Page 59 - AMB Freelist

ODwellingupPindjarup Country
also houses showers, a bike wash and repair station, free Wi-Fi, charging stations and lockers, all within 50m of the Hotham Valley Railway,
Bike Club. Hand cut singletrack is interspersed with a few fire trails for passing. You will find beginner groups riding the short loop from
the campsite and the more experienced or adventurous completing the long loop or riding from town. Dodging bushes laden with water, sagging onto the trail, we head off. A combination of the pea gravel and recent maintenance means there is hardly a puddle to be seen. At the junction of the long and short loops, we divert
off to visit the Marrinup Prisoner of War (POW) Camp. It is only about 600m from the circuit and the history is interesting. John regales us with tales of its operation during the Second World War, post war stories of inmates abscondment to the Dwellingup Hotel and how some jumped from the train never to arrive at the Fremantle port when they were sent home. Heading back, some of us return to town via the long loop dodging some of the damp Northshore-esq log rides, like the POW Camp, relics of a previous era.
In the afternoon, Rod, Brett, Denzel and I visit the Lane Poole Reserve. Rod has completely embraced his role of tour guide, showing us
n the previous Places that Rock Road Trip we rode Dwellingup. Why are we back? Quite simply because one day isn’t enough,
and in the past two years the Murray Valley trail as well as a large pump track and skate park.
network has grown significantly.
Heading out of Dwellingup Holiday House to get
breakfast, Dwellingup is living up to its Noongar meaning, “on and by the whole place there is fog, dew and mist”. So, with wet weather gear and collective groans from the media squids behind the lenses, we roll across the road to the glistening new trails and visitor centre.
With a range of walking, mountain biking, four-wheel driving trails and canoe routes in the vicinity, the Trails and Visitor Centre is busy. The centre was devised by the Shire of Murray, whose vision and investment has seen Dwellingup blossum into a true trail town. We eat, caffeinate, and plan the days’ activities at Waypoints Café inside the centre. As the rain persists, we take the time to look around. As well as a café and
an information centre, Dwellingup Adventures is located in the complex and offers bike, canoe, raft, camping gear hire and a bike shop. The centre
It is quite a set up, and word is that there will potentially be a hops-based drinks facility in the not-too-distant future. It looks like it will remain busy all year round.
TAKING TO THE TRAILS
Meeting with a crew of locals, including John Cusack, Josh White and his son, it is decided that we will ride out to the Marrinup Circuit via some of the trails used in the Dwellingup 100 event, while the guys with cameras will take protective measures and drive. Their loss. Groomed recently, the trails are in perfect condition. The ride out isn’t a hard one. The climbs are mellow and the descents, although short and pedally, flow well. At Marrinup Campsite, we meet the rest of the team.
The Marrinup Circuit is an old XC racecourse built in the late 90s by the Peel Districts Mountain
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