Nannup, Collie and Dwellingup, WA Part 2
In Part 1, Vandy and I did some rolling around Collie, checking out the dozens of murals that appear on almost every wall and appear in the most unusual places. I’m not sure who agrees with me on this, but I find riding around country towns, taking it nice and easy, looking at buildings and getting a sense of its unique history is one of the most enjoyable things to do on a bike.
On our last evening in Collie, and our second last night on the trip, I decided to take a tour up the rail line to see what I could find. Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with train history. Rail opened up Australia in a way it had never done before and the tale it tells can be seen when you take the time to poke about. About 2 kms up the line from Collie township, was something that made me froth. It was the remnant of a giant roundhouse, the place where steam trains were stored when not in use. The rail history of Collie is deep and very important. Trains transported coal, vital to the 19th and 20th century for power generation, and the locos that did the job lived here. It was massive, run down, and had a real presence about it, as the sun hit the rusted roof right on sunset.
Collie is transforming itself before your very eyes, from a coal town, tough, unrelenting, hard, to a trail town, warmly welcoming tourists, especially cycle tourism. The new network of Wambenger MTB trails is absolutely wonderful, and the Kylie trail which winds itself through one of the most unique habitats in the world is brand new, best described as 10 kms of family friendly happiness. I loved how the council has restored the main street’s shop facades back to how they appeared 100 years ago. Collie is cool indeed.
We finished the episode in Dwellingup, an almost impossibly cute town with… you guessed it, more important rail history and another brand new network of MTB trails. Just built, they make up the Murray Valley MTB park. And it rocks. It reminded me of the small towns, like Meeniyan in Victoria that appear out of nowhere and have a vibe all their own. Vandy really loved it.
I think the trails in this part of WA are truly unique, with the history, the locals, the dirt, the environment and the weather. We visited this region in Season 1 and in just 2 years it’s gone nuts. So much more to see, so many more places to go, and the riding is absolutely world class. I’m coming back here for a holiday, no camera, no crew, no schedule, just riding, eating and mucking about. Hang on…that’s the show! No Vandy then. It’s settled.
