The Shake-Down Ride 1-3 March 2014

Dwellingup: Numbers were allocated on the basis of good looks

The Dolly Parton lookalike barmaid at the Waroona Hotel stepped from behind the bar. Twenty sweat-laden eyes fixed on 'Dolly'.

Water nymphs at Baden-Powell

Cooling off at Baden-Powell water spout

'Jeez, you guys look so damn hot'
Dolly then proceeded to spray us all with her water atomizer she had rescued from the ironing cupboard.
Dolly was right. We were hot. We had just completed 76 kilometres in 35 degrees plus temperatures and  we were baked and slaked.
That first shandy I sunk was the best shandy I had tasted in my life. It was like liquid gold.

Shake-down leader Stan Wiechecki in Waroona

Our shake-down ride was a practice for the big one - the 4oth Anniversary  CTA Tour from Albany to Perth covering 800 kilometres. The ride was meant to give us a taste of things to come.

A spokeful of thanks to Stan Wiechecki for finding all the best eateries, coffee shops and restaurants.

And a special thank you to my stoker Margaret who kept helping up the Dwellingup hills.

Really looking forward to the push off in Albany in a couple of weeks.