Episode 199: Louann Perriere

Cycling Solo Around Australia as a Solo Woman

When Louann Perriere first arrived in Perth, Australia she didn’t have a bike with her. She also hadn’t planned to spend almost a year cycling around the country. She initially thought she would buy a bike which would allow her to cycle commute to work. That idea transformed completely and soon enough she loaded up the bike with panniers and left Perth to circumnavigate the huge country on her own.

This was the first bikepacking adventure she had ever been on, but Louann shares how she always had with a love for the outdoors and a thirst for adventure. Growing up on the island of Reunion, the outdoors featured heavily in her childhood, although she was often swimming laps of a pool and competing in triathlons. She puts down a lot of her zest for adventure to her mum who has always encouraged her. In fact the two even hiked the challenging GR20 through Corsica together.

But a thru-hike in Corsica is very different to the challenge of cycling around Australia. Doing this solo also came with it’s own set of challenges. Louann had no one else to rely on when things got hard and complicated. She’d need to solve all her equipment problems, set up camp, cook and navigate through some of the most isolated stretches of the country entirely on her own. While she had brief periods of wanting company, in the main Louann recalls how she really enjoyed the solitude that came with riding solo. Equally, she also loved the conversations that would be sparked by curious strangers when they saw her travelling on her bike.

She was warned off crossing the Nullabor during the summer months as it would be far too hot. Instead she found herself dealing with frigid cold temperatures and a scary experience when a huge electrical storm hit close to the 90 Mile Straight. Scared by lightning striking the ground just metres from here she huddled away from her bike and eventually was picked up by a father and son who took her to the nearest road house.

But scary moments were actually quite rare on this adventure for Louann. She never recalls feeling threatened on this trip despite what many people may perceive it would be like as a solo female.

Crossing the Barkly Tableland was a magic experience. The road was quiet and isolated and she would go hours at a time before being passed by another vehicle. Broome was an area she’d love to return to, owing to the great time she spent there with other people. The West Coast of Australia around Geraldtown is a place that she wishes she had more time to explore.

The headwind was everpresent on this ride for Louann it seemed, and the last few hundred kilometres of her ride were particularly challenging. Despite people telling her she should be able to enjoy a tailwind on that section, it was anything but the case. In reality this meant long days cycling sometimes in the dark, to try and make forward progress when the wind wasn’t quite as strong. This nearly defeated Louann, who was ready to accept a lift all teh way to Perth. But a conversation with a French Truck Driver changed this around when he insisted she needed to finish the ride on her bike. It was too big a goal to quit so close to the end.

Louann is incredibly proud of what she has achieved. She also loves bikepacking and is now scheming up new adventures to come, this time in New Zealand. To keep up with her future adventures check her out on instagram @Louann.Perriere