Homeward Bound

Along the estuary on the run into Mandurah

Keith and Sue McBurnie on the home leg

Hills turned to flats, forests became suburbia and 13 KPH averages became 21 KPH.

Kleber Claux once again demonstrated his passion and skill at putting together a memorable tour. Despite a barked shinbone and a bruised rib cage cyclists reached their destination safely. Smiles abounded, stories shared and friendships made.

Thanks Kleber, thanks friends old and new.

Kleber Claux at the final dinner - Silver Sands Tavern

Day 13 - The Iceberg Club in Dunsbrough

Mike Murtha
After a couple of glasses of red at dinner I extended an invitation to cyclists to join me for a 7am swim on Quindalup Beach. Five goose-bumped water nymphs  took up the challenge and dived into the icy water for the H2O shoot.

Nicole Gentz

One of the 'Icebergs' was Nicole Gentz who flew from Berlin to join the 40th Anniversary Ride. 

(Nicole  was  CTA Secretary in the mid 1970s and designed the CTA logo.)

Joy Stewart

Hilary Beck

Rob Thacker

Day 12 Prevelly to Dunsborough

Technology has changed a bit over 40 years.

Gone are the Sturmey Archer 3-speeders and panniers made from disused wheat bags. Now we have high tech disc brakes, computers and GPS navigation. Aluminium and carbon-fibre frames have replaced Reynolds 531 steel frames. Tony's new bike has done away with derailleur gears and sports an 18 speed German gearbox. He looks like he's driving a Big Mac truck.

I photographed for the morning and threw my leg over the saddle for the run into Dunsborough. It was all downhill, sunny with a  tail-wind that kept us pumping along at 30KPH. (Plus there was nobody shooting at us).

Marg Neill (centre) meets local ladies  Bobbie Micklejohn (L) and  Kerry King (R) in a Cowaramup coffee shop. (Paul Kelly above)

Just like 40 years ago I scanned the horizon for the three towering pines; a welcome landmark. I felt  like an old horse smelling the home water trough.

Boranup Bunyips

Heading into the Boranup Forest

There was more than average grunting and gasping as Bruce Robinson led his group on the dirt road through the bunyip-infested Boranup Forest.

Christine Liddiard in the Boranup Forest

Dr Tony performing emergency surgery on Kleber

The rewards were a traffic-free two hour ride followed by respite at the Boranup Gallery coffee shop. The Boranup scones had obviously been made with steroids and the jam and cream explosion added  to the fuel burn. There was time for Doctor Tony to extract a  splinter or two from Kleber's fingers using a sharpened stainless steel spoke and a rubber mallet.

Roy Stone disguised as Little Red Riding Hood's Granny

The ride from Hamelin Bay to Prevelly was one of the most peaceful and beautiful rides on tour. Although close to the chardonnay tourist mecca of Margaret River, Prevelly Park is a quiet camping spot and stopping off point for Cape to Cape walkers.

Day 10 - Augusta to Hamelin Bay

Tony Humphreys and Ann Wilson - Augusta coffee break

The weather man got it wrong. The thunderstorms, lightning and hail didn't eventuate but it was a heavy sky that bade us farewell for the 25 km rpedal to Hamelin Bay.

The night before in Augusta a few of us gave our tents a rest and booked rooms at the Backpackers or Augusta Motel. The saving grace was a tailwind to push us along the quiet back roads to Hamelin Bay.

Hamelin Bay

Pedal the K's, Read the Book, See the Movie

Participants in the CTA 40th Anniversary Tour received a 10 minute audio-visual memento of the tour. Here's a sample.

If you didn't have headwinds and uphills

You'd never appreciate the tailwinds and downhills

(Life's a bit like that as well)

Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Oppermann
on the occasion
Presentation of Audax medals to CTA 1986

White Line Fever - Day 9

Beware! One should not sleep on the main road between Nannup and Augusta when the line marking machinery is at work. Matt King was struck down by white line fever on the long haul to Augusta, a wet, windy, blustery day.

Matt King taking a well-earned rest from life in Canberra

In the early days of the CTA Matt was known for a certain amount of 'innovative' riding, particularly riding bikes off the end of jetties into the Swan River. In his more serious moments young Matt was a hearty CTA committee member and an astute bike mechanic at Avocet Cycles in Claremont.

(Matt now resides in Canberra, a keen mountain biker on Mount Stromlo and a year ago participated in the London to Paris bike extravaganza.