Sunset Coast Ride 7 & 8

Fun, scenic ride today.





Ride 7 and 8 of the Sunset Coast.





Detailed map of Ride 7. Deviating from the published directions, I took South Street eastwards to Fremantle.





South Street heading towards the ocean.





Entering the city of Fremantle.





'Took this for my buddy housemate in NorCal. I found this sign extremely funny.

The Fremantle Anti-Nuclear Group (FANG) re-formed in mid 1999 in order to campaign against the establishment of a uranium mining industry and the threat of nuclear waste dumping in Western Australia. We were also motivated by the continual visits of nuclear powered and armed warships to the Port of Fremantle, and sought from the outset to raise awareness in the community about how all these issues are linked. There had been an earlier incarnation of FANG many years before which had been very active in opposing nuclear warship visits.

         (The Fremantle Anti-Nuclear Group)


I wonder if they would have felt the same way back in World War II when the Australian Army's 8th Division got their butts kicked by the Imperial Japanese Army.

Group hug, everyone! Yeah, that should solve the world's problems.

Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep.

         (Rudyard Kipling)





Coasting down to the coast.





Spurning the crowds at the boardwalk, I head to the beach instead.










The Indian Ocean.





South Beach.





Southwards to Ride 8.





Busy bees by the trail.





Next stop, Coogee Beach.










The red-stained bitumen makes cycling an absolute joy.





Sand can render cornering on road tires a skittish affair though. Unlike the 1.25" Specialized Fatboys I have been running for more than a decade, the 1" Continental Grand Prix MTB tires give little or no warning before losing traction in a corner.





All too soon...










I rode on to the breakwater by Jervoise Bay.





IMHO, they need a 2nd sign stating that the sign itself is dangerous; a cut from its rusty bits could cause tetanus! Imagine the suffering that may ensue! Oh, the humanity! Someone call Amnesty International!





The keys to the magic under the waves lie with those who dive.





A poorly executed panorama of Jervoise Bay Beach.





Time to head back north.










If not for the sand, inline skating on this surface will be heaven.





Here's a speed skater at 30 mph (48 km/h) in Central Park, New York. Apart from skydiving, skysurfing, lugeing down Black Mountain (Remember, Scooby?), being hurled from a giant catapult, and whatever-the-heck-Yves-Rossy-does, it is about the purest form of experiencing raw speed.





Lunch at Coogee Beach Cafe. That Coogee Burger packs more calories than my entire ride, I swear. Among other delectable, artery-clogging, ingredients, it boasts a poached egg, 4 strips of thick-cut bacon, mayonnaise, honey mustard, and a juicy 9/10" (2.3 cm) thick beef patty. And then, there's the fries... The waitress reckoned I won't be able to clear the plate. She was wrong.

*Oink!*
*Burp!*

Damage
Coogee Burger:  AUD$15
Powerade:  AUD$5.50
Coronary arteries:  irreparable.





Argh, helmet hair. I look like some cosplay character.





After lunch, Exxon Valdez I slowly chugged to Coogee Beach.





Back on the bike path.





As it nears evening, everything takes on a sheen of gold.





Cicerello's, a tourist haunt for fish and chips and seafood. Tip: if you're going to eat there, stop by a nearby grocery store and purchase a jar of your own tartar sauce; they charge by the packet here.





Skipping the boardwalk, I chanced upon this behemoth at Fremantle Port.





Ivy is about, oh, 10 feet from the truck.

When I was a wee li'l kid, my Dad used to bring me to his place of work at a bauxite mine in Pengerang (he designed the ventilation and air-conditioning system for the equipment and personnel). I would climb to the top of the mining trucks and hold on to the handrails as they lumbered over a moonscape of barren earth and red, blasted rock. On lucky days, the mechanics would let me bring home old 1" (25 mm) diameter ball-bearings from the truck workshop.





A closer look reveals why the truck is parked here. The immigration authorities are zealous in safeguarding Australia from alien organisms, mountain bikers should thoroughly wash their tires and cycling shoes before heading to Australia.





Leaving the coast and heading east along the banks of the Swan River.










I continue be impressed by the thought and planning put into bicycle paths in Perth. Here, on speed-reducing curves, a concrete kerb protects the bicycle path from drivers with poor lane discipline. This is what one gets with having actual cyclists on the city planning committee.





At the terminus of the curve, the concrete barrier ends.





Anglers heading home after a day's fishing. A seagull shadows the craft in hopes of disposed bait.





Onward east.





Along the banks of the Swan River, a solo diver rigs up for a dusk dive.





Dusk by the Swan River, Durdham Park, Bicton.

Gazing upon this image, an 81-year-old lady wistfully related to me how, as a child in the 1940s, she would dash along this jetty, dive headlong into its clear, calm waters, and swim giggling back into the arms of her worried father.





The bike path through Point Walter Reserve is unlit and deserted at night. Pitch-black, with oddly-shaped bushes rustling in the wind, playing mind games with you, it makes for an interesting ride at night. Gleaming across the darkened expanse is the skyline of Perth city.


Epilogue:
Total distance:  cyclo-computer 42 miles (67.2 km) / GPS dead
Total elevation climbed:  Altimeter 1480 ft (451 m)
Temperature range:  51 F to 71 F (10.6 C to 21.7 C)

Ride conducted solo.