Cradle Mountain to Rosebery: from cradle to...mine.

Wednesday November 11, 2009, 70 km (43 miles) - Total so far: 782 km (486 miles) 

A longer route today, to Rosebery. Since I'll be leaving the high country, a downhill ride could be expected, but this route has plenty of up as well as down, and a sting in the tail in the shape of Black Mountain, just before Rosebery.

A sunny but cooler day is expected - we'll see.

After making the days lunch this morning I had enough left over for cheese toasties, then packing up I left for the transit park cafe for breakfast number two, an egg and bacon roll and a cappuccino.

It was a pleasure to roll downhill from Cradle Mountain and out on to the development road, which connects to the Murchison Highway on the west coast. The vegetation here is alpine heath, with predominately button grass covering the rolling plains. The road surface was smooth and fast and for a while I rolled along briskly, and after a long fast descent to the Vale River, I was faced with a short but stiff climb out the other side to the highest point along the road, offering good views of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.

There followed much up and down, leveling a little near the junction, where I stopped in a shady place and ate my sandwiches. There is no agriculture in this region, the mountains are heavily forested, and here and there, signs of mining activity are visible, for mining is to what the west coast towns owe their livelyhood.

Continuing over hilly terrain, and then some big descents, I reached Tullah in the early afternoon; it was very hot, and I took shelter in the cafe for lunch two and sports drinks.

When I left the cafe, some thin cloud and a light breeze had lowered the temperature a little, and I knew it was only another 17 kilometres to Rosebery, but I hadn't reckoned on the long climb up Black Mountain, which seem to go on forever.

After many rest stops I eventually found the top and rolled down into the town of Rosebery, where I spotted the Top Pub in the main street, and took a room there.

To reach the high point, first descend into the valley of the Vale, then make the steep climb out.
Freeloaders admire the fine view back across the high country to Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff...