Bunbury, then ride all the way back to Perth after going around the South-West...."

1980 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Margaret River - Augusta - Bunbury
6 days
"...My plan for the next day was to visit one or both of the caves south of Margaret River, then head for Augusta for the first time, using Caves Road. My up-to-date map showed that the stretch of Caves Road, from about 3 km south of Lake Cave, all the way to the main road just north of Augusta, was unsealed. I had almost no experience of country unsealed roads at that time..."

1987 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Albany & return.
12 days, 779 km. [map]
In "The Great Ride" Charles cycles to the South Coast of Western Australia, bicycling through forests of giant karri and tinglewood trees, and encountering a large kangaroo and a very large snake along the way.

1988 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Augusta & return.
6 days, 402 km.
Charles cycles to the famous Margaret River wine region, bicycling past areas with deep limestone caves, and taking a swim where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.

1989 bicycle tour - Midland - Yealering - Armadale
8 days, 512 km. [map]
Charles cycles to the 'wheatbelt', bicycling past wheatfields and wildflowers, and encountering a fox and black cockatoos.

1990 bicycle tour - Midland - Lancelin - Moora & return
7 days, 450 km. [map]
Charles cycles to Lancelin, where the fish are biting, then cycles inland to Moora and historic New Norcia, passing many fine displays of wildflowers on the way.

1991 bicycle tour - Armadale - Pemberton - Busselton - Cottesloe
11 days, 712 km. [map]
Charles cycles "The Great Loop", visiting the timber country of Pemberton and Nannup, then heading for the coast at Busselton, and following the coastline North to Cottesloe. A trip notable for wildflowers, including native orchids, not to mention the kangaroos and emus roaming some the paddocks [fields].

1992 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Augusta & return.
8 days, 561 km. [map]
Charles takes his regular leap year bicycle tour to the Southern Cape, and visits Lake Cave. He sees several varieties of orchids, not to mention kangaroos, emus, and a very large goanna lizard.

1993 bicycle tour - Albany - Stirling Range - Mundaring
9 days, 596 km. [map]
Charles takes the coach to Albany, cycles to the Stirling Range and climbs Bluff Knoll, Western Australia's highest peak. He continues to cycle north to Mundaring, where he discovers a patch of rare orchids.

1994a bicycle tour - Cottesloe - Lancelin & return
5 days, 330 km
Charles cycles up the coast to Lancelin, where the surf is fresh and the fish are biting, and returns via Gin Gin.

1994b bicycle tour - Cottesloe - Dwellingup - Armadale
3 days, 181 km
Charles cycles to Mandurah, where they're catching salmon trout off the jetty, then to Dwellingup, where he watches a country women's darts tournament at the pub.

1995 bicycle tour - Merredin - Hyden - Midland
11 days, 554 km [map]
Charles cycles to Hyden to see the beautiful 'Wave Rock'. On the way, he stops to watch a peaceful country cricket match.

1996 bicycle tour - Kelmscott - Rocky Gully - Cottesloe
13 days, 827 km [map]
"for those who would ask: Where's Rocky Gully? What's there? Why go there? Firstly, who cares; secondly, nothing much; thirdly, it represented a Challenge; long distance ride, unfamiliar road, thinly populated country."

1997 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Augusta - Cottesloe
8 days, 588 km
Charles cycles to Augusta, visits the famous caves with their stunning limestone formations, and finds many beautiful wildflowers in the area around the caves.

1998 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Windy Harbour - Cottesloe
10 days, 627 km [map]
Charles cycles to the beach at Windy Harbour, stopping to visit the Northcliffe Forest Park.

1999 bicycle tour - Midland - Harrismith - Cottesloe
11 days, 726 km [map]
Charles cycles to Harrismith, the remains of an old town in a wildflower reserve.

2000 bicycle tour - Bunbury - Cape Naturaliste - Cottesloe
10 days, 739 km [map]
Charles cycles to Boyup Brook, where he views the Carnaby Insect Collection, then continues his tour, bicycling to Cape Naturaliste.

2002 bicycle tour - Tenterden - Walpole - Cottesloe
10 days, 610 km [map]
Charles cycles to the Valley of the Giants in Walpole, and views the worlds largest Tinglewood trees from the treetop walk.

2003 bicycle tour - Armadale - Yealering - Midland
11 days, 586 km [map]
Charles cycles to Wickepin and visits the historic Facey homestead, then cycles on to Yealering, where he stays in "one of those country hotels whose main function is as a family home for the proprietors with guests being an intrusion."

2005 bicycle tour - Armadale - Busselton - Cottesloe
11 days 670 km
Charles celebrates turning 60 by revisiting old favorites - and takes lots of pictures!

2007 bicycle tour - Tenterden - Dumbleyung - Armadale
9 days, 455 km
Charles cycles from Tenterden to Armadale, visiting Lake Dumbleyung on the way.

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