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Heading out into what we thought might be a crafty short cut after Lake Brockman i.e. miss out a big loop … didn’t quite go to plan!

Leaving the route towards Stirling Dam. There was a sign saying: ‘Picnic area closed’, but no indication the road was closed too ⛔ After 5 km’s Stirling Dam came into view, with some serious construction in progress. A dam upgrade 🚧

Not wishing to turn around, as the loop would entail 20 km’s + we stealthy went around the construction site, on rougher dirt roads. These then seemed to be forever descending into the bowels of the earth … I no joke! Then the dirt road morphed into a dirt wall! Tired and hungry, camp was set. Not a tardy spot though, as next to a slow flowing stream 🏞

Boy, did we pay 💲for it the next day. Took an hour just to climb out from the impromptu wild-camping-spot. An hour for 100 metres … I no joke! 😅

Yarri Hut was no more than a few kilometres as the Magpie flies, but we had to go deeper and a lot wider to extricate ourselves. This took most of the morning. A lot of the time the gradient was so steep, it was a case of removing the panniers, hauling them up, then the bikes. Or at times, two hauling one bike 😅

Yarri Hut was a welcome sight. Next time stick to the trail. I did religiously!

After all that excitement, it was just a normal day en route to Collie. Topped it of with a visit to the Banksia Motel for the night. Booking.com makes it all too easy!

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