Wet, Wet, wetter

Wednesday 29/10/08 Hamelin Bay to Walpole.
After riding for about 6 weeks with only 2 hours of rain, it looks like we're about to cash in some credits.
Gloomy morning, just get the tents packed up dry before the drizzle starts.
Beautiful, if wet ride to Pemberton, awesome tall tree forests (easy 40 metres). Spirits were lifted passing a couple of soaking girls on push bikes, with cable ties on their helmets to keep the maggies from dive bombing !
Lunch in Pemberton, met up with cyclists and then off towards Albany, but 50k from Walpole delayed by major bus crash, atleast 50 people in rolled bus,with 1dead. Everyone on the scene already. Ambos, flying doctors,police, the works, nothing to it, but wait...in the rain,chatting to a kiwi couple, who didn't seem to mind getting out of their nice warm car for a chat to 2 hairy bikers, surprise..turned out to be bike nuts themselves. Finally got to Walpole about 4 and decided enough was enough. Checked into a Pub, dry bed and somewhere to dry the clothes...a result
Thursday 30/10/08 Walpole to Esperance
Left about 7.30, lovely piece of road to Denmark,with more of the giant tree forests, Onto Albany where the rain really started to chuck it down. Really now starting to dream of Turkey Creek, 42c and any sign of water evaporated in 30 secs flat, rode on to Jerramunup, then lunch at Ravensthorpe, before flying down to Esperance. Gloves had become so cold and wet, I ended up buying some hot pick washing up gloves to wear under them...very cool innovation...and chic....I can see a market for Harley riders.
Ended up at the Pier hotel in Esperance,more beer, more food, more fun...and a warm dry bed.
Friday 31/10/08 Esperance to Belladonia Roadhouse.
Journey east has started in earnest !
Another overcast morning, though fairly high cloud.
Rode through Malee Country upto Norseman. Stopped at Salmon gums for a cup of tea, parked the girls under a sign saying "Harley parking only, Jap bikes will be crushed." Changed my tea order to Saki :-}
Raining consistently now and as nice as the country was, it was starting to get to us.
Arrived at Norseman, had some lunch, chatted to a few locals and checked out the view of the Gold mine from the look out. Awesome 360 degree views. Massive lake and river system , with the beauty broken by the huge tailing piles left by the mine.
The Nullarbor beckoned, and who were we to turn her down.
Rain started again..brilliant! 1st 200 kms not what I was expecting..fairly high scrub and fairly lush from the recent rain. Visibility was poor and the cloud low. About half way, stopped at an old sheep station for a cuppa and to get out of the rain, can't believe how cold it is, 17C, I was expecting this bit to be dry and hot !
Reached Belladonia about 2.30pm, gave up the opportunity for another 200 kms in the rain,and decided to stop to see what tomorrow brings,unfortunately seem to be keeping pace with a cold front crossing the country !